My Chemical-Free House
A Guide to Creating a Healthy Home
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 …
This is a look into non-toxic 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 (MCS) as well …
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 best non-toxic and affordable mattresses and mattress alternatives for the chemically sensitive. Chemical-free bedding, and bed frames are included.
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 …
This is a collection of pillows, sheets and blankets that are well-liked by the chemically sensitive. The list was gathered over the last decade of being in community with chemically sensitive folks as well as being chemically sensitive myself and trying out some of the options.
This post covers bed frame options for the chemically sensitive. Metal and metal finishes, solid wood and laminated wood.
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 …
Non-toxic, 0 VOC paints and sealers: natural oil finishes, wood stains, mineral paints, interior and exterior paints, stone sealers and sealers that block VOCs. All green, healthy and safe for the chemically sensitive.
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 …
Here are the most common certifications for assessing a product’s effect on indoor air quality and what these labels really tell us about the offgassing and toxicity of the products. GreenGuard and GreenGuard Gold Certifications GreenGuard has two levels of certification that measure VOC levels in products. GreenGuard allows – 500 μg/m3 total VOCs. GreenGuard Gold …
This is a list of non-toxic eco-friendly desks and office chairs by type and material. For healthy desks there are a number of options:
The Least Toxic Wood Varnish? I tested all of the “eco” or, healthy low-VOC, floor finishes. I was looking first at the odor and VOC levels as the main comparison point for those sensitive to chemicals. I take a look at the ingredients and claims, but that can only tell us so much. I also …
My search for truly safe leather furniture started out a little more optimistically then it ended. However, there are a few great options out there. The only leather I can fully endorse as eco-friendly is chrome-free vegetable-dyed leather. This is made without the toxic metals and other harmful chemicals used in conventional leather. The second …
