Performance Fabric

Question from Cheryl I am interested in buying  a sofa from Pottery Barn.  There are fabrics available there that are called Performance fabrics. That sounds good because there will be kids and pets and a stain resistant fabric would be great. However, I have to wonder how fabric is treated to be called Performance. Is […]

• Q & A

September 17, 2019

Is This Acrylic Lamp Toxic?

Question from Miriam I generally try to avoid acrylic but my son would really like this lamp for his room that is acrylic.  Would you consider this non-toxic? The description says: Expertly crafted of acrylic and iron. Metal parts are finished in Satin Nickel. On/off switch located on clear cord. Shade is included and exterior […]

• Q & A

September 10, 2019

Reaction to Shoes

Question from Vanessa I am desperate for some answers. I have been experiencing the most frustrating “medical mystery” for months now. At first I thought my feet were just dry because I have  Hashimotos Thyroiditis, but after many failed attempts at moisturizing with different foot salves, I started to realized it’s got to be something […]

• Q & A

Magic Eraser

Question from Jen A friend recently mentioned that she uses a magic eraser to clean her tub and shower-and many other house things like wall smudges, kitchen sink, etc. I keep hearing how wonderful these eraser sponges are but before I tackle some heavy duty cleaning, I wanted to check the safety of them (especially […]

• Q & A

Certifications: What Do They Mean?

There are so many “non-toxic” certifications in the marketplace today.  It can be confusing trying to figure out what they mean and, importantly, what they don’t mean. The problem with most of these certifications is: They are only testing a limited number of chemicals and They are only testing the chemicals to an accepted level […]

• Q & A

September 3, 2019

Vegan Suede Shoes

Question from Joe I was wondering what your opinion of these shoes im planning to purchase https://wills-vegan-store.com/vegan-dock-boots-mens-tan-vegan-suede.html. When i messaged the company it said the vegan suede was created with polyurethane based materials that are similar to polyester? Are these safe to wear? Lisa’s Answer Polyurethane is a safe plastic but it can have additives […]

• Q & A

Mold Remediation

Question from Catherine After sanitizing the moldy basement in the house we just bought, remediators want to apply a protectant/encapsulant to seal the surfaces.  The two possibilities are Bac-Shield (http://chemtexlaboratories.com/bacshield/) and Caliwel (https://www.caliwel.com/CaliwelIndustrial.aspx).  I’m terribly sensitive. What do you think? Lisa’s Answer Caliwel claims no VOCs and uses Calcium Hydroxide (lime) as an active ingredient, […]

• Q & A

September 2, 2019

Thuiram Mix

Question from Catherine Looking for shoes, sneakers not made with thuiram mix. Lisa’s Answer This is not something I have researched.  Readers, has anyone looked into this?

• Q & A

Toxins in Toilet Paper

We use toilet paper multiple times a day in our most personal of areas.  Yet, we hear about scary stuff that could be hiding in each roll.  With so many options on the shelves it’s difficult to figure what to use and what to avoid.  Here are the toxins to be wary of and a […]

• Q & A

August 27, 2019

Non-Toxic Hangers

Question from Phoebe I saw an older post about hangers, and I was wondering if anyone has any updated information. I am trying to fin non toxic hangers that will last that are preferably eco friendly as well. I cannot find the Ditto hangers for sale anywhere besides one sketchy seeming ebay seller. Did the […]

• Q & A

August 26, 2019

LifeStraw Glass Water Filter

Question from Kathryn Hello!  Curious if you’ve seen the LifeStraw glass water filter and think it could be valuable if not currently able to install a full filtration system…  thanks! Lisa’s Answer It’s good to see a countertop filter with a glass jug and an activated carbon filter.  Without doing a full analysis of other […]

• Q & A

Titanium Dioxide in EnviroKlenz

Question from Lanette Recently I’ve been reading a lot about the dangers of nano-particles of titanium dioxide and zinc oxide in products, particularly in sunscreen. I know Debra was a big fan of Enviroklenz (air cleaners and related air purifying products), as am I. They all contain titanium dioxide. Is theirs the nano type or […]

• Q & A

Lemi Shine Detergent Booster

Question from Liz We have very hard water and I am SO SICK of the scum that builds up on everything that goes into the dishwasher I’m ready to trash the beast and do dishes by hand. But there are three in our house and we always cook meals at home, so that would be […]

• Q & A

Futon Pad To Stop Slipping

Question from Shannon After Debra Lynn Dadd educated me to the flame retardants and toxic foam in my sofa I replaced it with a futon. I have a solid wood futon frame and wool mattress with an organic cotton cover. My only problem is that the mattress keeps slipping off.  Can you recommended a way […]

• Q & A

Finding Non-Toxic Dishwashers

Dishwashers are one of the more difficult purchases when planning your non-toxic home because they use many different materials and it’s difficult to get manufacturers or retail sellers to disclose those materials.  Many sales representatives simply don’t know what’s used to make their products.   When I purchased my dishwasher a few years ago I […]

• Q & A

August 20, 2019

Fragrance Free Shampoo and Conditioner

Question from Audrey First Granny’s went out of business and now Magick Botanicals is out of business. Need fragrance free shampoo and conditioner.  Cannot tolerate odor of herbs or flower extracts – has to be totally fragrance free. Carters has olive oil shampoo, but after a while, the smell of the oil got to me […]

• Q & A

August 19, 2019

Untreated Towels

Question from Audrey I used to get my towels from either LLBean or Blair Catalogs. They both now have their towels treated so it is fade resistant.  LLBean has organic towels but are very expensive.  Where can I buy bath towels the way they used to be – not treated for fade resistant.  Thank you. […]

• Q & A

CA Prop 65 warning of Cadmium

Question from Chris I have a question about (another) CA Prop 65 warning.: I’m finding a warning for Cadmium somewhere in a bathroom vanity I was about to buy. I can only guess Cadmium is used in the white paint on this. Since this an item subject to the most head/humidity in the house, is […]

• Q & A

August 17, 2019

Chemical Safety Regulations

In 2016, the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21stCentury Act was passed into law, updating the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) which was enacted in 1976.   Under TSCA, only a few hundred out of 85,000 chemicals approved for use were reviewed for safety.  Only 5 of those were banned.   The Lautenberg Chemical […]

• Q & A

August 13, 2019

Styrofoam in Hydroponics

Question from TL Hi, I have seen styrofoam float used widely in hydroponic farming. Agree hydroponic is pesticide free, but does styrofoam has similar”food grade” like PU foam MDI or is styrofoam used in hydroponic farming safe at all? Thank you. Lisa’s Answer There are two primary forms of polystyrene; solid and foam.  Polystyrene foam […]

• Q & A

August 3, 2019