Question from Deanna McFarlain

Hi Debra,

Like many of your readers I have been searching for non toxic shoes for years. Finding a shoe that is both healthy for our feet and non toxic is quite a challenge.

Recently I have been on the hunt for barefoot shoes & found a few promising brands. I plan on purchasing Camper barefoot shoes for school but am now looking for a summer sandal for my family.

One option is xeroshoes.com. I like the concept but want to be sure they are safe for my famiy. I emailed them about material of their soles xeroshoes.com/feeltrue. They replied that their “exclusive FeelTrue rubber is a synthetic rubber called SBR (styrene-butadiene rubber). We chose this rubber due to it’s durability, flexibility, and that there are no reported allergies or side-effects, which can not be said for the latex in natural rubber. We have thousands of customers who have worn our shoes for a number of years with no issues with this material.” I worry the shoe would be a problem with bare feet even if we kept them out of the sun.

Another is www.vivobarefoot.com/us. I called the company based out of London inquiring of the exact materials used in a few of their shoes in their children’s line. They said they would send the question over to the right department and email me but never did.

I was excited as it is affordable & outsole material is fine but concerned with the inside as my son will be wearing them without socks. I found materials listed here in this description www.6pm.com/vivobarefoot-kids-ultra-toddler-little-kid-black-white. I am concerned with the “Antibacterial microfiber lining”. And I looked up Dri-lex™ & found this info: www.faytex.com/technology.html looked www.dupont.com/products-and-services/fabrics-fibers-nonwovens/fibers/brands/dupont-sorona.html.

I’m sure many like-minded parents agree that its so hard to find a healthy barefoot or minimalist shoe that is also non toxic & isn’t close to 100$ like softstar shoes so I was hoping these would work. What do you think?

Thank you for your time! For many years your book and website have been such an inspiration & helpful resource for my family 🙂

Debra’s Answer

First I want to say that I have two pairs of Camper shoes and love them both. I bought them almost ten years ago. I can walk in them all day and still have happy feet.

Regarding Xero Shoes, SBR is a synthetic rubber. It’s one of the most toxic plastics to be manufactured and it’s also toxic to health (search on health effect SBR) and you get toxicity of rubber tires.

Regarding Vivo, I would be concerned about the antimicrobial lining.

The safest shoe I’ve seen is Po-Zu Shoes, which I have recently added to Debra’s List. Here’s what I wrote about them.

These amazing shoes are made from organic cotton, wool, coconut husks, natural latex, cork, and leather. “All our materials come from naturally renewable sources and are responsibly harvested. They contain no pesticides, bleaches or toxic dyes and are locally sourced wherever possible. We use organic cotton in our shoes and all our leather is chromium-free. You can read about our materials in more detail here.” Every shoe has a complete materials description (click on the “materials” tab on each product page). Great styles! This company is based in the UK. I don’t usually recommend websites out of the country, but I’ve never seen anything like these shoes! You can even have them custom-make shoes to your own design specifications.

They don’t make children’s shoes, but you might contact them and see what they can do for you.

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Question from Marleen

Hi Debra,

I read one of your books years ago and have tried to follow some of your suggestions.

I have an old goose down comforter. I would like to clean it thoroughly, including microorganisms that may be in it.

Dry cleaning was suggested to me. What is a natural way to clean it? It is a queen size.

Thanks.

Debra’s Answer

I used to have a down comforter and I just put it in my own washing machine and dryer.

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Question Bonnie

Hi Debra,

What is the best way to get burnt on food off the stove top. In the past I used baking soda water paste and it removed some enamel in spots.

Also the bathroom sink is clogged with dove soap. A maintenance person said a long time back it clogs drains and use hot water behind it. I have found the soap does clog and I have had to use the gel drano only to unclog it. Tried baking soda vinegar then hot water after 20 minutes and it did not work.

A farmers almanac site said for grease to use baking soda, salt and possibly said leave overnight then rinse.

Also, the only thing to clean noticable residue dirt from the sink and bathtub I found is bon ami and the ajax types with bleach do a better job at stain removal.

I do not want to use these products. Bon ami is more natural but I inhale the powder that floats when I use it. Thank you.

Debra’s Answer

I just use Bon Ami for everything in the kitchen and bathroom. You might try hydrogen peroxide on the stains.

To unclog the sink, I pour baking soda and then vinegar down the drain and it fizzes. I also have a little handheld plunger that I just love. After I put the baking soda and vinegar down the sink I just use this little plunger to make everything move around and the drain opens right up. This plunger was specifically designed for sinks. I have it right under my kitchen sink. I don’t have problems with the bathroom sink clogging, but if I did, I’d put another one right under the bathroom sink.

NOTE: The black part is made from PVC, but I’ve not noticed any odor. It’s also the least toxic solution for opening drains, when compared to the toxic dangers of drain cleaners.

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Question from Stacey

Hi Debra,

I’ve seen some merino wool and cashmere sweaters that I would like to purchase. However, I wonder if these sweaters are safe, or do I have to worry about any kind of “finish” or treatment on such “natural” fiber sweaters?

Debra’s Answer

I’ve purchased many cashmere sweaters and I’ve never detected anything toxic. I would continue to wear them but it’s way too warm here in Florida, so they are packed away in case I go somewhere cold. I love cashmere. I haven’t purchased a new cashmere sweater in more than ten years.

Some things to note. Seventy percent of cashmere comes from China, the rest comes from Outer Mongolia, Iran and Afghanistan. The only processing is “scouring” (washing) the wool to remove the dirt, grease, and other impurities. Cashmere Fiber Production: The process from the goat to top quality yarns.

Cashmere and Camel Hair Manufacturing Institute website has some interesting information for consumers about choosing cashmere.

Merino wool comes from the Merino sheep. Their wool is considered to be some of the finest and softest wool of any sheep. Here’s a website that shows Fibre to Fashion: The Know How of creating apparel from Merino wool.

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Inspired by his son’s battle with Type 1 diabetes, NBA All-Star Ray Allen and his wife, Shannon, a cooking show host, are opening Grown, an organic fast food restaurant in Miami in March.

If you want to visit: 8211 S. Dixie Hwy, Miami, Florida

MIAMI HERALD: Ray Allen opening organic fast-food eatery

Our Santa Fe Salad with Organic greens, avocado, fresh corn and tomato salsa, grilled shrimp, and plantain strips makes the perfect lunch!

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Question from Michelle

Hi Debra,

I have purchased, but not installed, morning star bamboo flooring.

Now I’m reading that’s it’s possibly toxic, but cannot find any I formation on the product online. I was just wondering if you could direct me where to go to seek the info I need? I would like to know the formaldehyde levels in the product, what it was treated with and is there a safer product out there.

Thank you.

Debra’s Answer

First, you can usually get information on any product online. I jus searched on “Morning Star Bamboo Flooring” and immediately found their very informative website at www.morningstarbamboo.com.

This flooring is NOT possibly toxic. What you’ve been reading about regarding Lumber Liquidators is that their LAMINATE flooring releases higher levels of formaldehyde than previously thought. This is because laminate flooring is made from layers of wood glued together with a resin that releases formaldehyde.

Morning Star Bamboo Flooring is solid wood flooring. There is NO FORMALDEHYDE used in making it. You have nothing to be concerned about here.

The website says it has a baked-on aluminum oxide finish. This does not outgas into the air. It’s unknown whether skin absorption of aluminum is possible walking on the floor in bare feet. My experience with skin absorption is there usually needs to be some contact time, just walking across the floor with feet on the floor for a second at a time would probably not be enough. Right now I’m sitting at my desk with my feet on the floor for long periods. If you are concerned about this, you can wear socks, slippers, or shoes, or put small natural fiber carpets in areas where you might have longer contact time. Or if you have children playing on the floor, use a natural fiber area rug for them.

You flooring is fine. Go ahead and install it.

Question from Sarah Padron

Hi Debra,

Hello, I was wondering if you know about the prefiniahed hardwood floors that have been treated with aluminum oxide. Can children, and adults, absorb the tixins through the skin? And would it be problematic?

Thanks.

Debra’s Answer

Here’s a relevant response from consultant Mary Cordaro, who is very knowledgeable in these matters.

It’s from Green Home Guides.

Aluminum oxide finishes can be fast-curing and healthy from a chemical outgassing standpoint, depending on a few variables. Unlike some water-based polyurethane finishes, which often contain chemicals called glycols that may “outgas” for several months (and may not be easily detected by odors), UV-cured aluminum oxide finishes, which are modified urethane finishes, are often well-tolerated even by chemically sensitive individuals. This is particularly true if the finish is baked-on and UV-cured, which is usually the case with prefinished wood floors.

But here’s where things get more complicated, unfortunately. Besides low chemical toxicity, there are some additional factors to consider regarding an aluminum oxide finish. First, from a healthy house standpoint, very little if anything is known about possible health effects from the aluminum content in aluminum oxide floor finishes.

In the past few years, there has been a growing, heightened awareness of the potential toxicity from nano-sized heavy metals in products that touch the skin. Although this concern has been directed primarily at personal products, it is worth considering for any product that touches the skin. One MD I know of, whose patients include chemically sensitive people, has been strongly advising against aluminum oxide finishes, due to the possibility of aluminum oxide absorption through the skin on bare feet.

Prompted by these concerns, a client with an autistic child requested that I look into one particular flooring product, called Bellawood, a brand that is well tolerated by many chemically sensitive people. Bellawood is a solid hardwood flooring product, prefinished with UV-cured, baked-on aluminum oxide urethane. Bellawood is coated multiple times and comes with a 50-year warranty on the finish. I spoke with a technical expert who works for the industrial finish manufacturer that makes the Bellawood finish. He reported to me that the aluminum oxide particles in the finish are much larger than nano-sized. In fact, we both agreed that theoretically, the aluminum oxide particles are probably much too large to penetrate bare skin.

I have not researched other aluminum oxide finishes in terms of the particle size, but it’s possible, given the similar characteristics of aluminum oxide finishes in general, that this may be true for other brands as well. However, as far as I know, there really is no real conclusive data on this issue, regarding possible toxicity from skin contact. So even if you have an aluminum oxide finish, if you want to be on the extra safe side, just wear socks and slippers indoors.

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Question from Richard

Hi Debra,

Thank’s for keeping up the great website.

I have a question about carpet. I’m planning on renting some space in a commercial building. The custom is to use carpeting in the hallways and office spaces. It’s understood that the area of the building under consideration needs and will get new carpet but myself and one other practitioner see people with MCS and suffer from it ourselves. Do you have some any rug manufacturers to recommend?

There is something called The Carpet and Rug Institute which has a certification program called CRI Green Label Plus that identifies low VOC products. Do you know much about the value of that certification? I am aware some programs don’t really raise the bar very high.

I know we could go to Green Building Supply for wool but we really can’t go quite that high end for this office rental situation.

Any suggestions you may have for carpeting that isn’t too pricey would be appreciated.

Debra’s Answer

You’re welcome!

I can’t recommend any of the carpets on the Carpet and Rug Institute list. I haven’t researched them recently or individually, but last time I looked there were none I wanted to look at in more detail. The problem with “low-emitting” standards is they are not “no-emitting.” My floors don’t emit anything.

I had your same situation many years ago where the only office available to rent in the small village where I lived had a very smelly carpet that I was not allowed to remove.

My solution was to use AFM Carpet Seal. IT COMPLETELY BLOCKED THE FUMES TO UNDETECTABLE. At least to my nose.

I worked in that office for a month every weekday, with no reactions. It was a life saver to have Carpet Seal.

That said, I would still get the least toxic carpet you can afford. I haven’t had carpets in my home for more than 30 years, but if I had no choice but to live or work somewhere with carpet, I would immediately order Carpet Seal.

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On Monday, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) announced that certain types of laminate flooring made by Lumber Liquidators have a greater risk of causing cancer or other health problems than previously thought.

I would just like to add two things.

One is that this is not all flooring made by Lumber Liquidators, only the laminate flooring.

And the other is this formaldehyde danger is not limited to Lumber Liquidator’s laminate flooring. It applies to ALL laminate flooring. I’ve been warning about this ever since laminate flooring first came out.

Please do not buy laminate flooring. Instead purchase solid wood refinished flooring, or unfinished solid wood flooring and apply your own least toxic finish.

CDC: Statement regarding Formaldehyde in Laminate Flooring Report

USA TODAY: Elevated cancer risk in Lumber Liquidators laminate flooring

NPR: CDC Says It Underestimated Cancer Risk From Lumber Liquidators Flooring

If you have purchased flooring from Lumber Liquidators, they are offering indoor air quality testing at no cost to qualifying customers. To see if you qualify, visit www.lumberliquidators.com/ll/testkit.

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A new study—appearing in the March issue of the Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) —found laboratory rats who breathed Beijing’s highly polluted air gained weight and experienced cardio-respiratory and metabolic dysfunctions after only three to eight weeks of exposure.

Compared to those exposed to filtered air, pregnant rats exposed to unfiltered Beijing air were significantly heavier at the end of pregnancy. At 8 wk old, the offspring prenatally and postnatally exposed to unfiltered air were significantly heavier than those exposed to filtered air. In both rat dams and their offspring, after continuous exposure to unfiltered air we observed pronounced histologic evidence for both perivascular and peribronchial inflammation in the lungs, increased tissue and systemic oxidative stress, dyslipidemia, and an enhanced proinflammatory status of epididymal fat.

The conclusion from the study: Chronic exposure to air pollution particles increases the risk of obesity and metabolic syndrome.

Now this was a study done on rats, however, I believe it holds true for humans as well. Many chemicals have already been associated with obesity. I haven’t yet checked, but it may be that many of them are found in air pollution.

LOS ANGELES TIMES: On the Ground I knew Beijing’s bad air was killing me slowly. But is it making me fat too?

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