My Chemical-Free House

A Guide to Creating a Healthy Home

healthy furnishings

What are Non-Fluorinated Stain Guard Chemicals?

by 1 Comment

Fabrics, especially those for furniture, and carpets are typically treated for soil, stain, and water resistance with per and poly fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Scotchguard is one well-known brand.

But many people have health concerns and environmental concerns with these “forever chemicals”.

Some companies make stain-resistant upholstery fabrics and carpets that are free of PFAS, but they do not list which chemicals they have used to replace them.

A review of the literature shows that non-fluorinated stain guard treatments are most likely acrylic, polyurethane, or silicone-based coatings.

[Read more…] about What are Non-Fluorinated Stain Guard Chemicals?

Non-Toxic Furniture for the Bedroom, Living Room & Dining Room

by 10 Comments

I also take a deep dive into furniture, starting with the specialty brands – those are mostly high-quality solid wood options with zero-VOC finishes.

Then on to simple and affordable furniture made of non-toxic materials like glass, hard plastic, metal, and seagrass.

This post was originally written for those highly sensitive to chemicals as well as those very sensitive to dust and mold.

[Read more…] about Non-Toxic Furniture for the Bedroom, Living Room & Dining Room

Durable Natural Finishes for Tables & Desks

by Leave a Comment

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.

There are two ways to go, the all-natural route with drying oils, finished with a wax for extra durability, or with a non-toxic water-based polyurethane. Both options are food safe, relatively durable, but differ in their application, odors, offgassing, and maintenance.

[Read more…] about Durable Natural Finishes for Tables & Desks

Mattresses for the Chemically Sensitive | A Complete Guide for 2022

by 159 Comments

Updated Winter 2021/2022

This post started out with my journey to find the best mattress that suited my own extreme sensitivities. There are so many more options now. Still, many I don’t think are good enough.

We will look at my top picks for the best healthy spring mattresses (no latex or polyurethane) with price comparison (2022), all wool mattresses, and other futons, and why I don’t use natural latex.

There is no all-around “best” mattress for those with sensitivities. Sensitive folks can have a hard time with any of the following main materials used: cotton, wool, hemp, natural latex, and polyurethane. You will have to find out which materials work for you.

The article includes a look at more unusual options for those who don’t do well with any of those main materials, or who just want something simple.

[Read more…] about Mattresses for the Chemically Sensitive | A Complete Guide for 2022

Non-Toxic Paint for Wood (Toys, Furniture, Floors)

by 11 Comments

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.

[Read more…] about Non-Toxic Paint for Wood (Toys, Furniture, Floors)

Low Odor Woods Used in Building and Furniture

by Leave a Comment

What Gives Wood its Odor?

The majority of the identified odorants in wood from one study were 1) fatty acid degradation products 2) terpenoic substances and 3) odorous substances resulting from the degradation of lignin. (Source)

1. Fatty acid degradation products (69% of the odor of wood!)

These include alkenals, ketones, alkylic acids and intramolecular esters.

Examples include pentanal, hexanal (grassy odors), octanal, nonanal, linalool (citrus-like odors), (E)-non-2-enal, (E,E)-nona-2,4-dienal (fatty odors), butanoic acid (cheese-like odors) and γ-octalactone, γ-nonalactone (coconut-like peach odors).

[Read more…] about Low Odor Woods Used in Building and Furniture

A Guide to Non-Toxic Sealers, Stains and Varnishes

by 245 Comments

This post is my overview post on sealers.

I’m starting with oil sealers for wood because these are the only totally pure and natural options. Natural waxes are sometimes used with oil finishes and so those follow.

But what about if you want to add a stain to the wood? Onto looking at both non-toxic water-based wood stains and natural oil stain finishes.

Then an overview of clear zero-VOC water-based wood varnishes – some of these are durable enough for floors and others are only for furniture or walls.

Cabinet paints are next. A notoriously difficult surface that needs a smooth and durable coating without added toxins or VOCs.

Another way of looking at sealers is not just as a protector against water and stains but to seal in an offending chemical or odor. An overview of those sealers is included.

[Read more…] about A Guide to Non-Toxic Sealers, Stains and Varnishes

How to Stain Pine (With Non-Toxic Products)

by 5 Comments

Pine is one of the most difficult woods to stain. It is not often stained because the wood does not take most stains evenly, and when it is done it’s not usually a DIY project!

To really provide a conventional-looking stained look on pine most woodworkers use a dye (not a stain), and likely an alcohol soluble one. There are then a few more steps to get the final look.

Here are some more DIY friendly and eco-friendly ways to stain, paint, seal and finish pine.

[Read more…] about How to Stain Pine (With Non-Toxic Products)