Question from marilee

Does anybody have a recommendation on which brand of natural latex mattresses is better? They are both all natural latex but there is definitely a price difference.

Thanks!

Debra’s Answer

Readers?

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Question from Evelyn K

I got some unfinished pine shelves and used Minwax finish from the hardware store to finish them. I didn’t realize there are less toxic options… and for some reason I didn’t think about off-gassing before I did it. My living room looks great, but I have been running a fan in there with the windows open for a week and I can still distinctly smell the odor of the finish. The living room connects to the kitchen and the hallway without doors, so closing it up and heating it may be difficult- possible if I hang a curtain over the hall entry I suppose. What are my options for removing this smell?

Debra’s Answer

You don’t say if it is oil-based or water-based finish. Oil-based will take longer to cure.

I suggest putting them out in the sun. The heat will help them dry and cure faster.

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Question from Wenwei

hello Debra,

I will move into a brand new house very soon. Can you advise what to do?

I remember that I saw a page in your website that you suggest to heat the house for 24 hours for three to five times. Somehow I couldn’t find it anymore.

Can you advise what is link if I remeber right?

Thanks.

Wenwei

Debra’s Answer

Ah. The post you are looking for is Q&A: Anything I should do before I move into my brand new home?

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Question from Deb H.

I am slowly trying to eliminate plastics in my house. I noticed from your blog on “how I do laundry”, you use wooden clothes hangers. I was wondering where you get them, do you look for untreated wood, are they stained, polyureathaned or raw, and about how much do they cost. I know replacing my plastic hangers will cost but I don’t want to bring anything else toxic into the house.

Thank you for all your helpful info.

Debra’s Answer

I’ve purchased wooden clothes hangers at a variety of stores like IKEA, Bed Bath & Beyond, Linens ‘n Things, Target, etc. They are not hard to find. They are not sustainably harvested and do have a nontoxic finish on them. I’ve never purchased any that had an odor.

You can easily buy them online if you don’t find them in your local stores.

Question from Denise

is it ok to cook on anodized aluminum. i have a whole set a calphalon, but i am concerned about using them with my chemically sensitive daughter. thanks

Debra’s Answer

Most aluminum cookware manufactured today is anodized. When a cookware label says it is made from anodized aluminum, it means that the aluminum was dipped into a hot acid bath that seals the aluminum by changing it’s molecular structure. Once anodized, the aluminum will not leach into food, and so would not contribute to aluminum exposure. Anodized cookware is safe.

There are several posts with more discussion about anaodized aluminum. Click on the large purple “Search” button near the top of the right hand column of any page of my website and enter “anodized” for links to the other posts.

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Question from Linda

i’ve had this problem for years – computers break when i use them. apple has replaced 2 laptops and 1 ipod for me because they couldn’t repair my brand new machines, my imac’s continually squirrely, and windows applications and programs often freeze or otherwise freak out when i am using them. someone else can step in right after me and have no problems at all. the worst part – i love the technology and all it entails.

this truly is not a complaint that’s masking an inablilty to learn & problem-solve.

i first was suspicious of this problem when in a ‘technology in education’ masters degree program during which we all worked simultaneously on our own laptops & i was the only one who often couldn’t maintain my data, link properly to the server, use certain aspects in a program, etc. these issues happened with my computer, its replacement, and those i borrowed.

anyway, i started having hurt feelings(!)and a bit of paranoia. have hesitated loading my replacement ipod for fear of messing it up….

is my personal electricity causing this? how do i adjust it?

i’ve tried visualizing a buffer surrounding me when sitting at the computer. no luck. someone recommended wearing purple ribbons on my wrists.

Debra’s Answer

I have heard of this with other people and have experienced it myself.

One day things went wrong with all my electronics, so I just gave up and went shopping. I walked into a Radio Shack store and all their electronics started going haywire too!

Our bodies certainly have their own electromagnetic fields which can affect the electrical and magnetic fields around us just as the electrical and magnetic fields around us can affect our bodies. Fortuneately for me, this doesn’t happen with me very often!

Not sure what to recommend to you. Readers?

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Question from Susan H.

Help!!! My inkjet printer leaked black ink on my carpet! It was my fault, but what can be done? Thanks!

Debra’s Answer

For something like this, contact the manufacturer first. They will know how to remove their ink from various materials. Once you know what they recommend, you can find a similar less-toxic solution.

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Question from gail smith

Hello:

I am looking for an upright vacuum cleaner that doesn’t have the odor of the newness when used.

thankyou,

Gail Smith

Debra’s Answer

Like many other products, my best recommendation for this is to purchase a used model that has already outgassed.

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Question from JC

Does anyone have a recipe for a good wood cleaner/polisher or is there a commercial product available?

Debra’s Answer

Readers?

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Question from Vtori

After stumbling across your site and reading about process foods, and sweetners, etc… I wonder what are your thoughts or research on Jenny Craig foods…. I just started the program to lose 50lbs, do you have another recommendation?

Debra’s Answer

I haven’t looked at Jenny Craig foods recently, but last time I looked they were standard commercial foods, not organic, with refined flour and refined sugars. I personally wouldn’t eat them as my regular diet.

My best success with weight lost has come from preparing my own organically grown foods and minimizing carbs. If you eat mainly lean proteins and fresh raw vegetables–as much organic as possible–the weight will fall off. If you want something sweet. Eat a little fresh fruit. Drink 2-4 quarts of clean water every day.

Exercise also makes a big difference. Walk as much as you can. Just start with five minutes if that’s all you can do and do a minute more each day.

I also have found that a gentle intestinal cleanse works wonders. Something like Dr. Schultz’s which is made from organically grown herbs. It works best for me to do it for a week and then another week later. What you think is “fat” in the abdominal area may simply be intestinal build-up.

What is most important is not just to lose those fifty pounds, but to make a transition to healthy eating for the rest of your life.

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