DEBRA'S ANSWER:

You simply get a lab test from a reputable lab such as National Testing Laboratories.

In your case, since you have high levels of certain metals, you might want to test specifically for those metals. But you should also get a list of where else you might be exposed to those metals.

Debra :-)

DEBRA'S ANSWER:

Personally, I have never used household test kits, but I have had my home inspected by a certified Bau-Biologie inspector (actually a whole class of student inspectors along with their instructor). You can read about it at My Bau-Biologie Home Inspection.

I'd like to know, though, if any of you have used home test kits, which you used, and how they worked out for you.

Debra :-)

DEBRA'S ANSWER:

I don't know of one. My understanding is that what makes a difference is the completeness of combustion of the gas--less complete combustion produces more toxic combustion by-products.

Readers?

Debra :-)

DEBRA'S ANSWER:

I don't remember exactly how much I paid for my whole house water filter as it was about five years ago, but it was, I think, more than $5000. I don't know what the price is now.

I still recommend the filter I bought as the best I know of. I got it from Winston Kao at Go Beyond Organic. He's in Florida, not California.

With regard to your question about water picking up stuff from the pipes in the house, I've never heard of this being a problem. What's coming out of my tap is clearly filtered water. Water picking up stuff from pipes IS a problem with the water traveling through miles of pipe from the water treatment plant to an individual pipe. But the length of pipe is very short within a house by comparison.

If anyone has any additional data on water picking up contaminants from pipes in the home, please send it along.

Debra :-)

Debra :-)

DEBRA'S ANSWER:

Hmmmm...hadn't thought about that before.

Since pesticide residues do not remain by the time cotton is processed into fabric, no pesticides would be released from non-organic clothing. And if the dyes are colorfast, they would not be released either. That would leave fabric finishes, but they are not removed by washing either, so I would say, your organic clothing should remain organic even when washed with non-organic clothing.

Debra :-)

DEBRA'S ANSWER:

Wood is somewhat porous so it can absorb contaminants, however, it can also release them.

I have stripped down old chairs and reupholstered them and they turned out very well.

I would sugggest that you remove the existing upholstery and foam first to determine that the frame itself is acceptable before you hand it over to the upholsterer. If there seem to be fumes, putting it out in the sun should take care of them.

Debra :-)

DEBRA'S ANSWER:

Readers?

Debra :-)

DEBRA'S ANSWER:

Readers? What nontoxic product have you had success with?

Debra :-)

DEBRA'S ANSWER:

I'd say it was the propane. Barbeques have a baked-on finish that usually doesn't emit fumes.

Debra :-)

DEBRA'S ANSWER:

I would probably air it outdoors for a day or two and if the odor didn't go away, I would return it. I've purchased Hunter ceiling fans and they had no odor, so perhaps this one is defective.

Debra :-)

DEBRA'S ANSWER:

My husband and I removed some green mold from an exterior painted wall with a steam cleaner. It worked great!

Readers, what have you done to successfully remove this mold?

Debra :-)

DEBRA'S ANSWER:

Readers? What toothpastes do you use with your baby?

Debra :-)

DEBRA'S ANSWER:

From everything I've read, LDPE is safe for food contact. I know of no information to the contrary.

Of course, in the larger picture, it is made from crude oil and doesn't biodegrade, but I know of no toxicity issues in it's use.

Debra :-)

DEBRA'S ANSWER:

I would get rid of the newer one. After forty years, that old foam is better than the new foam.

Debra :-)

DEBRA'S ANSWER:

Since I have no personal, first hand experience with this, readers, could you answer these questions about natural crib mattresses?

Debra :-)

DEBRA'S ANSWER:

There is no way to get around the problem of plastic leaching into the water if you buy water in plastic bottles. There are times when I, too, need to buy water in plastic bottles. And we just need to do it. Consider the options: no water leads to dehydration and death, bottled water gives some plastic leaching, tap water contains even more toxic chemicals. So do the best you can and use bottled water only when necessary to prevent dehydration.

Debra :-)

DEBRA'S ANSWER:

I have the perfect solution for you. Wool felts from Shepherd's Dream. I was just visiting their business last weekend and saw that founder Eliana Jantz uses them for car seat covers on her Prius hybrid car.

They are made from totally natural wool with no chemicals. I saw them myself and there is no chemical odor.

When you go to the website, look for "felts". Then get the size for seat covers.

You can also easily cut them to size for any use.

Another benefit of felts over sheepskin is that felts are made from sheared wool, and sheepskin is the actual animal skin.

If this works to make the car tolerable for you, this would be a simple fix. If worse comes to worst, you can have the seats reupholstered with any fabric you want. I've done that.

Debra :-)