Super Search

Submitted questions will be posted with my response by the following Tuesday or before.
Submitted comments will be moderated and approved within 24 hours.

Silicone cookware

Question from vivian

I came across your website while trying to get information about the safety of silicone cookware. I received a bright red tart pan for Christmas, and the first time I baked with it I noticed a distinctly odd odor. The nose is considered the “first line of defense” from an evolutionary standpoint, and if you can smell chemicals, they probably are leaching into your food. Silicone by itself may not be harmful, but what about the materials used to color it? I will definitely not cook with this again, the flavor and odor, while subtle, is definitely a cause for concern! Also, people’s ability to detect odors can be vastly variable, so many people will never notice this…Thanks for a great website.

Debra’s Answer

Add Comment

Nontoxic Snake Repellent

Question from Sydney Blum

I am looking for a non-toxic snake repellent. I tried an herbal mixture from Australia and the snakes just sat in it without a care. Any ideas that really work?

Debra’s Answer

Readers? Anyone have any experience with this? We only have small garden snakes here, so I don’t know how to repel snakes.

Add Comment

MAAS metal polish

Question from Katy Swanson

Hi Debra-

I work for an environmental non-profit in Jacksonville, Fl and one of the individuals that have been working with had a question about the ingredients in MAAS metal polishes. I have reseached the website and found no information regarding what they are using to get results that are apparently “amazing” on all kinds of tarnished metals.

If you have heard anything about these product or the ingredients in these products I would appreciate any sharing of information. I do not feel comfortable recommending a product that does not disclose this information, especially if they are toxic or environmentally and socially harmful, but maybe i am not looking in the right spot.

Thanks for any help and your time.

-Katy Swanson

Debra’s Answer

I went to the MAAS website and they had neither ingredients nor MSDS posted, so I called. They offered to fax me an MSDS sheet, but my fax isn’t working, so the person who answered the phone read the “Hazardous Ingredients” section of the MSDS to me over the phone.

The hazardous ingredients in this product are calcinated alumina, hydrocarbon mixture, and triethanolamine. Triethalnolamine is a petrochemical of moderate toxicity (see Environmental Working Group Ingredient Report on Trienthalonamine). I’m most concerned about the hydrocarbon mixture, which could contain any number of petrochemical solvents with varying toxicity, which could change from batch to batch. The calcinated alumina is basically aluminum.

I would suspect that this product has a strong odor from the solvents. I wouldn’t use it.

Add Comment

Need flooring advice

Question from Cindy

Debra, I thank you for your site!

I need help. I live in a very old house and the floors need to be replaced, there is old ratty carpet and lineoloum tiles that have holes and the kitchen is very old hardwood which I dont know if there is a product I could put on it to save it, as I am very chemically sensitive. It was coated with poloyurathine years ago and was beautiful (when I first moved in). I later had a severe chemical exposure, which Iam doing all to recover from. I dont know how to purchase a floor and to be sure of getting the best–that wont outgass.

I want hardwood flooring for the rest of the house. my husband want to go to Lowes and purchase tile (Lineloum) for the living room since it is the worst.he said perhaps if we let it outgass in the garge or attice a few months it would be ok as we did do that with the bathroom years ago. I have put this off till it is no longer a option to just leave it..Please anyone help. I have suffered so much I pray I can find a good floor I wont react to.

I’ve been looking at www.naturalhomeproducts.com and they have hardwood flooring that seems to be very “green” friendly but I dont think I can afford it plus they ship it and you have what you have. I dont want something I cant use. Their flooring is called “junkers”.

Can i get something from lowes that has no formalhydeand low-or prefably no voc’s.

Please help. I am sincerely in need and frightened!

Debra’s Answer

There are several questions already on the blog that have answers which can help you.

Q&A: Flooring has some brands of flooring recommended for people with chemical sensitivities.

Q&A: Wood Floor Bargains has some suggestions for places you can purchase the least expensive prefinished hardwood floors.

Type “flooring” into the search box at my website’s search engine for more information on flooring.

Add Comment

I stained my bathtub…how can i clean it

Question from Mindy

I washed my sleeping bag in the bathtub and the outer surface of it must still bleed color (it is blue) and when i finished soaking it, it stained the tub (which had been refinished over a year ago). I tried bon ami with the rougher surface of a sponge and it didn’t seem to work very well. Then I tried using a wet pumice stone which I read about in a household cleaning book I have and it seemed to start getting some of it off, but not completely.

Do you have any great solutions for this that are non-toxic and will restore my tub back to the pristine white, not that the blue is ugly?

Debra’s Answer

This seems to be the week for getting sinks and tubs white (see next entry below). Readers?

Add Comment

Natural Fabric Refresher Sprays

Question from SLJ

I admit I like to use Febreze now and then to refresh the fabrics in my house. However, with a dog and two cats I now would like to explore alternatives. I haven’t seen any natural substitutes that are safe for fabrics and smell nice. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Debra’s Answer

I haven’t seen any such products, but I don’t see EVERYTHING 🙂

Readers?

Add Comment

Vinyl PVC Window Blinds: How toxic?

Question from Eric Talaska

There are a lot of windows in my home with Vinyl PVC window blinds. I called the manufacturer to find out if they have lead and they don’t, so that’s good. But since they are made of Vinyl PVC, isn’t that toxic as far as outgassing, especially for the windows that the sun hits the most? I’m wondering whether I should go to the extent of replacing them with something more natural such as wood blinds. The blinds are two years old, so have outgassed some already, but I wonder how much more outgassing is left? Should I be concerned about the blinds that do not heat up from the sun? Will they still outgas without heat?

Debra’s Answer

Add Comment

Pot scuff marks in the sink

Question from Debbie

Hi Debra –

The cleaning products I use in my home are just about 100% natural, my only problem is that I like commercial cleansers, especially when it comes to cleaning scuff marks off a porcelain sink – I read once where you can use pumice to get these marks off, but it doesn’t work – I also use commercial cleanser to clean my shower, I have a white shower pan and I can’t find anything that gets it really white that doesn’t have bleach in it?

Thanks

Debra’s Answer

I personally am not so concerned about getting sinks and showers “really white” as long as they are clean.

Readers, what do you use?

Add Comment

Translator

Visitor site map

 

Organic and Healthy

“Pure


“EnviroKlenz"

“Happsy"

ARE TOXIC PRODUCTS HIDDEN IN YOUR HOME?

Toxic Products Don’t Always Have Warning Labels. Find Out About 3 Hidden Toxic Products That You Can Remove From Your Home Right Now.