The most popular type of cushion filler today is polyurethane foam. Also known as “Polyfoam”, it has been the standard fill in most furniture since its wide scale introduction in the 1960’s because of its low cost (really cheap!). A staggering 2.1 billion pounds of flexible polyurethane foam is produced every year in the US …
So we have produced the frame and put in the suspension system. Next in line are the cushions – something soft to sit on. In an upholstered piece of furniture, the cushions need a filler of some kind. Before plastics, our grandparents used feathers, horsehair or wool or cotton batting. But with the advent of …
In my last post I explained that polyurethane foam (polyfoam) has a plethora of problems associated with it: The chemicals used to manufacture the foam have been formally identified as carcinogens; and the flame retardant chemicals added to almost all foams increase the chemical toxicity. These chemicals evaporate (VOCs) and pollute our indoor air and …
In an upholstered piece of furniture, the cushions need a filler of some kind. Before plastics, our grandparents used feathers, horsehair or wool or cotton batting. But with the advent of plastics, our lives changed. You will now commonly see polyurethane foam, synthetic or natural latex rubber and the new, highly touted soy based foam. …
In last week’s post I explained that polyurethane foam (polyfoam) has a plethora of problems associated with it: The chemicals used to manufacture the foam have been formally identified as carcinogens; and the flame retardant chemicals added to almost all foams increase the chemical toxicity. These chemicals evaporate (VOCs) and pollute our indoor air and …
To donate $10 (or more) to the Red Cross for Haitian relief efforts, text “Haiti” to 90999 OR Donate online at http://www.clintonfoundation.org/haitirelief to help provide immediate relief and long-term support to earthquake survivors. Text “HAITI” to 20222 and $10 will be donated to relief efforts, charged to your cell phone bill. Two weeks ago I …
A company that sells fabric on line has a post about why they don’t offer Oeko-Tex certification. Their post is woefully incorrect. We do not name the company, but call it FabricsellerA. Their post, titled, Why Oeko-Tex certification is NOT Relevant to American Made Fabrics, (the entirety of which you can read below at the end …
Why is it necessary to find a good mattress for your baby? For one thing, babies spend a lot of time sleeping. And there is evidence that your immune system works hardest at night, so it seems reasonable to make your sleep environment as clean as possible. A study done in 2014 by the University …
I get tired of always pointing out the bad chemicals that can do us harm, so I thought it might be fun to try to find if there is new research on flame retardants which may be on the market – and which don’t harm us or our planet! More than 175 flame retardant compounds …
We received this story from a reader, Stacey Skold, who is working on her PhD at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Her area of study is Human Sciences. With the birth of her daughter, she learned about the impact of chemicals on children and our world generally. She subsequently applied environmental education to her studies in …
OEcotextiles 