My Chemical-Free House
A Guide to Creating a Healthy Home
The most non-toxic disinfectants for the home are made with the active ingredients of hydrogen peroxide, hypochlorous acid (HOCL), or Thymol. The simplest and purest product will be HOCL because you can use this as a single-ingredient product. But all three are good options for disinfecting jobs around the home. The article focuses on sanitizers …
If you are struggling to tolerate the offgassing of a new house after using the strategies in the article on how to bring down new house offgassing you can create a sealed off “safe room”. This is often done for folks who have extreme environmental sensitivities. There are a few ways to make a safe …
This article is going to go through step-by-step what you need to do to off-gas those new carpet VOC chemicals. You do not need to do every step, only go as far as you need to solve the problem. The more advanced steps are for those who are extremely sensitive to chemicals. For most people, …
The best solution to indoor air contaminants is dilution, by a long shot. This solution works much better than air purifiers. An energy recovery ventilator (ERV) or heat recovery ventilator (HRV) can be used to overturn a lot of air and drastically reduce the indoor pollution levels. You should find out which is better for …
There are three types of bamboo flooring that can be extremely low in VOCs – strand woven solid, bamboo with a plywood core, and bamboo with a stone polymer composite (SPC) core. I will also list out the best brands making the lowest VOC/lowest formaldehyde bamboo flooring on the market. Some of them have formaldehyde …
Updated in 2025 This article goes over the best non-toxic wood glues, carpenter glues, yellow glues, and white glues. The options range from synthetics that are zero-VOC to totally natural options. There will probably be some unique non-toxic options you haven’t considered! I compared the odor level of many of these glues when I was …
When choosing non-toxic window frame materials, windows made of thermally broken aluminum are the top choice, and that is the preferred choice of those highly chemically sensitive. My second choice would be Accoya wood windows. Some vinyl and fiberglass brands can certainly be considered, since they can be very low in off-gassing. 1. Metal Window …
When choosing a Sherwin-Williams paint line first consider where it falls in the quality range, the VOC level, and additional features like is it washable. Also note, not all paint lines can be tinted to all colors and not all can be mixed with custom colors. All of their colorants are 0-VOC so they don’t …
Many vintage glassware items are not microwave-safe; Depression glass can shatter in the microwave, according to the National Depression Glass Association. So keeping in mind that most vintage glassware is not microwave-safe due to the glass itself, let’s take a look at if there is any interaction between the Uranium and the microwave. Expert Contributors: …
The following explains which PFAS are completely limited by Oeko-Tex, which are indirectly limited, and when all fabric categories, including sofas, will be completely free of Per- and Polyfluorinated Substances (PFAS) treatments if Oeko-Tex 100 certified. PFAS is a very large group of chemicals. It is therefore impossible to test for all of them individually. …
I have messaged and talked to every company on the list so you don’t have to. I will also explain the main chemicals of concern found in toaster ovens and what a Prop 65 warning really indicates after the list of toaster ovens. My list of favorite non-toxic toaster ovens meets the following criteria (which …
Updated in 2025 The majority of anti-fatigue mats are made of PVC (polyvinyl chloride aka vinyl), SBR rubber (styrene-butadiene rubber), polyurethane foam, or a mix of those materials. PVC and SBR generally are higher in odor and off-gassing than the options I’m going to go over on this list and are not often tolerable for the …
These are the lowest-VOC metallic paints that can be used on walls, furniture, decor, arts and crafts. Only paints intended for walls will offer some insight into the VOC levels. Paints for arts and crafts generally do not list VOCs. However, water-based acrylic paints are generally not toxic and most formulas now are low odor …
2021 In 2021, I tested 64 ceramic and porcelain tiles for lead. They were selected from 5 major vendors in the US and were tested with a handheld x-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyzer by a qualified professional. The tiles were purchased from Flooring Inc, Stone Tile Depot, Build Direct, The Tile Shop, and Home Depot. While …
The following four non-toxic cleaners are likely the only products you will need to clean wood flooring as well as other types. In some cases, it’s vitally important to know what kind of finish your flooring has. For example, if you have hardwood floors you need to know if it has a synthetic coating or …
We will start with non-toxic paints and sealers that have full disclosure from the companies on how long the paint or sealer takes to cure and finish off-gassing so we know when our reptile pets can safely re-enter their enclosure. The following are the least toxic paints, clear sealers, and colorful stains that will work …
Air purifiers with activated carbon plus additional sorbent materials targeted to formaldehyde are the best option for removing formaldehyde from your indoor air. You generally need a lot of carbon (and other sorbent material) to make a significant dent in the problem. This list of air purifiers looks at those with the highest amount of …
Alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEs) are a group of chemicals that includes nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs) and octylphenol ethoxylates (OPEs). They are chemicals of concern commonly used as surfactants in acrylic paint. According to Healthy Building Network “NPEs and OPEs break down into nonylphenols and octylphenols, which are not readily biodegradable. NPEs, OPEs, and these breakdown products are very toxic to …
Intro from Corinne ECOS Paint has consistently been the top pick of wall paint amongst the chemically sensitive and it’s a great choice for anyone who wants a low-tox option. I have tested samples of ECOS Paints and it does dry really fast. To me, it always seemed offgassed almost immediately after drying (though for …
Natural linoleum is true linoleum. Nowadays, vinyl sheet flooring is often called linoleum, but be aware these are very different products. (And that is technically not the accurate word for vinyl sheet). Genuine linoleum or traditional linoleum is made from all-natural materials in the core of the product, including linseed oil, pine resin, wood or …
When I was growing up I always had a pet rabbit, one was a giant named Pablo who had a very colorful hutch. Back in the day, we did not think at all about the toxicity of the paint. (I currently have a bunny named Honey who eats everything in sight. Photo at end.) While …
This post offers some innovative natural cork brands that have gone above and beyond the norm to create non-toxic and 0-VOC products. Most cork flooring is click-together and made with a high-density fiberboard (HDF) core which is usually made with formaldehyde glues. Some cork flooring is cork all the way through. The agglomerated cork of …
Air purifiers with activated carbon are the best option for dealing with chemical pollutants or volatile organic compounds (VOCs). You generally need a lot of carbon (and other sorbent material) to make a significant dent in the problem. This list of air purifiers looks at those with the highest amount of sorbent material – starting …
The following are the least toxic paints, clear sealers, and colorful stains that will work on outdoor chicken coops or hen houses. (These are also non-toxic for the person applying them.) Expert Review: Dr. Samuel G. Mwaura, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, reviewed and contributed to this article. 1. ECOS Pet Dwelling Paint Anne Lichtenwalner, Doctor …
