Healthy Interiors

If you want an all natural non-toxic floor finish there are a few options.

1. Natural drying oils include durable tung oil and linseed oil.
2. Hemp oil and walnut oil can also be used but are not as durable.
3. Shellac is a finish that I think should make a comeback – it is a natural wax and alcohol.
4. Other Natural waxes can be used over the oils or shellac.
5. An unusual pure and natural finish is a Danish Soap finish for an invisible look.
6. If you want a painted look, it is possible to use a 100% natural paint if you provide a durable enough topcoat.

Oils darken wood but produce a matte look. The waxes add some more sheen. Shellac is naturally quite shiny. The soap finish will give you the most invisible look.

Milk Paint can look like a regular matte paint but since you need a top coat over it you are not going to be able to get white floors with all-natural products.

1. Tung and Linseed Oil

Tung and Linseed oil are the best natural penetrating oils for hardwood floors.

The technical term for these oils is drying oils because they polymerize, forming a long lasting protective layer on wood and stone.

Tung provides the most durable finish of the oils and linseed is not far behind.

Tung oil however is very thick and so it is often cut down with a solvent. That can be harsh, even if natural. I prefer to use 100% natural tung oil without a solvent whenever possible.

Linseed also comes in different formulations. The natural and pure type is polymerized linseed oil from Tried and True. This does not contain driers or any other additives.

It does come in variations that have added pigments if you want to get a darker hue.

Rubio Monocoat is linseed oil-based and comes in a much larger array of colors, however we don’t know the full ingredients list.

2. Hemp and Walnut Oil

For some folks, tung and linseed oil have too strong of an odor. I would need to give those oils a month before they came down to a more reasonable odor level for me.

Hemp and walnut oil are milder in odor but they are also less durable. I did use hemp oil on my floors because I was so sensitive to chemicals and odors that the compromise was just fine by me.

I love this walnut and beeswax finish and have used it on small projects like toys, but it’s the least durable of the natural oils for floors.

3. Shellac

Shellac is a natural resin that comes from a beetle mixed into alcohol. You can buy it premixed, but it’s not clear if 100% of the ingredients are disclosed.

I am fine with using the premixed version, but if you want something that you know is 100% natural and safe it’s not a big deal to buy the flakes and mix them with denatured alcohol or Everclear.

This is a shiny and at least slightly amber (depending on the resin color) traditional floor finish. It’s not used as much these days.

An oil and wax polish is often used over shellac like linseed and beeswax.

4. Natural Wax Finish

You can wax a floor that has already been treated with a natural penetrating oil or shellac. The wax can improve the protective properties of these finishes.

You can also wax unfinished floors.

Often a natural wax like beeswax or carnauba is mixed into the penetrating oil finish.

Tried and True has a linseed & beeswax finish, Fusion makes a hemp oil plus beeswax finish and Real Milk Paint makes a walnut oil with carnauba wax.

If the wax formulas are in a more solid form (not mixed with a penetrating oil) they are usually mixed with mineral oil. Mineral oil is technically natural. If it is deodorized it’s a fairly safe product.

5. Danish Soap Finish

Danish soap finish is an unusual non-toxic way to finish floors. It is a process that uses pure soap as the finish.

You can either use just soap, or soap and lye.

Lye is quite toxic while it’s reacting, just make sure to let it dissipate fully.

When used in the making of soap the lye reacts with other components and in the end you just have a safe soap product.

The look is similar to oil or wax, but without the sheen, darkening or yellowing. Oils are always at least a little bit yellow/amber and darken the wood. Both oil and wax add various levels of sheen, depending on which product is used.

Danish soap finish is flat and has an invisible look.

It is high-maintenance though, significantly more than anything else on this list. You have to reapply the finish quite often to high-use areas.

6. Milk Paint

Milk Paint in powder form is an all-natural product. You just mix it with water to form the paint.

It’s made of milk protein (casein), limestone, clay, chalk, and natural pigments.

It works beautifully on raw wood. If the wood already has a finish on it then it needs a synthetic primer – in that case, I would likely skip Milk Paint.

It requires a topcoat to be durable otherwise the finish is quickly ruined.

You can use the natural penetrating oils and or shellac above. I have used two coats of Milk Paint, plus two coats of tung oil, then shellac on some items. Others will coat over this with a synthetic polyurethane floor finish for more durability.

It’s not the most ideal floor finish (for durability) but it is the only way to get a 100% natural painted floor finish.

Naturally Bleaching Agents for Wood – Hydrogen peroxide or oxalic acid can both be used to create a bleached look. You could also mix white pigments into a finish if you are brave.

Natural Pigments for Staining Wood – Mineral pigments can be used to stain wood, but mixed in water this does not work all that well. They are best when already mixed into an oil base. Some pigments can be mixed into shellac.

Related Posts:

• Non-Toxic Water-Based Finishes for Wood Floors
• Zero-VOC Paints for Floors

Corinne Segura is a Building Biologist Practitioner with 6 years of experience helping others create healthy homes.

Did you find this post helpful? If so you can buy me a coffee to support the research behind this blog. Thank you!

This post covers eco-friendly paints that adhere well to concrete and other masonry like brick. There are both totally natural and synthetic options as well as those in between.

I will start with the floors, both breathable and non-breathable options, and then look at walls.

There are more options for concrete walls, since many masonry paints don’t hold up well to foot traffic. There are lots of zero and low-VOC products that work well on walls that don’t work on the floor.

This post contains affiliate links. Upon purchase, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Acrylic Paint for Concrete Floors

You can use acrylic paint on concrete though this option is not very breathable.

I myself would only use this on upper-level concrete floors, not on a slab or basement floor which should ideally be able to dry to the inside.

Some folks have an already painted floor and they don’t want to have to grind that off so they are looking for a compatible paint to use on top.

Brands:

• ECOS Paints has a Floor Paint that works on concrete, and a Porch & Floor Paint that works on exterior concrete. The Porch & Floor Paint is the most durable and is usually used on interior concrete floors. ECOS products are made for the chemically sensitive and are zero-VOC at 14 days.
• ECOS Concrete Stabilizer – is a primer of sorts – is used before painting if the concrete surface is worn, chalky, or weathered. Ideal for use as a pre-treatment before painting. This is acrylic based, it’s not a densifier.
• AFM Safecoat Concrete Floor Paint – Zero VOC. This is an acrylic base paint with PVA. This concrete floor paint is made for the chemically sensitive.

Breathable Paint for Concrete Floors

A concrete slab or basement floor should ideally remain breathable. The slab is always trying to dry to the inside and trapping moisture leads to major funk underneath that does come through.

Breathable paints are called mineral paints and they are silicate-based. These can be very low in VOCs and toxins. But silicate paints are not durable enough for a floor.

On bare concrete, you can paint on Milk Paint and coat it when dry with a drying oil. Hemp and Tung both work. Tung forms a thicker film and has a stronger natural odor. Though there is some controversy over using milk paint and oils on concrete. This certainly would not be a conventional finish.

There are water-based, “breathable” epoxy coatings for concrete floors. Some do claim zero-VOC. They often are harsh when wet but do cure up well.

They typically do not hold up in high-traffic areas but they can be used in most homes. I don’t recommend using something that is so toxic when wet.

If you want a breathable coating it would be best to use a sealant that has a color in it (and not a paint), like Soy Crete explained more in the main concrete sealer post.

Breathable Paint for Concrete and Brick Walls (Not Floors)

Breathable silicate (mineral) paints are great for concrete and brick walls. This category of paint is made with silicate binders instead of acrylic. It bonds well to masonry.

Brands:

• RomaBio EcoDomus is a great mineral paint, that is breathable, washable and zero VOC. I tested it here.
• RomaBio Limewash is another option for concrete walls, this is not washable but is more pure and simple if you want something ultra low toxin and natural for concrete walls.
• Romabio Masonry Flat is another option that is a pure silicate paint (no other binders), a good mix between natural and synthetic – just a little bit more durable than a 100% natural option.
• Silicote Paint is another silicate paint – one you can get from Green Building Supply.
• Kiem is the biggest brand of silicate paints and can be found internationally.
• Chalk/ed Paint can be used on concrete walls. Both Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and Rustoleum Chalked. They are not washable though, you could wipe them down sightly if you had to, but they are not super durable without a top coat on them.
• Milk Paint does also adhere quite well to concrete but it’s the least durable of the bunch and it’s very easily ruined with any water so it would need a topcoat. It is 100% organic/natural.

My post on breathable paints goes into more detail on perm ratings.

The post on mineral/natural paints goes into detail on the application and how things turned out with silicate paint, chalk/ed paint, and milk paint. I look at topcoat options as well if you do want to use a more natural option.

For concrete sealers and stains see my main concrete sealer post.

Corinne Segura is a Building Biologist Practitioner with 6 years of experience helping others create healthy homes.

Did you find this post helpful? If so you can buy me a coffee to support the research behind this blog. Thank you!

The type of non-toxic paint you will choose for wood depends on how durable you need it to be, how safe you need it to be (is it going in a child’s mouth for example), what kind of wood it is, and what kind of paint or stain is on it already.

Some of the paints are all-natural and totally child-safe and food-safe, others are perfectly healthy to handle and be around if they are not going in anyone’s mouth.

This post contains affiliate links. Upon purchase, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Non-Toxic Paint for Wooden Toys

1. All Natural Milk Paint

Milk Paint is the most obvious first choice for wooden toys. It’s the only 100% natural paint and it is the safest choice.

It’s made of milk protein (casein), limestone, clay, chalk, and natural pigments. It comes in a powder and you mix it yourself with water.

It’s very easy to apply this to raw wood, and that is the best application for this paint.

If the wood already has a finish on it, I would likely skip Milk Paint. If it needs to be primed with an acrylic bond coat it defeats the purpose of going with a non-acrylic paint (just use a conventional paint in that case).

It requires a topcoat to be durable in any way to water otherwise the finish is quickly ruined. Since limestone isn’t to be ingested, it should also have a topcoat if a child will put it in their mouth.

Top Coats for Milk Paint

If you are painting toys you almost certainly want an all-natural and completely food safe topcoat.

Natural Oils

You can use any of the drying oils which do form a film that makes it durable to water and cleanable.

Tung oil is the most durable of the organic drying oils (just be sure to give it the full 30 days to cure). Hemp oil and walnut oil are not quite as waterproof but the odors are milder.

The oils darken the Milk Paint and cause the colors to lose some vibrancy.

Natural Shellac Resin

Shellac is a food-safe resin that is even used to coat some foods. It’s a resin from a beetle and when dissolved in alcohol it can be used as a wood coating.

It’s sold by Zinsser as Bullseye or SealCoat Shellac, but if you wanted a totally purist option you can buy the flakes and mix it with Everclear alcohol.

Of course, the real purist option would be to not paint the wood at all, and just use the all-natural drying oils and/or shellac.

2. Non-Toxic Acrylic Paints

ECOS Paints and other acrylic paints can be used on toys as well. Once these paints are cured (at two weeks) I would consider them safe to use, handle, and for kids to play with.

If you don’t mind the shiny look you can always put a protective coat of shellac over paint.

Non-Toxic Paint for Wooden Furniture

When painting furniture it doesn’t need to be as food-safe as toys. There are a few more options.

1.Milk Paint

You can still use Milk Paint on raw wood, with an oil or shellac topcoat as above.

You could also put a hardy water-based coating over it (either acrylic or polyurethane), like ECOS acrylic coating or AFM Safecoat polyurethane.

It would be easier to use an acrylic paint in my opinion, if it’s a high wear use item.

2. Chalked Paint

Chalked Paint is also a very low toxin ultra-low VOC option. The benefit of using Chalked Paint is it can prime over many other finishes. It is still a good idea to sand a little bit even though technically you don’t have to.

This is helpful if you need to go over a natural oil finish, oil-based paint, or unknown varnish. I have not yet found something this can’t go over.

You do need a top coat to make this durable. Annie Sloan Chalk Paint is another brand that I like a lot.

3. ECOS Zero-VOC Paint

No-VOC acrylic paint is another option for bare wood or previously painted wood.

Raw Wood

On raw wood you can prime with Lullaby Furniture Primer, followed by their Semi-Gloss or Gloss Paint.

If you need extra durability, you can use another clear coat sealer over top.

If the furniture is made of pine (like IKEA dressers and beds), use ECOS Stain Blocking Primer to prevent bleed-through of the tannins before painting.

Previously Painted Furniture

If the furniture was painted with water-based paint (or has a water-based polyurethane) you can paint over with ECOS water-based paint in most cases with some light sanding.

If you are going over oil-based paint you can use ECOS Universal Primer first to transition it to water-based paint.

Non-Toxic Paint for Wooden Panel Walls

I have a slightly different list for walls, first because in some cases it’s a good idea to keep the walls breathable, and second because wall paint doesn’t usually need to be as durable as furniture paint.

1. Milk Paint

You can use Milk Paint on walls. If it’s raw wood then I would consider it since it takes well to raw wood. If it’s previously painted wood I would not consider it.

You do need to think about the work of adding a topcoat like oil to the walls which is wiped on and wiped off on top of multiple coats of Milk Paint.

2. Chalked Paint

If you don’t need the walls to be scrubbable, Chalked Paint is more durable than Milk Paint.

You need one or two coats. But again, if a topcoat/sealer is needed it would probably not be worth it.

3. RomaBio Mineral Paint

RomaBio EcoDomus Matte is my first choice for raw wood paneling. If you use the Matte that is the primer and the paint over raw wood.

You can probably do two coats total and be done.

It’s wipeable and breathable. This paint is a mineral (silicate-based) paint and is zero-VOC.

4. Acrylic Paint

You can of course use a more conventional paint like Farrow and Ball or ECOS Paints which are both low odor paints that are the healthiest of the acrylic paints.

Non-Toxic Paint for Hardwood Floors

1. Farrow and Ball

Farrow and Ball brand is a very low odor paint. They make a floor primer. Their Modern Eggshell line is then used on top of that.

This paint does contain methylisothiazolinone as the preservative.

This works well for wood floors. Make sure to read all info on substrate prep on their website.

You can buy this paint via their website or in local stores.

2. ECOS Paints

ECOS Paints Floor Paint is formulated for wood and concrete floors. I love ECOS Paints, it’s usually my top pick of paint brand.

They disclose all of their ingredients and they don’t use methylisothiazolinone. It’s zero-VOC at 14 days.

You can order this paint from their website, they ship to everywhere in the US as well as to Canada and Mexico.

Over pine floors you can use the Sanding Sealer first (then sand), then ECOS Universal Primer, followed by two coats of their Floor Paint.

3. AFM Safecoat

AFM Safecoat Concrete Floor Paint is an acrylic paint with PVA. It’s mostly used on concrete floors, but there are some conditions in which you can use it on wood.

Corinne Segura is a Building Biologist Practitioner with 6 years of experience helping others create healthy homes.

Did you find this post helpful? If so you can buy me a coffee to support the research behind this blog. Thank you!

Thermafoil, Melamine, and Laminate are all plastics used to cover substrates on kitchen and bathroom cabinets to create a hard, water-resistant finish.

The substrates of cabinets doors and drawer fronts include particleboard and MDF. The boxes are plywood or particleboard.

This post explains the material composition of these plastic covering options – what they are made of and any potential for toxicity and offgassing of VOCs.

I will look at which are the lowest VOC options and how to seal in any offgassing to make them non-toxic, or at least less toxic.

My main post on Cabinet Brands is here.

Melamine Cabinets

Melamine is Medium Density Laminate – MDL, a melamine resin-coated paper that can have a printed pattern or solid color on it.

In this case, it is laminated onto the substrate, usually particleboard, but sometimes MDF.

While some cabinets like IKEA use Melamine as the exterior finish, I often see it as the interior fininsh of Laminate cabinets.

It is less expensive than the Laminate described in the next section. It’s not as strong and impact resistant but otherwise it’s very similar.

Technically, melamine is just one type of or Low-Pressure Decorative Laminate. The other type is made of polyester, but melamine is the most common.

Most products are prelaminated to particleboard or medium-density fiberboard cores. In other words, unlike the Laminate described below, you don’t usually find this as a stand-alone plastic sheet product.

Laminate

Laminate, also known as Plastic Laminate or HPDL (High Pressure Decorative Laminate) is in the case of cabinets, laminated onto a core as the face covering.

Decorative laminate is produced by fusing together kraft paper saturated with phenolic formaldehyde resin, together with a layer of melamine saturated decorative paper under heat and pressure.

I have also seen this referred to as or High-Density Plastic Laminate (HDPL).

The laminate layer is usually 1/32” or 1/16” thick. 1/32″ is used vertically on cabinets.

Plastic laminate come in many designs, you can have a shiny plastic look, or more commonly right now, a wood look. It often has a texture to help it look more like wood.

It’s usually available in more colors and patterns than Melamine.

I see it commonly on the faces of commercial cabinets used in apartment buildings. 

It’s also the same product that is used to make laminate countertops the best-known brand is Formica.

In the case of countertops, you can buy the sheets of laminate as a stand alone product (not only attached to the substrate). 1/16th is the thickness on Laminate countertops.

What is a Thermofoil Cabinet?

Thermofoil does not actually contain any foil or metal. It is a thin layer of PVC/vinyl that is vacuum-pressed onto cabinet doors and drawer fronts.

The substrate is usually medium-density fiberboard (MDF).

To make the Thermafoil finish the MDF cabinet door and drawer bases are placed in the press. A flexible layer of 100 percent vinyl is laid on with an adhesive and vacuumed pressed.

The vinyl layer has an integrated color or design, and like the Melamine, there is no paint or coating on top.

This could also be called a thermoplastic sheet. It is possible to make thermoplastic with an acrylic plastic. But whenever I have seen Thermafoil listed as a cabinet finish it is vinyl.

Thermofoil vs. Laminate/Melamine

Melamine and Laminate cabinets are often confused with Thermofoil, but they are not the same material.

Melamine and Laminate are made of melamine plastic, Thermafoil is vinyl.

You can tell them apart by the following:

• Thermafoil is thicker, softer feeling, peels off more easily, and is more flexible. If you can see the edge of it you can compare it to the photo above.
• Laminate and Melamine are thinner and harder plastics. They don’t peel off as easily.
• Melamine is thinner than Laminate, though they are made of the same plastic.

Offgassing of Laminate, Melamine, and Thermafoil

Melamine plastics are fairly safe plastics. While there is a little bit of formaldehyde on the backside, the plastic itself is quite tolerable for the chemically sensitive. I cannot pick up offgassing on the plastic side since it blocks the formaldehyde.

Thermafoil which is vinyl certainly has an odor at least when new. The odor of vinyl lasts longer than other plastics in my experience. Certainly, any flexible vinyl can be expected to have a chemical odor.

Both particleboard and MDF offgas formaldehyde, the levels can be found here. In almost all of the world now they meet CARB II levels.

Sealing in Offgassing in Cabinets

Laminate and Melamine both provide a good amount of sealing in of the formaldehyde in the particleboard and MDF substrates. For many people this is a good enough seal.

Not all brands have a complete encasement of the engineered woods. It is ideal if they are fully encased on all sides and edges.

If they have raw edges you should add a sealant there to seal in the formaldehyde. You might have to look for the edges, they might for example be raw on the edges of the shelves, which you won’t see until you take out the shelves.

You should also plug the holes that were made to adjust the shelving and seal over those too. Anywhere where there is some exposure to the particleboard or fiberboard you should seal.

The edges can be sealed with AFM Safeseal or Zinsser Shellac.

AFM Safeseal can use used anywhere where there is a raw wood edge offgassing formaldehyde. It can be layered with Shellac, use the AFM first.

Shellac can be used anywhere where you have a mix of sealing over wood and plastic – for example when sealing in the shelving holes, or edges of laminate that are coming apart.

Sources:

https://woodworkinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Sec4_2ndEdAWS_SmBkMrkd_141001.pdf

https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1996-05-04-9605040048-story.html

Seal in Flame Retardants, Dust Mites & Mold Spores

1. Polyurethane Lined Covers

If you have an old mattress and you want to block flame retardants from migrating out of the mattress, use a cover like Organic Lifestyle’s Bed Bug Cover, which is also waterproof and will protect you from dust mites and bedbugs as well.

Another good use for this cover is when you are moving a mattress into a high humidity environment like a trailer, or you have to put a mattress on a flat surface like the floor for a while.

The polyurethane did have an odor to me but after some offgassing, I found it to be great.

2. Polyethylene Covers

Polyethylene covers are the least toxic plastic cover but they do not hold up very well after washing and are not usually marketed as mattress encasements.

I have used the Uhaul mattress encasements for temporary protection from contamination or if I need to put a mattress on the floor in a hurry. These are disposable (not washable).

3. Polypropylene Covers

There are polypropylene covers as well, they hold up a little longer than plain polyethylene. 

This All in One cover is a mix of polyethylene and polypropylene and is reported to be very tolerable by someone very sensitive to plastic.

They do slow down offgassing somewhat, from the foam or secondary scents, but usually, these VOCs eventually soak into the plastic layer, so it’s not a permanent solution.

Mattress Encasement to Fully Block Offgassing, Pesticides, and Other Contaminants

Block Offgassing with Aluminized Tarps

If you do not have a choice but to use a mattress that is offgassing or fragranced and you want to block the odors/chemicals, you can use aluminized tarps and tape.

I have used these to sequester many beds, especially when traveling.

Discard as soon as the aluminum flakes off, or face the aluminum down.

The other option would be thick mylar bags (not the thin sheets).

Mattress Cover to Block Dust Mites

Cotton Covers

If you just want a dust mite cover (that is not waterproof, and doesn’t block flame retardants) I use these Allersoft cotton mattress and pillow protectors.

That brand is not organic but they were good for me after one wash. I’m really happy with them as they have reduced my allergies and the price is a steal.

For organic cotton versions, I like these pillow covers. These are still reasonably priced.

A full organic cotton mattress encasement is going to cost more. The Solus brand is priced well at around $100.

Barrier cloth can also work here.