Get Answers
: Nursery
How Do I Find an Affordable, Non-Toxic Rug?
QUESTION:
I am looking for some nontoxic rugs in a new apartment and I am being extra careful to select nontoxic ones due to the fact that I have an infant. I have found that the ones sold specifically as nontoxic by the sites that are recommended here are VERY expensive, and we simply don't have the budget now for those. I noticed that IKEA sells 100% wool rugs. Are these toxic? What questions could I ask them about the rugs to determine if there is anything toxic about them? Are there widely available stores that I should check out? Because we have an infant who is just starting to crawl it is important to me to have a very thick well-cushioned rug in case she falls because the flooring underneath is marble.
Thank you.
ANSWER:
The main things you want to look for are backing materials and moth-proofing. Often latex and jute backings have strong odors. Moth-proofing is usually sprayed on wool carpets.
That said, I once found a totally nontoxic wool area rug at Home Depot, of all places. I still have it in my hallway and it has never had an odor, and I've never experienced ill effects.
I wish I could send you to "The Nontoxic Rug Store" at a mall near you, but unfortunately they don't exist.
Debra
This answer was provided by our friend, Debra Lynn Dadd. Hailed as "The Queen of Green" by the New York Times, Debra Lynn Dadd has been a pioneering consumer advocate since 1982, specializing in products and lifestyle choices that are safer for human health and the environment. She is the author of Home Safe Home.
Should I sand away the AFM Hard Seal on my baby's crib?
Everyone, if you have a problem with any product like this, where it seems to make the situation worse, please contact the manufacturer to get it resolved. They know best about what to do with their products.
With AFM Hard Seal, I just want to make a caution. It's really important to check with AFM first to find out if it is appropriate to put their finish over another finish. Sometimes the finishes react with each other, which is what it sounds like happened here.
I'm not sure if sanding is the right thing, as I don't know what will be exposed if you sand off the finish entirely. If it is bare solid wood, that's fine.
Debra :-)
This answer was provided by our friend, Debra Lynn Dadd. Hailed as "The Queen of Green" by the New York Times, Debra Lynn Dadd has been a pioneering consumer advocate since 1982, specializing in products and lifestyle choices that are safer for human health and the environment. She is the author of Home Safe Home.
Are Flannel Sheets Safe?
Question:
What is your opinion of the toxicity - if any - of flannel sheets? We are looking at 5-oz and 6-oz flannel sheets from Lands' End. Some of them are organic, others are not. Thanks!
Answer:
I have been sleeping on cotton flannel sheets every night for more than two decades. I love them! They do not have formaldehyde finishes like many other cotton sheets.
This is a good time to buy them. I was walking through Target over the weekend and they had cotton flannel sheet sets for $19.95. Go grab them!
I always wash my flannel sheets before I sleep on them and have never had a set that had a problem. Even though it's hot and humid here in Florida, I sleep on flannel sheets even in the summer--they are so absorbent, they are actually cooler (and nice and warm in the winter).
Two thumbs up for cotton flannel sheets.
This answer was provided by our friend, Debra Lynn Dadd. Hailed as "The Queen of Green" by the New York Times, Debra Lynn Dadd has been a pioneering consumer advocate since 1982, specializing in products and lifestyle choices that are safer for human health and the environment. She is the author of Home Safe Home.
See all of our questions and answers at Get Answers. Do you have a question? Let us know!
Is a rayon acetate blend blanket safe for babies?
Both acetate and rayon are made from natural materials mixed with chemicals. I have no reason to believe that any of the chemicals remain in the material at the end of processing, nor have I heard of any reports that it could be dangerous for babies to chew on such a blanket. These materials are not on my list of known top toxics.
Debra :-)
This answer was provided by our friend, Debra Lynn Dadd. Hailed as "The Queen of Green" by the New York Times, Debra Lynn Dadd has been a pioneering consumer advocate since 1982, specializing in products and lifestyle choices that are safer for human health and the environment. She is the author of Home Safe Home.
I recently read an article about the toxicity of infant mattresses and cribs. The article stated that the fumes released could be linked to SIDS. What do you recommend?
It's true that mattresses can emit fumes from chemical treatments, PVC covers and the polyurethane foam inside. Even cribs can emit toxic fumes. Luckily, there are ways to reduce the fumes as well as alternatives to conventional mattresses. You should always let new mattresses “off-gas” until noticeable fumes have dissipated – do this outdoors or in a well-ventilated room that no one sleeps in. Thereafter, use a mattress cover made of wool, organic cotton or polyethylene underneath sheets to further protect you and your baby. Alternatively, let everyone in your house get a good night’s sleep by purchasing natural fiber mattresses.
Visit the Marketplace section of our website for recommended retailers who offer mattresses that are safer than conventional ones.
My child often coughs at night could it be the mattress he is sleeping on?
Mattresses, pillows, bedding and stuffed animals can emit fumes and collect dust mites – both of which can cause throat irritation and trigger asthma. Mattresses are often treated with chemicals to make them water and flame retardant. Beds can easily collect dust mites. Luckily, there are simple steps you can follow to control off gassing as well as the accumulation of dust mites.
Are there pesticides in cotton baby clothes/diapers?
Question: Hi, I am looking to cloth diaper my first two children. I am trying to buy only organic diapers (the part which will touch their skin) but they are more expensive and less readily available than diapers with 100% cotton interiors. I am wondering, can I "wash out" the chemicals used to make this kind of cotton? I have to prep the diapers anyway and wash them 5 times to get the absorbency up and working...
Would love to know if these chemicals can be washed out. Also, can fire-retardants be washed out?
THANKS so much,
Robyn
Answer: Cotton FABRIC does NOT contain pesticide residues. These are removed during processing. This has been laboratory tested in Germany. Cotton BATTING DOES contain pesticide residues, if it is not organic, as it is not as processed as cotton fabric. So it is imperative to buy organic cotton batting, as in a mattress or pillow, but not important to buy organic cotton diapers or clothing.
The problem with cotton fabric is the finishes, such as a permanent press finish, which releases formaldehyde. Most fabrics of any kind have a "sizing" applied, which washes out in the first wash. Five washes is plenty to remove sizing, but no amount of washing removes permanent press. Dyes are also not a concern if they are "colorfast," that is, they don't bleed when you wash them.
The reason to buy organic cotton is that conventionally-grown cotton uses a huge amount of the most toxic chemicals, which get into our air and water and soil, and indirectly into our bodies. But the amount of pesticide residue from conventional cotton fabric is nothing.
Debra :-)
This answer was provided by our friend, Debra Lynn Dadd. Hailed as "The Queen of Green" by the New York Times, Debra Lynn Dadd has been a pioneering consumer advocate since 1982, specializing in products and lifestyle choices that are safer for human health and the environment. She is the author of Home Safe Home.
How does one get chemicals out of cotton baby clothes and diapers?
Cotton FABRIC does NOT contain pesticide residues. These are removed during processing. This has been laboratory tested in Germany. Cotton BATTING DOES contain pesticide residues, if it is not organic, as it is not as processed as cotton fabric. So it is imperative to buy organic cotton batting, as in a mattress or pillow, but not important to buy organic cotton diapers or clothing.
The problem with cotton fabric is the finishes, such as a permanent press finish, which releases formaldehyde. Most fabrics of any kind have a "sizing" applied, which washes out in the first wash. Five washes is plenty to remove sizing, but no amount of washing removes permanent press. Dyes are also not a concern if they are "colorfast," that is, they don't bleed when you wash them.
The reason to buy organic cotton is that conventionally-grown cotton uses a huge amount of the most toxic chemicals, which get into our air and water and soil, and indirectly into our bodies. But the amount of pesticide residue from conventional cotton fabric is nothing.
Debra :-)
This answer was provided by our friend, Debra Lynn Dadd. Hailed as "The Queen of Green" by the New York Times, Debra Lynn Dadd has been a pioneering consumer advocate since 1982, specializing in products and lifestyle choices that are safer for human health and the environment. She is the author of Home Safe Home.
Does children's clothing made in China contain Formaldehyde?
As far as I can determine, anything coming from China could be a wild card in terms of what is in it, unless you can contact the manufacturer and find out how careful they are about manufacturing. I think I should say that there seem to be wild variables about what you might get from China, but don't assume everything from China is bad.
Regarding formaldehyde, the standard practice is that formaldehyde is used on cotton if it is permanent press, and on all polyester/cotton woven fabrics. They may add formaldehyde on 100% cotton for some reason unbeknownst to me, but if it is not a permanent press resin finish, it should wash right out as it is very volatile.
I read an article on this at WorldNetDaily: Poison PJs from China, but it didn't mention if the garments were permanent press or not. It sounded like garments labeled "100% cotton" were found to be contaminated.
I would be wary of products from China unless you can contact the manufacturer and find out about their safety. I don't want to make assumptions about all products manufactured in China based on bad practices of a few.
Debra :-)
This answer was provided by our friend, Debra Lynn Dadd. Hailed as "The Queen of Green" by the New York Times, Debra Lynn Dadd has been a pioneering consumer advocate since 1982, specializing in products and lifestyle choices that are safer for human health and the environment. She is the author of Home Safe Home.
Help Choosing a Foam Mattress
QUESTION:
We want to get a foam mattress, but are confused about the different kinds of foam available. Can you just explain the difference between the foams and help us understand them?
ANSWER:
First, there are more than 150 different formulations of foams, so unless a manufacturer can tell you exactly what the foam is, you really can't find out what's in it.
But there are basically three kinds of foam with regards to choosing a mattress.
1. POLYURETHANE FOAM
This is made from polyol and diisocyanate. Both are petrochemicals. These are combined and passed down through a pipe into a nozzle head, Blasts of carbon dioxide make the foam. Memory foam is a visco-elastic polyurethane foam, still polyurethane. Polyurethane foams are typically very flammable and require fire retardants.
2. LATEX FOAM
This is made from natural latex (milk of the rubber tree) or synthetic latex (rubber made from crude oil). Almost all natural latex is processed into foam using sulfur.
3. SOY or BIO FOAM
This is polyurethane foam with some of the polyol replaced with soy oil, or is a mixture of soy with other oils, such as corn and sunflower. These foams are typically 5-50% natural oils.
If one wanted a foam mattresses, latex foam would be the best of the three as it is the only one that is not polyurethane.
This answer was provided by our friend, Debra Lynn Dadd. Hailed as "The Queen of Green" by the New York Times, Debra Lynn Dadd has been a pioneering consumer advocate since 1982, specializing in products and lifestyle choices that are safer for human health and the environment. She is the author of Home Safe Home.
See all of our questions and answers at Get Answers. Do you have a question? Let us know!
How Long Do Products Off-Gas?
QUESTION:
Being the last of my friends to have a baby, I can literally borrow everything I need from cribs to swings to clothing. However, I know none of them bought anything organic or non-toxic. Most of these items are anywhere from 2 - 5 years old so I am wondering how long items offgas. From what I've read on your response to older posts it seems that if there is not an odor, it is safe. Is this the guideline I should use? How long do items offgas? Do I need to just start from scratch and buy all of the expensive non-toxic baby items?
Thanks,
Deanna
ANSWER:
"If there is not an odor, it is safe," is usually a good rule to follow, but it's not 100%. There could be chemicals outgassing that you cannot smell, for one reason or another.
Furniture with particleboard and standard finishes do outgas over time. You can certainly smell the difference between new particleboard furniture and particleboard furniture that has outgassed. How long that takes depends on the conditions of the room where the furniture has been.
Clothing that has been washed many times is likely to be OK, if it hasn't been washed in highly scented detergent.
I think you need to examine each item and see if it seems OK to you.
But I would be very careful and err on the side of caution. Babies are extremely vulnerable to toxic chemicals as their detoxification systems are not yet fully developed.
This answer was provided by our friend, Debra Lynn Dadd. Hailed as "The Queen of Green" by the New York Times, Debra Lynn Dadd has been a pioneering consumer advocate since 1982, specializing in products and lifestyle choices that are safer for human health and the environment. She is the author of Home Safe Home.
See all of our questions and answers at Get Answers. Do you have a question? Let us know!
Is Polyurethane Toxic?
QUESTION: Is Polyurethane Toxic?
ANSWER: I just happened to receive two questions this week about the toxicity of polyurethane, so I thought I would write a separate post on this chemical.
In the past, we mostly heard about polyurethane foam, which is used to make mattresses, seat cushions, and other such products. That is toxic.
Now, there are new products that have a thin polyurethane film fused to fabric to make it waterproof. As best as I can tell, this is made from a different type of polyurethane, probably the type that is used to produce FDA dry and wet food grade urethanes.
Here's the chemistry lesson: Polyurethane (or "urethane" for short) is the name given to a class of petrochemical resins that contain isocyanates.
There are three different polyurethanes:
- Toluene Diisocyante (TDI)
- Diphenylmethane Diisocyanate (MDI)
- Paraphenylene Diisocyanate (PPDI)
And they are made into chemicals that fall into eight major groups:
- MDI-Esters: produce FDA dry and wet food grade urethanes.
- TDI-Esters
- MDI-Ethers: Some are adaptable to FDA and USDA application for wet and dry food contact.
- TDI-Ethers
- PPDI-Esters
- MDI
- TDI: used to make polyurethane foam for mattresses, cushions etc
- PPDI
So when you read that something is made from "polyurethane" you need to also find out what type of polyurethane it is.
It's likely that the MDI food grade polyurethane is a lot less toxic than the TDI polyurethane foam. To research the health effects of every polyurethane is beyond the scope of this blog at the moment. But I've done enough research to see that the toxicity of one "polyurethane" is different than another. It's unfortunate that the same word is used to refer to a whole class of chemicals of varying toxicity.
This answer was provided by our friend, Debra Lynn Dadd. Hailed as "The Queen of Green" by the New York Times, Debra Lynn Dadd has been a pioneering consumer advocate since 1982, specializing in products and lifestyle choices that are safer for human health and the environment. She is the author of Home Safe Home.
See all of our questions and answers at Get Answers. Do you have a question? Let us know!
What are the best ways to protect your child from mattress off-gassing?
Mattresses outgas less over time.
A polyethylene wrap will help and off-gasses less than the mattress itself.
A cotton/wool mattress cover will not block off-gassing fumes.
Probably a combination of both would be your best bet. The polyethylene would block more emissions, and the mattress cover on top would give more comfort.
Debra :-)
This answer was provided by our friend, Debra Lynn Dadd. Hailed as "The Queen of Green" by the New York Times, Debra Lynn Dadd has been a pioneering consumer advocate since 1982, specializing in products and lifestyle choices that are safer for human health and the environment. She is the author of Home Safe Home.
What Should I Do with an Off-Gassing Bookcase?
QUESTION:
Hello,
I recently bought a bookcase from Big Lots for my 2 year-old daughter’s room. It said that it was made from nontoxic paint, but it smells terrible. Even putting it together made me nauseous-- I am chemically sensitive. It is made from pressed wood so I'm not sure if it is from the formaldehyde or from the plastic that it was wrapped in. After assembling the bookcase, I immediately moved it to another room, hoping that the smell would off-gas. I would like to know if there is another way that I can speed up the process or if I should try something else. I obviously don't want to risk my daughter's health and the bookcase will be placed right next to her bed. Please give me some opinions or suggestions. Thank you!!
ANSWER:
My suggestion would be to dump this bookcase entirely. If it's going right next to your daughter's bed, you want a bookcase that is as safe as possible.
You could try using heat to off-gas the chemicals or apply a vapor barrier sealant, but the best choice would be to use a solid wood bookcase or a metal one. Readers, any other suggestions?
Debra :-)
This answer was provided by our friend, Debra Lynn Dadd. Hailed as "The Queen of Green" by the New York Times, Debra Lynn Dadd has been a pioneering consumer advocate since 1982, specializing in products and lifestyle choices that are safer for human health and the environment. She is the author of Home Safe Home.
How Long Should I Let Freshly Coated Walls and Floors Off-Gas?
QUESTION:
We are moving to a new house and had the floors redone with a water based coating (3 finishes) and rooms painted with low VOC paint. I am six months pregnant and have a 3 year old daughter. How long should I stay out of house to prevent harm to my baby?
ANSWER:
I can't give you a definitive time, as the amount of time it takes for a finish to completely cure depends on the conditions, but you want to allow time for the finish to completely cure and stop outgassing volatile vapors.
Heat will speed the process. I would say that if you heated the rooms for about a week, they should be safe at that point.
Debra :-)
This answer was provided by our friend, Debra Lynn Dadd. Hailed as "The Queen of Green" by the New York Times, Debra Lynn Dadd has been a pioneering consumer advocate since 1982, specializing in products and lifestyle choices that are safer for human health and the environment. She is the author of Home Safe Home.
Are Polyurethane Diaper Covers Safe for Babies?
PUL is short for PolyUrethane Laminate, which is a fabric that has been heat-laminated to a layer of polyurethane. Diapers are usually made from laminated cottons, polyester knits, or poly blends.
Polyurethane is a pretty toxic plastic. You can read more about it at www.polyurethane.org. This is an industry-sponsored website. In particular, click on the link for "Hyperreactivity and Other Health Effects of Diisocyanates: Guidelines for Medical Personnel".
This plastic is more toxic than I would want to put next to a baby's tender skin.
Debra :-)
This answer was provided by our friend, Debra Lynn Dadd. Hailed as "The Queen of Green" by the New York Times, Debra Lynn Dadd has been a pioneering consumer advocate since 1982, specializing in products and lifestyle choices that are safer for human health and the environment. She is the author of Home Safe Home.
What Should I Do About Bed Bugs?
QUESTION:
I wondered if you had time to look into the product "Protect-A-Bed." I just bought and I am about to return it. I saw the product just last week on Dr. OZ for bed bugs. Evidently, when you travel, these bugs do not discriminate and easily can be brought home.
So I invested a bit of money and ordered the mattress and box spring & two terry pillow covers. I washed 2 times in Seventh Generation free and clear and put them on. The smell was so annoying and made me dizzy. I called the company to return it and...I have learned my lesson and will read the fabric next time. I just didn't want bed bugs and freaked. I talked to a customer service rep there and sent her what I could about the following materials on your site to educate her.
On their packaging states: 100% Polyester (Main Panel), 100% Polyester (Skirt), Lining 100% Polyurethane all sides laminate! Any comments there!? I would like to send them your response. I have sent them that article from the Polyurethane.org about the safety of it like you posted once.
ANSWER:
If you are concerned about bed bugs, get Nature's Defender Cedar Oil products. You can carry a spray bottle with you and spray the mattresses in hotel rooms. The cedar oil kills them. You can also spray this in your home if you are worried you have bed bugs. It does smell like cedar, but the smell dissipates and it is not toxic.
Debra
This answer was provided by our friend, Debra Lynn Dadd. Hailed as "The Queen of Green" by the New York Times, Debra Lynn Dadd has been a pioneering consumer advocate since 1982, specializing in products and lifestyle choices that are safer for human health and the environment. She is the author of Home Safe Home.
Where can I find a safe and affordable waterproof mattress pad?
Here's a mattress pad with no polyester--only polyethylene and natural fibers. I don't know if it's in your price range, but they do exist.
If you can't afford this, you can get polyethylene sheeting (like a "poly" tarp sold at outdoor stores for camping) and put it on the bed to protect the mattress.
Polylaminate is a sheet of polyethylene film laminated between two sheets of aluminium foil.
Debra :-)
This answer was provided by our friend, Debra Lynn Dadd. Hailed as "The Queen of Green" by the New York Times, Debra Lynn Dadd has been a pioneering consumer advocate since 1982, specializing in products and lifestyle choices that are safer for human health and the environment. She is the author of Home Safe Home.
What are Safer Pillow Options?
QUESTION:
“Any suggestions on where to look for a "friendly" toddler pillow? :) Thanks!”
ANSWER:
Since your toddler’s face is nestled into a pillow for 10-13 hours a day, you really want to make sure it’s a safe pillow and he’s not breathing in risky chemicals. Our friend and detox diva, Annie B. Bond, has a great post about this on her site, Green Chi Café:
Now we learn from new research that pillows and car seats give humans the highest amount of PBDE flame retardants of any product.
Before this, when I’d focused on pillow toxics, I’d focused on outgassing foam and polyester. If I had really thought about it I would have suspected that pillows might have flame retardants, but maybe the thought was too gruesome to entertain. There is something so innocent about people, especially children, snuggled up with their pillows every night that it is heart breaking to realize that they/we are breathing in chemicals that are long-lasting in the environment (and our bodies), and are being linked to developmental, reproductive disorders and more.
Wisconsin researchers have tracked the most significant sources of human exposure to one type of flame retardant chemicals – polybrominated dipheylethers (PBDEs) – by using a new kind of portable x-ray analyzer that can detect bromine levels in household items.
The PBDE content was substantially higher in pillows made of polyurethane foam (3,646 parts per million) compared with those made of polyester fibers (107 parts per million) or feathers (6 parts per million).
Car seats made of cloth upholstery had bromine levels that were almost 25 times higher than those made of leather.
The highest sources of PBDE are, according to the study reported in Environmental Health Perspectives, computers and televisions, with averages of about 30,000 and 95,000 parts per million, respectively, but they are not the highest source of exposure for people.
Share sources of organic pillows! Some I suggest are lifekind.com, heartofvermont.com, earthsake.com, and goodnightnaturals.com.
Here are some additional resources:
General Tips:
- Avoid pillows labeled as meeting California TB 117 as they are likely to contain toxic fire retardants.
- Look for pillows made with polyester, down, wool, or cotton as they are unlikely to contain toxic fire retardants according to The Green Science Policy Institute.
- If you can sew, consider making one! Use your choice of natural, untreated materials and keep it fairly flat because toddlers have small necks.
This answer was provided by our fabulous Chief Communications Officer, Janelle. See all of our questions and answers at Get Answers. Do you have a question? Let us know!
What Are Some Natural Alternatives to Pull-Ups?
QUESTION:
“I am potty training our 2.5 year old...I wanted to know what is a natural alternative to pull-ups?? I tried to say the old G-diaper was underwear but it didn't work...what do you do at nap time...I just used a Seventh Gen. diaper.”
ANSWER:
Go for a cloth training diaper. Cloth is a great option because children can more easily feel when they are wet so they train faster (cloth diapered babies have been shown to train earlier, too – up to 6 months earlier than average!) There may be an economic advantage, too. Instead of having to buy disposable pull-ups after each accident, you can just wash the cloth ones and reuse them.
There are many options available, but here are a couple that stood out to me because they were a happy medium between a diaper and training pants (which is what traditional disposable pull-ups function as). They are also safer products made with more eco-friendly materials.
- ImseVimse Training Pants are functional and stylish and are made with organic cotton. Kids love the trim and comfortable fit. Organic cotton knit outside with two layers of absorbent organic cotton terry on the inside, and one inner layer of PUL. ImseVimse training pants protect clothes from getting wet when small accidents happen. Recommended for day-time use only. Tips: For older children and heavy wetters, increase absorbency by adding one of our organic diaper liners. For extra protection, try adding a diaper cover for nap-time or as needed.
- Little Beetle Learners are 100% certified organic, fair-trade cotton velour. With 3 cheerful colors to choose from, the Little Beetle Learners are made of two layers of soft and thirsty organic cotton velour, with a 3rd layer hidden in the wet zone. These organic training pants are 100% natural fiber with no PUL or synthetic water proof layer. Pull on design is easy for small children to master, while side snaps make it easy for mom or dad to remove in the event of a larger accident. These trainers can even be used as a diapering system with the addition of a doubler and diaper cover.
Still, some parents aren’t fond of having to launder soiled training pants and prefer a disposable option. But, you know what? After searching the internet for quite some time, I couldn’t find a single disposable option from one of the natural diaper companies that was the pull-up style. Hmph!
New idea: potty train in one day so you don’t need to find trainers. Anyone ever tried the Potty Training in One Day program with Potty Scotty and Potty Pattie?
This answer was provided by our fabulous Senior Editor, Janelle. See all of our questions and answers at Get Answers. Do you have a question? Let us know!
Print this page |
Email a friend
