Fiberglass/Acrylic Shower

Question from Marie I need to have a plumber replace the shower valve. Is it safer to cut a bigger hole in the fiberglass/acrylic shower wall to get into the plumbing, or safer to go through the drywall in the hallway to get into the plumbing? The cut through the shower wall will just be […]

• Q & A

December 17, 2019

Proposition 65 Warning for Styrene and BPA in Toaster Oven

Question from Naomi I recently purchased a Black and Decker Toaster oven, model TO3290XSD, online to replace our old one which is severely rusted and not functioning well. When the box was delivered I noticed a warning that read as follows: WARNING: This product can expose you to chemicals including Styrene, which known to the […]

• Q & A

December 16, 2019

Oven Without Non-Stick Coatings

Question from Suzannah I am trying to find a full sized range (I need 36 inches) that does not contain any non stick coatings of any kind on the inside or on the outside.  Do you know of any thing like this that is available in the USA?   Lisa’s Answer I am not aware […]

• Q & A

Sulphur Odor from Organic Thermal Fabric

Question from Lina I recently purchased a fabric from a credible online store and have been ordering from them for years and years. This was a surprising experience so I am hoping maybe you may be familiar with how this could happen. I purchased organic natural thermal fabric. It had a sulphur odor during the […]

• Q & A

Bathtub and Tile Reglazing

Question from Abby Do you have any advice for a non-toxic way to have a tub reglazed ? We live in a pre-war NYC apartment and don’t want to replace the whole tub/bathroom tiles, but can have them reglazed. We will vacate during the process and for 48 hours thereafter, but am concerned about toxicity […]

• Q & A

Non-Toxic Oven Brands

Question from Tony I just had a question about non toxic oven brands, I had an old oven that seemed non toxic and didn’t seem like it was chemically altering my food, but it broke and now my current oven from Frigidaire seems very toxic and it seems like it’s chemically altering my non toxic […]

• Q & A

Safe Shampoo and Conditioner

Question from Carole I used the Janice Shampoo and conditioner for many many years from their catalogs or web page….now seeking more safe shampoo and conditioners…I’m 78 and have severe chemical allergies since 1942   Lisa’s Answer You can look through several fragrance-free products on Debra’s List.  Many of these companies sell hair products.  Please […]

• Q & A

Xtrema Cookware

Question from Jackie I was very concerned to read that a lead-free advocate found that Xtrema cookware, highly regarded by many clean living advocates, tested positive for multiple metals. What are your thoughts on this?   Lisa’s Answer You can read my opinion on this here.

• Q & A

Duraflame Vs. Natural Wood

Question from Ted My daughter just bought a house and she was questioning the dura- flame logs versus natural wood. Which is more toxic.? They have a four-month-old baby and she’s concerned about the toxicity.   Lisa’s Answer Surprisingly, independent test results show Duraflame burns cleaner than natural wood.  They are made of compressed wood, […]

• Q & A

December 15, 2019

Is Your Tap Water Safe?

This past summer I wrote a post about PFAS chemicals in farm produce.  The source of the chemicals was from ground water that had been contaminated from firefighter foam used primarily on military bases.  At the time, the contaminated ground water seemed relatively contained to areas in close proximity to military bases.  Now, EWG has […]

• Q & A

December 10, 2019

Versatile Almond Cookie Recipe Will Let you Make Almost Any Holiday Cookie You Love Gluten-Free, Egg-Free, and Dairy-Free

I know many of you reading this have enjoyed my holiday cookies recipes in the past in my food blogs. This year I don’t have a food blog, but I will be launching a new food blog in January. It’s called Wholefood Cuisine, and all the recipes will be made with whole foods, like this […]

• Q & A

December 9, 2019

Heaters

Question from Sandi I can’t find a radiant heater that doesn’t smell& also have small duraflame which only supposed to smell at first but I still smell have sinus issues & allergies bad headaches t,nausea wondering if from fumes & if toxic?I need heat for bedroom. I’ve googled and called companies with no good answers,all […]

• Q & A

December 8, 2019

Non-Toxic Sofa

Question from Stacey I am trying to find safe/safer, affordable furniture. I see one popular store (Crate and Barrel) makes a sofa that has “soy-based polyfoam” cushions, “wrapped in fiber-down blend and recycled fiber, encased in downproof ticking.” There are also springs in the sofa. What do you think about this sofa? Is it better […]

• Q & A

Wool Blanket Marked “Mothproof”

Question from Eugenia bot in thrift store. label states: 65% new wool 35% reprocessed wool Mothproofed looks in good condition  – cant judge age of blanket – has one small tear on an edge. I want to cut it  up for mini blankets to put in Catio (indoor/outdoor)  cat beds for extra warmth this winter […]

• Q & A

Safe Bakeware

Question from Reenie My niece wants to buy her mom new cake baking pans.  She wants to buy some sort of coated copper bakewear. Is there some writeup in Q & A that you could point me to that reviews best green bake ware.  Thank you!   Lisa’s Answer There are several types of bakeware […]

• Q & A

Silicone Bakeware

Question from Judy Are silicone bakeware products safe for cooking/heating food or liquids?   Lisa’s Answer Read this detailed thread on the toxicity of silicone.

• Q & A

Elevated VOCs

Question from Kristen We have lived in our home for 10 years. My daughter is now 18 and her health has steadily and drastically gone downhill over the same time period. She has been seen by every specialist you can think of but they’ve all been stumped. It recently occurred to me that maybe our […]

• Q & A

Safe Toys

Question from Shelley I would like to get some Peppa Pig play sets for my granddaughter. I wrote to the company about materials, and this is the response I got: “Thank you for contacting Jazwares LLC and for your interest in our products.  All of our toys comply with CPSA standards as required by law. […]

• Q & A

Earrings

Question from Sheryl My daughter got some earings that come with a warning that says this product may expose you to chemicals such as nickle and cyanide which are know in the state of California to cause cancer, etc. Would you be concerned or is this just one of those Prop 65 warnings that has […]

• Q & A

2019 Holiday Gift Guide

I’ve put together a list of holiday gift ideas for friends, family, and for yourself.  Most of these items are ones I own or plan to buy.  Please leave a comment if you have additional ideas to share!   Hostess Gifts/Stocking Stuffers   KeepCup Glass Travel Mugs  A great alternative to plastic or stainless steel […]

• Q & A

November 26, 2019