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Caulk/Sealant Smell
Question from HEG Last week a plumber came to my house and applied the Polyseamseal all-purpose caulk to my kitchen sink as it had been leaking. The VOC content was
June 3, 2010
Update: I’m finally in my office
Question from Angelique Six months ago we had to remodel my home office. The new drywall was mudded with Murco M-100 and the walls were painted with Sherwin Williams Harmony. I’m not sure why, but I was not able to tolerate the room until now. My husband is blaming the mud or the mud-paint combination. […]
June 1, 2010
Hardwood Blinds
Question from Ronda I special ordered white American Hardwood blinds. I got them in November and although there is no longer a strong smell, my nose burns when I sit near them and I’ve been getting headaches. My husband and two toddlers don’t seem bothered by these blinds, but because these are in my kid’s […]
March 23, 2010
Olympic Premium Paint
Question from Tanya My husband painted the baseboards in our bedroom with Olympic Premium paint, which is no VOC, almost 3 weeks ago. The paint did not have much of a smell in the can but a couple of days later the smell became very strong. I have not been feeling well since then. About […]
February 26, 2010
Cleaning Mold From Sons Room
Question from Stacy D I just recently discovered that my son’s fishtank that he has had for 2 1/2 months had been leaking from the tank every time that I opened the tank to feed the fish or clean the tank. A small drip would travel from the tank, down the cord to the floor. […]
August 11, 2009
Dry Wall
Question from MB 14 months ago I had my son’s room ‘renovated’ and dry wall put up to cover up the exposed brick walls. I was expecting the dry wall to outgas and smell for a while but it still smells even today. How long does it take for dry wall to outgas OR could […]
May 19, 2009
Refinished Hardwood Floors
Question from Carole I am trying to find a healthy apartment to live in. I’ve been searching and searching and finally think I’ve found a safe place. It has been painted but that was over a month ago, so there is no paint odor. It is a studio apartment and the floors in the entire […]
January 13, 2009
How long to avoid new paint?
Question from Katie I am chemically sensitive and still getting used to what causes reactions, etc. I’m wondering how long paint off-gasses, and for what length of time it is recommended for a chemically-sensitive individual to avoid a building or room which has been recently painted? Thank you! Debra’s Answer It really depends very much […]
December 24, 2008
Plastic Smell in Carpet
Question from Sandy My husband and I decided to switch our office and guest room. The office (which is now the guest room) had one of those plastic things you put on the floor so your chair can roll easily. It has been in the room for several years and had no plastic smell. When […]
October 20, 2008
Ikea Birch Closet
Question from natalia Dear Debora, We bought a new birch closet from Ikea 1 wk ago. I have windows open for a week but it still gives off a strong odor. The closet is in the nursery and I am concirned about the toxic effect of this odor. Also is there a way to eliminate […]
October 13, 2008
Finding Building/Remodeling Advice for MCS
Question from Leslie Adams I read with interest about heating up a newly painted home in order to have it outgass more quickly! However, here in Hawaii, we generally don’t have heaters in our homes – it is warm enough and humid enough that no one would ever turn them on unless living at high […]
July 8, 2008
Choosing Solid Wood Furniture
Question from Lost in Maryland I am in the process of buying new furniture and am trying to buy the safest and least expensive options possible. I was looking for natural materials, such as metal and unfinished solid wood. Ikea has these items for great prices as many know. However, I realized that Ikea’s “solid” […]
July 7, 2008
Toxic Smell in my Kitchen Cabinets
Question from Chuck Hi Debra, I have kitchen cabinets that are only a few years old and still have this strong chemical smell inside them as they did when I first bought it. Originally when I bought it I assumed it was a “new” cabinet smell from some chemicals they may have used to manufacture […]
October 8, 2007
Hard Wood Floor Finish Offgassing
Question from Debra S. Dear Debra: My husband and I had our hard wood floors refinished in February of this year. Harco Polyurethane 350 VOC was used. My husband pointed out some imperfections in the finish and the contractor came back and did something which increased the fumes (we found cans of Harco and paint […]
July 31, 2007
How long does vinyl flooring offgas?
Question from Jennifer Hi, Can anyone tell me how long the worst of the offgassing is from vinyl flooring? I’m living with my parents and I can’t talk them out of installing new vinyl flooring in the kitchen and laundry room. And can anyone recommend a non-toxic adhesive that can be used with vinyl flooring? […]
What You Need to Know About Your HVAC and Indoor Air Quality Copy
Today my guest is Judy Rachel, a Home Performance Professional specializing in third party, independent home energy audits, best green building practices specifications and HVAC system design. We’ll be talking about the basics of how your HVAC works, choosing correct filters, why we have indoor air quality problems and how to solve them, and how to get to know your HVAC system so you can use it properly. Judy writes and teaches building science / energy efficiency curricula for various community and city colleges, as well as for workforce training programs. She provides both classroom and hands-on trainings. She is a senior lead trainer for Efficiency First California, training contractors in the Home Performance with Energy Star curriculum. She is a lead trainer for Energy Conservation Institute’s Building Performance Institute (BPI) Certification trainings. Judy is President of the Eco-Home Network, a non-profit devoted to greening as many homes as possible. She is the field mentor for contractors participating in the Southern California Home Upgrade program. Along with being certified as a Building Analyst, Envelope Specialist, Heating Specialist and A/C and Heat Pump Professional through BPI, she is a field proctor for these certifications. As a HERS rater (Home Energy Rater) she does diagnostic testing, verifications and inspections for residential and small commercial buildings to ensure compliance with California’s Energy Code. Certified by Build It Green, she is a GreenPoint rater for new construction and a Certified Green Building Professional. Through National Comfort Institute she holds their Air Balancing and Carbon Monoxide & Combustion Certifications. Judy thinks the most amazing part of what she does is that by creating energy efficient homes she is actually able to improve the comfort, durability, indoor air quality, as well as, occupant safety within homes. www.greenachers.com
January 7, 2021
Dyson Pure Cool LINK
Question from Bonnie Johnson Hi Debra, I was watching Tv the other day and the add came on for the Dyson Pure Cool fan and purifier. The idea is the air goes thru the purifier part and comes out the top as a fan. It even has a little remote that measures air quality. Was […]
May 8, 2018
Living Trees
Instead of cutting a tree for the holidays, you can plant one, when you choose a living tree. Sold in containers, living trees have their roots intact and can be planted outdoors or grown in their containers following the holiday. PLANTING YOUR TREE OUTDOORS The most important decision to make when choosing a […]
November 28, 2017
A New Line of Products that Remove Fragrances, Tobacco Smoke, Pesticides and other Toxic Pollutants Throughout Your Home—Inspired By MCS
My guest today is Kyle Knappenberger, Director of Applications at Timilon Technology Acquisitions LLC, in Fort Myers, Florida. Today Timilon is launching a new product line called EnviroKlenz that removes toxic chemicals and odors all around the house. These products all use a unique technology that captures and destroys toxic chemicals by taking apart their molecular structure. We will be talking about harmful chemicals around the home and how to use EnviroKlenz products to eliminate toxics and odors from spaces, surfaces and laundry. For over a decade, Kyle has been working on using safe metal oxide technology for odor control and toxic chemical neutralization applications. He has a Bachelors of Sciences degree in microbiology from Kansas State University, and co-holds six patents related to the mitigation of chemical and biological contamination. www.enviroklenz.com
May 5, 2015
How Pesticides Can Harm Your Health
My guest today is toxicologist Steven G. Gilbert, PhD, DABT, He’s a regular guest who is helping us understand the toxicity of common chemicals we may be frequently exposed to. Today we’re going to talking about pesticides, which is a large class of chemicals with many different degrees of danger. Dr. Gilbert is Director and Founder of the Institute of Neurotoxicology and author of A Small Dose of 
Toxicology- The Health Effects of Common Chemicals.He received his Ph.D. in Toxicology in 1986 from the University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, is a Diplomat of American Board of Toxicology, and an Affiliate Professor in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington. His research has focused on neurobehavioral effects of low-level exposure to lead and mercury on the developing nervous system. Dr. Gilbert has an extensive website about toxicology called Toxipedia, which includes a suite of sites that put scientific information in the context of history, society, and culture. www.toxipedia.org
April 14, 2015
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