My Chemical-Free House

A Guide to Creating a Healthy Home

healthy decor

The 18 Best Non-Toxic Rugs (That You Can Buy Online)

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There are only a few companies that have gone the extra mile to fully disclose what is in their rugs.

These are the top companies making healthy area rugs safe for those avoiding toxins in the home, as well as safe for nurseries with crawling babies, and sensitive pets.

Those avoiding chemicals should avoid area rugs with synthetic latex backing, glues, synthetic moth treatment which is a pesticide – usually permethrin, and other topical treatments such as stain guard treatments.

For those very sensitive to chemicals, you may even want to avoid rugs treated with detergents, bleach, or dyes (possibly even the eco dyes).

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Non-Toxic Vinyl Plank Flooring Brands (& the Risks)

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Vinyl Plank, Luxury Vinyl Plank (LVP), and Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT) are very low in volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) and offgassing (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 offgassing in most brands.

But the bigger concern is about plasticizers (which all brands contain) and small amounts of metals, explained further in the article.

Just about all vinyl plank is phthalate-free now – though phthalates were replaced with alternate plasticizers. The most common plasticizer used now is Dioctyl Terephthalate (DOTP).

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Non-Toxic (Low-VOC) Sealants for Marble, Granite, Limestone

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This is a 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 bowels, as well as areas like stone tile backsplashes.

My post on all-natural oil-based sealers for stones focuses on walnut oil (and other non-toxic oils) that work best on dark-colored, medium-tone (or beige-toned) stones since they do darken and yellow the stones slightly.

There is no 100% natural sealer for white and light-colored stones. This should be considered early on if it’s a new build for someone chemically sensitive.

Light-colored stones are also much more likely to be porous compared to some darker-colored stones that can be naturally dense enough to not require a sealant in food prep areas.

Manufacturers of natural stone countertops usually recommend a penetrating or impregnating sealant every few years (depending on the type of stone, the use, etc).

These sealants do not fully disclose their ingredients, but I have dug into the literature to see what is likely in them. Most of them use fluoropolymers as the main technology, a type of PFAS. If you are avoiding PFAS (“forever chemicals”), there is one sealant on the market that is zero-VOC and not based on PFAS.

These four sealers are ones I have researched, compared and actually tested myself. They are the safest, lowest offgassing options out there right now.

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The Healthiest Non-Toxic Carpet Brands

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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 folks who are chemically sensitive can do well with carpet in the home.

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Non-Toxic Curtain, Blinds, & Blackout Window Coverings

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The best non-toxic window coverings are natural untreated fabric, natural fiber roll-down blinds, non-painted aluminum blinds, and aluminum screens.

For blackout shades, bamboo shades with liners, polyester curtains, hemp, cotton, and paper pleated shades can be considered.

I avoid PVC roller shades or curtain backing, flame retardant treated fabrics, wrinkle-free finishes, and wood and aluminum blinds with finishes that offgas.

If you’re looking for non-toxic window frames, you can find that article here.

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The Healthiest Wall Paint Brands (Non-Toxic & Zero VOCs)

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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).

This article investigates past the marketing jargon to compare all of the options that claim to be zero-VOC or natural.

This post covers interior wall paints for drywall, plasterboard, plaster, and wood.

I break the paints into categories based on their formulas:

  • 1) Latex Paint which includes acrylic paint and VAE (vinyl acetate ethylene) paint
  • 2) Natural Paint which includes mineral paint, clay paint, and milk paint
  • 3) Linseed-Based Oil Paint

VOC-Free Paint

We know that zero-VOC is a legal term and does not always mean it really has no VOCs (chemically).

Keep in mind there are products that are higher in VOCs that will “flash off” and cure quickly, while other low-VOC, or even zero-VOC, formulations can take longer to cure.

Exempt VOCs, meaning those that are not counted in that term legally, include ammonia and acetone.

Other Chemicals of Concern: APEs

Apart from VOCs, alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEs), which are surfactants used in acrylic paints, can disrupt the hormone system. Latex paints that are free of APEs include: Benjamin Moore (AURA, Regal Select, ben, Eco Spec and Ultra Spec) Sherwin-Williams (Emerald, SuperPaint), ECOS Paints, AFM Safecoat, Mythic Paint, all Home Depot’s interior latex paints, Farrow and Ball, Auro, Graphenstone, Kiem, and more.

Preservatives & Mildewcide

Just about all paints except powdered milk paint have preservatives. A few brands in the post disclose which ones they use. With others, we can only guess based on the list of commonly used preservatives/mildewcides. While preservatives are such a minor concern, paints marked as mold resistant or kitchen and bath formulas can contain much greater amounts of mildewcides/fungicides.

Chemical Sensitivities

Those who are chemically sensitive should test multiple brands for tolerance after looking through the ingredients and reviewing what works best for the most severely sensitive folks.

In my view, a truly eco-friendly paint is zero-VOC at two weeks’ time but is also ideally low VOC and low odor when wet.

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Non-Toxic Shelf and Drawer Liners

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In a healthy home, I personally would not consider shelf and drawer liners made of PVC, including fabric backed with PVC, or paper coated in PVC, rubber (which is high in VOCs), or cork (which is pressed together with a polyurethane adhesive which offgasses as well).

I consider EVA, polyethylene, and polypropylene to be safe eco-friendly plastics, especially for this application.

Other non-toxic or natural options include paper, fabric, acrylic coated wallpaper, and wood veneer.

The following options are made for shelves, drawers (kitchen and other rooms), dressers, and wire carts. Some can be used in the refrigerator.

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Choosing a Non-Toxic Engineered Wood Floor

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The most common type of engineered wood is a flooring with a real wood layer on top and an engineered wood layer as the base.

There are three types of construction and two main finishes to consider when choosing this type of non-toxic engineered wood floor.

When looking for a zero-VOC, healthy engineered wood floor, the most important part is the construction type. The lowest VOC types are those with a plywood base or solid slate base. The lowest offgasing finishes are the UV cured water-based finishes.

Certifications like GreenGuard Gold don’t matter to me here because the highest offgassing engineered wood can meet this level. The lowest offgassing options are zero-VOC.

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7 Completely Natural Wood Floor Finishes

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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 very durable.
  3. Shellac is a natural wax mixed with 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.

Natural finishes don’t look like your typical polyurethane coating. 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 topcoat over it you are not going to be able to get white floors with all-natural products.

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