My Chemical-Free House
A Guide to Creating a Healthy Home
Whether you need a grout sealer depends very much on the situation. A grout sealer could actually do more harm than good. For that reason, I will list out the non-toxic sealer options by application and then by type of sealer. The siliconates and silicates (densifiers) are the most tolerable least toxic options, they are …
The safest options for sealing wooden toys are the all-natural food-safe options listed below. The natural oils, waxes, and soap finish would be the purest options. There are non-toxic sealers that are synthetic – acrylic sealers can be certified Toy Safe. I use both food-safe designation (FDA) and Toy Safe Certification (Europe) to assess the …
Walls in mobile homes have a vinyl layer on the wallboard and battens covering the seam gaps. It is possible to remove the battens and mud over the seams. It is also a good idea to prime the walls with BIN Shellac primer to stop any offgassing or leaching of plasticizers from the vinyl.
Plaster usually means a material used to coat interior walls while “render” more often refers to external coatings even if it’s the same material. Stucco is another word for an exterior wall coating. The most common types of plasters have a base of gypsum, lime, cement, or clay. Clay plasters are not very common anymore since they lack tensile …
This is a comprehensive list of healthier alternatives to bleach and toxic deck cleaning formulas that still work to get your deck clean even if it’s covered in mold, stains, and debris. I cover deck and outdoor furniture cleaners that are safe for you, your kids, your pets, and your plants. Some are simple DIY …
There are two main ways to go with garden-safe sealants (and stains) for raised garden beds or planters. The first option is to use a non-toxic water-based sealer/stain on the exterior with a safe water-based painted-on membrane on the interior of the box. (The water-based sealers/stains used on the exterior won’t hold up inside the …
This article digs into non-toxic and natural options for staining and sealing wood decks as well as most outdoor wood like fences, furniture, windows, doors, play gyms, and planters. Penetrating sealers require that older decks and outdoor wood be sanded all the way down, but the film-forming options can be applied to lightly sanded older …
Achieving a natural or non-toxic finish that is durable enough for a table or desk top is only possible with a few select brands and products. We can’t quite get to the same level of durability as an oil-based polyurethane, but we can get quite a good level of durability with either of these options. …
The following are novel air fresheners that can be used by the chemically sensitive. Remember that chemically sensitive folks are all different, so not everyone can use all of the options here. Be sure to do a small test first to see how you do. 1. Simmering Recipes for the Home I tried various natural …
Fully updated in August 2025 This is a complete guide to non-toxic decking – types, materials, additives, and brands. For most people, the main choice is between composite decking and solid wood decking. For the chemically sensitive, you will have to get samples yourself of the decking materials as well as the stains needed for …
Non-toxic healthy closet, storage, and organization systems should be made of materials that do not off-gas VOCs or are extremely low in VOCs. The following options can be considered for the chemically sensitive or those avoiding toxins for health reasons.
Summary: Vinyl Plank, Luxury Vinyl Plank (LVP), and Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT) are very low in volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) and off-gassing (and one brand is even 0-VOC). Most people find it odorless, but those like me with a high sense of smell can pick up a little bit of off-gassing in most brands. But …
Review of Boxabl SIPS Prefab House The company Boxabl has created a metal SIPs (structurally integrated panel) house that has caught a lot of folks’ attention. The main reason it has gone so viral is that it promises it all – fast, easy, cheap, resilient, and healthy. My job as a Building Biologist is to …
Testing caulking and sealants was the hardest part of building my tiny house since I did this when I was highly sensitive. I cover the least toxic options which are low-VOC, low-odor, fast to off-gas, and are suitable for chemically sensitive or anyone wanting to reduce VOCs. I would suggest finding out which are non-toxic …
There are a few key things you can do to prevent the infiltration of fragrance, smoke, pesticides, cleaning products, and other chemicals from entering your house. Whether the offending chemicals are coming from a neighbor with an adjoining wall in an apartment or a duplex, another house, or the outdoor air, the main strategies are …
Since so many paint lines have moved in the direction of 0-VOC, this is the minimum standard for me now in a non-toxic paint. However, note that a couple of grams per liter of VOC is negligible and can still be considered or advertised as zero. Sometimes these paints with a couple of grams per …
The first thing to do is to choose your furniture carefully if you are buying new. If you are reading this before purchasing something, that is great. Most people contact me after they have already brought in furnishings that are off-gassing. It’s a little trickier to deal with after the fact, but there are still …
This post is about sealants for light-colored marble, light granites, limestone, and other light-colored cool-tone stones. The sealers are intended for food-contact areas like countertops, stone serving boards, and stone bowls, as well as areas like stone tile backsplashes. Some of them can also be used on stone floors. My post on all-natural oil-based sealers …
The following strategies are used by those sensitive to chemicals to sequester, encase and block off-gassing. They are more or less in order from the least effective to the most effective, though it depends on the thickness of some of the products. You can use them to seal up an item that is off-gassing VOCs, …
First, we need to know what you want your air freshener product to do – give a fragranced smell to the air or to furniture, break down a malodor, freshen up a piece of furniture, clothing, or gym bag, or cover up an odor in the air. The below options are natural and non-toxic ways …
Updated February 2026 For safe, non-toxic carpet, both natural and synthetic fiber options can be a healthy choice. The post outlines my top picks in the zero and low-VOC (volatile organic compounds) categories for residential and commercial use. This includes a look at the carpet fiber, backing, products used during installation, and padding (underlay). Even …
Non-toxic curtain, blinds and shades (including black out). Non-toxic window frame types and materials. Non-toxic sealing around windows
Which Paints Are Truly Safe? There is a myriad of paints claiming to be green, natural, or zero-VOC (zero volatile organic compounds), but most don’t list their ingredients, others list the main components, while some only list what has to be legally disclosed on a safety data sheet (SDS). I break the paints into categories …
Updated in 2025 In a healthy home, I personally would not consider shelf and drawer liners made of: I consider polyethylene and polypropylene to be safe eco-friendly plastics, especially for this application. EVA could be safe if phthalate-free. Other non-toxic or natural options include paper, fabric, acrylic-coated wallpaper, and wood veneer. The following options are …
