While we're waiting on the social worker to contact us to get the ball rolling in terms of the Early Intervention program and ABA therapy and all that, I've been doing a bit of research and looking around at things I can do to mitigate any roll the environment might have in all of this. One site that a dear friend has led me to is www.toxicnation.ca
They have a great list of the top 10 ways to detoxify. I'm slowing working my way through this information. It's going to take a lot of time and effort to make these changes, but I'm trying to make a start. High priority items include:
-trying to figure out if my Kitchen Aid cookware is toxic and needs replacing. If it does, I'll be going with stainless steel or cast iron.
-replacing all kitchen plastic (including mixing bowls, cooking utensils, etc...)
-replacing Jesse's bedding, including his mattress cover, sheets, and pillow. Replacing his mattress as well would be preferable, but an all natural mattress is PRICEY! We're talking $500-$1000. So I think I'm going to find some sort of organic cotton zippered mattress cover to go over it. I'm also going to try to find a used or low cost 100% wool blanket to felt and lanolinize as a waterproof cover for Jesse's mattress.
-buy organic cotton slip covers for our furniture
-getting rid of any toxic cleaners in the house. Right now I have some non-toxic and environmentally safe cleaners, but I think I'm going to try making my own as well.
-replacing our shower curtain. I want to buy a hemp shower curtain, as they're antimicrobial and have a tight enough weave to keep the water in. Again, they're pricey. I'll be searching for the best price one I can find. I'd rather not have to spend $100 for a single shower curtain.
I'm sure I'll think of more things I need to add to this list later. But this is it for today.
Amber, there are some other options for shower curtains that I found. PVC is a definite no-no, for sure. but there are 2 newer vinyls, PEVA and EVA, which are safer options and WAY more affordable than hemp, etc. You can find them online all over the place, anywhere from a few dollars to $25 or so. here is a website that briefly explains the differences in the PVC, PEVA, EVA, etc: www.healthybuuilding.net/pvc/SotingOutVinyls.html
ReplyDeleteOf course EVA and PEVA are still plastics products, so there is potential for them to have health effects that we just haven't discovered yet. But these are deemed to be safer alternatives to PVC now- no chlorine, no phthalates. We're trying to make changes in our household as well, and I know how expensive it is, and we just don't have the money to always make the best choices, as much as it kills me. This type of shower curtain may be a way to get rid of that toxic PVC one fast, and then plan to replace it in a few years with a hemp one as money becomes available.
Another use of PVC that scares the beejebes out of me- our stroller cover. Most stroller covers are made of PVC, which is completely stupid. We have a Phil & Teds stroller, and the box our rain cover came in said that it was made of PVC, so I contacted the company, and it turns out that the PVC they use in their covers is a higher grade PVC which is phthalate-free (though not, of course, chlorine free). There is no option for me to get a PVC-free rain cover for my stroller (it is the strangest shape) unless I bought an EVA/PEVA shower curtain and tried to sew one myself. But in my research I did come across a PVC-free shower curtain, and the site lists the strollers that it is compatible with. If you use a rain cover with your stroller, you should check this out: www.tryingtobegreener.wordpress.com/2008/11/07/a-pvc-free-stroller-rain-cover-finally-found/
love you,
andrea
I actually found a place that does all organic cotton stuff and I think we're going to go with organic cotton for our shower curtain instead. It's only about $50, so about half the cost of a hemp shower curtain. I have the link on my other blog www.theressnowplacelikehome.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteAnd we don't use a stroller cover, so I hadn't even really thought of that! Wow! I'm definitely going to track down the one we have for our Chicco and trash it.