Question from cold canary in the coal

My “new” used coat came to me with a strong toxic chemical smell. It smells like a very sweet fragrance, but has a much more intense component to it than any other scented item I’ve had to deal with. The coat is a fake suede/sherpa made from polyester, I believe. The label says it’s dry clean only, so I suspect part of what I’m smelling is perc.

I had immediate symptoms from the exposure to the coat, which was similar to my reactions to toluene, which is common in fragrances, but there was a different quality to it. It seems to volatilize off the fabric with more noticeable particles, and felt stickier, like dryer sheets (but much stronger even). It impacted my brain similarly as well, but wasn’t as heavy as toluene, which makes me feel like there’s a heavy cold blanket pressing down on my brain. This made me feel more dizzy, lighter, but with the same weakness in my knees. I had shortness of breath for quite a while longer after a relatively much shorter exposure than with toluene, accompanied with nausea. The most dramatic difference was that the smell travelled through two layers of plastic trash bags, over a period of a few days, which the smell from clothes with toluene based fragrances doesn’t.

It might seem crazy even to suggest that this coat should not be immediately taken to a hazardous waste site, but I’m poor and cold, and because I’m chemically injured and severely sensitized, have tremendous difficulty finding clothes that don’t make me ill, so everything I wear has to be decontaminated first. I usually have to wash second hand clothes at least a dozen or two times in massive amounts of baking soda and borax and vinegar. New clothes also have to be washed repeatedly. And I simply can’t afford to buy organic clothes, which sometimes require just as much decontamination.

Sooooo, I wonder if there’s anything that works to get this horrible toxic substance out of the thick fabric of my coat? I’ve already taken it to a CO2 cleaner and they seem to have reduced it slightly. I’ve thought of hanging it out on the roof for a while, throw it in a dryer on cold air for a few hours, and dump it in more layers of plastic with a few pounds of baking soda and borax and leave it in there for a few weeks, shaking it occasionally. I’m not sure how safe it is to soak the coat in water, and am concerned about prolonged exposure, but have thought of hosing it down for a long period of time with a garden hose, then let it dry in place. Am I delusional in thinking that I will ever be able to wear this coat, or is there any chance I can get the perc out?

Debra’s Answer

I would suggest taking the coat to the hazardous waste site, however, I understand your predicament.

My understanding about perc is that it is a volatile organic chemical which will dissipate within a few days if left out to air. So I’m not sure whatever you are smelling is perc.

Readers, any suggestions?

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Question from elizabeth shipley

I spilled a little of a Windex kind of window cleaner on a beige rug about the size of a dime. I tried a mixture of 1 part white vinegar to 10 parts water. It’s still there. Any suggestions?

Thanks

elizabeth shipley

Debra’s Answer

I don’t know the answer to this, but manufacturers of products know how to remove their products from various surfaces and materials. You can always contact them.

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Question from Mary

Hi Debra Lynn, and thanks for having this site.

I’m living in rural cabin, completely off grid w/ solar power — great in summer, iffy in winter. This winter I’ve had very little music or radio in my life, as I don’t have the power to run my old stereo, even when plugged into a power bar so I can shut it off when not using. Then the radio quit. So I got a used stereo that used low power (Magnovox) at Goodwill, but it only lasted a couple months before the CD player quit.

Well, I’m ready to do my part for the flailing economy. I plan to go out and buy a spanking new stereo (keeping old but good speakers, of course). I’m looking for the MOST energy efficient stereo available, that’s decent quality and will last a good long time. Can you please recommend one or two? I’m having no luck so far, the little boys running electronic stores look at me like I just landed from Mars.

And any tips for disposing of two crippled old stereos, electronic waste at this point?

thanks,

Mary

Debra’s Answer

Energy Star has addressed this question at Energy Star: Home Audio.

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Question from Chiq

I have been looking very carefully into alternative household cleaning products and wanted to know if anyone has any feedback on the book Clean House, Clean Planet by Karen Logan. For example, do the ideas/products work effectively, is it really cost effective, etc. Any comments would be greatly appreciated.