his Q&A blog is open for all to participate. Feel free to ask your own questions and answer questions posted by others. I know all of you have a wealth of information and experience on healthy living and you are welcome to share it here. 
Interior Decorating
furniture coasters
Hi Debra, Do you have any recommendation for furniture coasters on a wood floor? Home Depot has felt coasters, brand Feltgard, made from recycled materials, but I haven't been able to find the content. Any feedback on those or something else for that purpose? thanks, Anne, Portland, OR
I personally have used similar little felt circles (don't remember what brand) and have never had a problem with them. It's unlikely they contain toxic chemicals. I was unable to find an MSDS for this product, which is required by law if it contains hazardous substances.
Vinyl Wallpaper Danger
Hi, Debra...
I read about the danger of vinyl wallpaper, that it continues to emit VOC for a long time.
Do you know if after 2 years after installation, it still emits a substantial amount of VOC?
Anything I could do to seal the offgasing?
Thank's...
The amount of VOC from vinyl wallpaper decreases over time, but how long it takes to completely outgas depends on the conditions in the room, particularly heat.
There is a product called Safe Seal that may work for a sealant. Call the manufacturer and see if it can be applied to vinyl wallpaper and if it will block VOCs.
You would need to specifically use a sealant that is a sealant. Simply painting over something won't block fumes because paint is not designed for this purpose.
Rubber Flooring
I am wanting to start a Doggie Daycare and need to put down rubber flooring. I don't want anything toxic - are there any non toxic choices that I use? I'm thinking it will have to be glued down and would need a non toxic gluse as well.
Well, I have no experience with rubber flooring at all.
Readers?
Window treatments
I need to replace some vinyl shades in a few windows in my home, particularly in my children's playroom. Is it true these contain lead? They were in our home when we bought it about 3 years ago and I didn't realize they were a problem.
I have looked for natural, non-toxic shades or curtains and they are extremely expensive.
Do you have any tips or suggestions for what I can use that is safe, non-toxic, especially for my small children's playroom? What about just cotton sheers from any store? Are these safe and untreated?
Lastly, we had bought supposedly "natural" shades for our bedrooms with a panel to block light. Can I be sure these are safe or could these be off-gassing chemicals... Thanks!
I have purchased 100% cotton curtains from Target and IKEA and they were fine after I washed them.
I can't comment on your shades without seeing them.
upholstered furniture materials
Hi Debra. I wanted to know what stuffing materials you used when you reupholstered your furniture. I'm very chemically sensitive and am going to use organic cotton, considering the Ultracel Foam from Green Lotus (supposed to have less offgassing), and considering natural latex. My reupholsterer wants to use dacron and foam without fire retardent along with cotton, and I'm afraid. Did you just use cotton? I want the furniture to last and be comfortable once I'm spending all of this money. I also want to tolerate it! Thank you.
Please no dacron and foam.
I reupholstered a sofa and a wing chair. Both were old and had spring cushions instead of foam cushions. I had the upholsterer take all the old padding off the spring cushions and repad them with organic cotton batting.
For the covers, I used 100% cotton fabric and 100% linen fabric, both without finishes. I prewashed the fabric before giving it to the upholsterer.
Old Polyurethane Floors
We just bought a home from a women who owned it for 40 years.We are pulling up the wall to wall carpet which is 18-20 years old. Under the carpet is hardwood with a beautiful polyurethane finish.I have chemical sensitivities and would never choose a floor with a polyurethane finish and am wondering if it will be ok since it is so old.
Polyurethane itself is not particularly toxic, it's the solvents that are used to make it liquid so it can be applied that are the problem. Water-based polyurethane wood finish, for example, is much less toxic than solvent-based. Once the solvents are evaporated the polyurethane coating that remains is not toxic.
I would say that a finish that is more than twenty years old would be fine.
Rag rug fiber content
I have 100% cotton rag area rugs in my home. I love that they are cotton and love that they are completely washable. My 8' x 10' rug fits in the industrial washer at the laundromat and I air dry it.
Washable area rugs are exceedingly hard to find in these large sizes. I've ordered from a couple of places, only to return them because they reek of whatever they were sprayed with when they entered the country.
It's time to replace a rug and I've found someone who makes beautiful rugs and they're reasonably priced. They are made out of recycled clothing and are completely washable, which is great, but that also means that that clothing is not just 100% cotton, but also blends of other fibers.
Since the clothing is old to the point of now being sliced up for weaving fiber, can I hope that any finishes that might have been on a polyester blouse would have been washed away long ago?
I plan to wash them as soon as I receive them, of course, but am hoping that since the materials are so well used, they are non-toxic by now. Is it possible?
Fabric finishes become less toxic as time goes by. These are probably fine.
Sherwin William's Harmony paint - formula change
Does anyone have any experience with the current Sherwin Williams Harmony paint, or have advice about whether it might be safe? They have made a change to their formula recently that enables it to 'absorb odors'.
I tried calling the company but the changes are proprietary and they will not reveal what has been added. They also describe their paint as having anti-microbial properties, but our local paint store rep has suggested that this has always been a feature of this (generally well tolerated) zero-VOC paint.
Thanks for your help!
http://www.sherwin-williams.com/do_it_yourself/products/harmony_interior_acrylic_latex/
Anyone have any information about or experience with this new formula?
Vermont Natural Coatings
Does anyone with chemical sensitivity have experience using Vermont Natural Coatings for finishing/sealing doors, floors, wood trim and furniture?
Also wondering if anyone knows about the company OSMO for exterior staining and sealing?
Thanks!
Jill
I love Vermont Natural Coatings, however, I would not consider myself to be as sensitive as I know many of my readers are.
So readers, have any of you used these products?
Soy Cushions and Flame Resistant Drapes
Hi Debra,
I'm doing a little redecorating and have two questions. Many sofas now contain soy in the cushions. I know soy when ingested is considered an endocrine disrupter, but what about if inhaled? Can soy even offgas if it's in a cushion?
Secondly, I purchased some 100% cotton drapes from Pottery Barn, and the description stated that they were CPSC compliant for flame resistancy without being chemically treated. What does this mean? They're going to be hanging right under a heat vent, so I'm concerned if they contain a flame retardant at all (in case the heat causes them to offgas).
Thank you so much for your help with this and everything else you do!
I would think that soy would outgas from a cushion. I'm sure most people with soy allergies would tell you that.
If the drapes say they are not chemically treated, by law they should not be chemically treated. That doesn't mean that they aren't as there is such thing as deception in labelling. But it's likely that they are not chemically treated.
"CPSC compliant" simply means that they meet the CPSC standards for being flame retardant. The CPSC does not specify how to achieve being compliant, only that they comply.
