Mar

3

Hidden Filth & PVC in Bath Toys

Filed Under PVC Free, Toy Safety | 17 Comments

I’ve been watching this weeks series of “expose” reports concerning Hidden Filth on the Today Show this week.  Today they discussed the filth lurking in children’s bath toys.  My purpose for reporting it is two fold.  First, I knew bath toys could harbor mold which is why I try to air dry the kids toys each night.  However I was nicely ignorant to just how gross they could possibly be.  A group of mothers surrendered their kids bath toys to the Today Show for testing and what they found was frightening.  Fecal matter (alarming levels), staph and e. coli bacteria in just about every single toy.  The worst offenders were bath squirties or toys with holes that allow water to get trapped inside. If you watch the report, the scientist splits open a toy shark to reveal a hot bed of black bacteria and mold.

How does it get there?

The bath water you bathed the child in has become a “bacteria soup” they called it which the toys marinate in.  Additionally, since the tub is usually situated near the toilet, flushing can spread germs, bacterial and fecal matter as far as 20 feet. (I don’t even want to think about what that’s doing to toothbrushes).

What do I do?

  • Air dry bath toys after each use, preferably somewhere away from the family toilet. A closet would be a good spot.
  • Periodically run them through the dishwasher or hand wash them with soap and clean water (not bath water)
  • Avoid toys with holes in them (like bath squirties) and if you do have bath squirties beware that they can be gross inside.  In the past I have held them up to a light to see if anything was growing in there but when in doubt, chuck them or recycle.

About Bath Squirties and Bath Toys

During the report, they showed kids in the tub gnawing on bath squirties and toys that were all clearly made of PVC which is a really toxic type of plastic.  It pained me! To me that’s worse than some exposure to e. coli.  The reporter also replaced the confiscated bath toys with a big PVC duckie.  PVC can and often contains Phthalates (which softens the plastic to make it squishy), and chlorine.. not to mention the incredible strain on the environment it causes to create it.  You know that “shower curtain smell”?  That’s you inhaling the off gassing plastic and phthalates.

Instead of choosing toxic PVC bath squirties and ducks, I recommend the Boon Bath Toys that are just as good, if not way cooler and more fun:

Boon Odd Ducks – They come in 4 shapes and fun colors, are PVC Free and have no holes where water can get trapped inside (I like Squish.. he’s cute, but we also have Bob and Slim who make a regular appearance in our tub)

Boon Scrubble Interchangeable Bath Toy Scrub Set – These squirties all come apart and you can run them through the dishwasher… they’re PVC free and my kids love them.  Boon also makes a ring toss called Boon Splat Floating Ring Toy and a Water Bugs Floating Toys set that are good fun.  We have all of those too, haha!

There are other PVC free bath toys but many have holes in them, making cleaning tough to do, or are made from a badly off-gassing foam (think foam letters) so I really prefer the Boon Toys over many others (so do my kids). If you have any PVC free bath toys you love that are not Boon, please let me know about them in the comments!

Note: Boon did not pay me to say this… I purchased all my Boon bath toys from The Soft Landing and genuinely like them!

Feb

11

Cheat Sheet: Natural Toothpaste & BPA Free Toothbrushes For Kids

Filed Under ** Cheat Sheets!, Bisphenol-A, PVC Free, Product Safety | 12 Comments

We get a lot of questions about toothpaste and fluoride and “my Dentist says my son needs fluoride drops”  here and I am still kind of wishy washy about fluoride.  Especially after having read the great articles on SAFBaby regarding Fluoride… it really makes you wonder whether it’s the best thing.  Whether you are anti or pro fluoride, you might also be concerned with the other ingredients in toothpaste such as: sodium lauryl sulfate, parabens, artificial colors, and triclosan. Here’s a quickie Cheat Sheet based on the natural toothpastes for kids we have tried or know of that are free of the ingredients in question. I figured a new list of BPA Free toothbrushes was appropriate too.

Last updated: March 13, 2010

Natural Toothpastes

  • Weleda Tooth Gel (Fluoride Free) – Skin Deep Rating: 3
  • Kiss My Face Kids Toothpaste (Fluoride and Fluoride Free): Sweetened with Stevia – Skin Deep Rating: 3 (w/ Fluoride: 4)
  • Toms of Maine (Fluoride and Fluoride Free): NOTE: The only caveat with this one is that it  contains sodium lauryl sulfate so if that’s a problem for you skip it and try one of the other brands. – Skin Deep Rating: 3 (w/ Fluoride: 4)
  • Burt’s Bees Kids Toothpaste (Fluoride and Fluoride Free) – Skin Deep Rating: 1 (old formulation)
  • Green Beaver Natural Toothpaste (Fluoride Free) – Skin Deep Rating: 2
  • Jason Natural Cosmetics Orange Kids Only Toothpaste: (Fluoride and Fluoride Free)  Certified organic, wheat and gluten free – Skin Deep Rating: N/A
  • Natural Dentist (Fluoride and Fluoride Free) – Skin Deep: 4 – They only have a rating for the kids toothpaste with Fluoride

(Note: It was just pointed out to me that some aluminum toothpaste tubes may contain BPA so depending on whether recyclable vs possible traces of BPA is your concern, you can make that call.

Make Your Own

Our friends at LuSa Organics (they make awesome soaps and body care… I live for their body scrubs) posted a great blog post and tutorial for making your own toothpaste.  Check it out:

LuSa Organics Homemade Toothpaste

  • 2 tsp Natural Liquid Soap (try unscented Dr. Bronner’s or similar)
  • 4 Tb Coconut Oil
  • 1 Tb Water
  • 2 Tb Xylitol (optional)
  • 1/2 tsp Stevia powder
  • 10-20 drops Peppermint Essential Oil
  • 5-10 drops Spearmint or Sweet Orange Essential Oil

Boil a small pan of water. Measure out 1 Tb and stir into it Xylitol (optional). Stir to dissolve. Melt coconut oil and add to water mixture. Measure in soap and stevia and blend (a stick blender works well if you have one. Otherwise use your regular blender or whisk by hand like mad).  Blend while the formula cools enough to stay combined. Add essential oils and transfer to a clean squeeze or pump bottle. Cool completely, shake well.

Read their full post here… make sure to also check out their skincare items…. Looooove!

BPA / PVC / Phthalate Free Toothbrushes

Here’s a quick list of the toothbrushes we know of that are BPA and PVC free from our previous search for safer toothbrushes, FAQ: What’s In My Toddlers Toothbrush, along with a couple new ones.

I *JUST* stumbled onto The Soft Landing’s safer toothbrush finds in their blog. (I should have known Alicia would be on top of this one!)  She says the following are all BPA/PVC/Phthalate Free too:

Nov

10

Dear SafeMama: What’s TPR and Is It Safe? Answer from The Soft Landing!

Filed Under Dear SafeMama, PVC Free, Product Safety | Comments Off

dear safemamaQuestion: Do you know the identity of the soft, non-skid “rubbery” parts that are often included on Sassy or Munchkin products? These seem a lot like PVC to me, but might be silicone. I know they are BPA free and SAY they are PVC free, but then what exactly is the material and is it safe?

Answer: It’s a pain not knowing what’s what, so we reached out to our favorite expert Alicia from The Soft Landing to get the skinny on this mystery material so often found on baby toys and teethers. She knew exactly what it was of course! Here’s what she had to say:

“While PVC is sometimes used in various parts of teethers, the dense “rubbery” areas on teethers (and even non-skid bowls and such) are usually made from either silicone or thermoplasticized rubber (TPR).  TPR is a great choice because it doesn’t require the use of BPA and is made without PVC (and thus phthalates).  Thermos uses it for their Foogo sippy spouts.  PVC is typically found in hollow, squeeky bath toys or dense, plastic baby dolls with a harder feel (less rubbery) and is hardly ever used in eating gear.  Silicone and TPR are both usually BPA-free, because they simply don’t require the use of a hardening/strengthening agent like polycarbonate plastic does.

If a manufacturer goes the extra trouble of actually labeling a product as BPA or PVC-free, you can usually assume that it’s true.  They are not required by law to label their products with materials used (or not used in some cases), so if they do, they are laying their reputation on the line.”

Thanks Alicia!  As always, if you’re ever in doubt about a product or material… do your shopping at The Soft Landing. There you are sure to get non-toxic safe feeding and baby gear.  Be sure to check out her great holiday specials too!  Alicia also runs the The Soft Landing Blog where you can find great information on a bevy of other children’s feeding and toy gear… check it out!

Aug

18

Review: Spa Baby Bathing Tub

Filed Under PVC Free, Product Reviews, Product Safety, product finds | 3 Comments

spababyWith my new addition to the family I’ve been reconsidering a lot of things I used the first time around, including our baby tub.  I had a basic blue baby tub with the infant sling attachment and my son always screamed through baths as a little baby.  Only did he start liking being bathed when I put him in a bigger tub with more water.  I’ve since recycled my old baby tub to someone else who needed one so when I went looking for a new tub I wanted something better.

I discovered Spa Baby in one of my late night Internet searches and was in awe of this genius idea.  The Spa Baby tub is basically a European style bathing tub that allows the baby to sit in an upright position as opposed to laying down so the baby is somewhat submerged up to their shoulders.  This keeps the baby warm and comfy, whereas in traditional tubs the baby is wet and can get cold easier -hence all that crying!

You can set the tub on a low flat surface, or in a regular tub – anywhere safe and sturdy so you can bathe and rinse easily.  The nice part about this is it’s made of #5 plastic (is totally recyclable once you’re done with it) and doesn’t contain anything like BPA, PVC, phthalates, lead or flame retardant foam inserts or slings.  The tub is much larger than I imagined and can fit a baby up to 6+ months old.  You could also use this later to keep toys (in or out of the tub) organized, or use it to store extra towels in the bathroom when baby gets too big for it.

I’m really quite smitten with this tub and I think it would make a great baby shower gift for that mom-to-be.   I always seem to struggle finding a unique gift and this is definitely perfect for that.  I gave it a go and I have to admit, there is a bit of a learning curve with this tub as I felt pretty awkward and nervous about using it with a newborn who can’t hold his head up.  He wasn’t too happy about it but I think it was mostly because it was one of his first bath experiences and he felt my awkwardness.  With a little practice this is a great tub, although I think I’ll wait until he’s a little bit bigger before I try it again.  Once you get yourself comfortable with this tub I think it would be a great alternative. 

Get A Spa Baby: You can purchase Spa Baby tubs on their website SpaBabyTubs.com!

Aug

3

Bumkins Dr Suess Waterproof Aprons

Filed Under PVC Free, Product Reviews | 16 Comments

apronIt’s already “back to school” time for many, especially those of us who have kids starting back in mid-August so school supplies and school items are coming to the forefront.   So the people at Bumkins are doing a great Back to School Blog Tour and giveaway that we’re happy to be taking part in.  Bumkins sent us a Dr Seuss Apron to test run and we certainly did.  I’ve given their products a thumbs up in the past and this didn’t disappoint either.  Aprons and art smocks are something I’ve needed for a million different things… painting projects, clay work, cooking, baking, the messy stuff that kids get into on a day to day basis, as well as at school!  My little man loves to help me bake and make messes so we tried it out on a vanilla cake recipe.

Bumkins aprons are made of the same waterproof material as their bibs (which many of you wrote in to tell us you loved as much as we did).  The apron fit my 3 1/2 year old perfectly and has a nice pinch adjuster on the neck piece so you aren’t stuck tying the strings to fit.  Their proprietary waterproof fabric is PVC, Vinyl, BPA, Phthalate free and is totally machine washable.  They wash up great and look good as new after abuse.  They’re made for kids 6 and up but this fit my average sized 3 year old just fine.

Win! The kind folks at Bumkins are also giving away $35 gift certificates to 5 lucky people.  All you have to do is comment on their blog or on any of the blogs (including this one) in their Back to School Blog Tour to enter!  Go check it out or visit their website at Bumkins.com

Jul

12

Waterproof Mattress Covers without the Vinyl

Filed Under PVC Free, product finds | Comments Off

aller-easeThis will probably be my last post for a short time – baby comes on Monday so I’ll be laid up for a bit.  But before I go, I wanted to post this last thing because I’ve gotten the question a few times and I had this own challenge myself.  My 3 1/2 year old graduated to a real big bed, twin style!  And while I went through lengths to make sure he had the safest everything – wood bed that wasn’t off gassing, organic mattress, and I even went so far as Dr. Suess organic sheets.  But then there’s the problem of leaking and accidents with little kids.  Even though the mattress has some great waterpoofing to it – I wanted some added protection to help me avoid a lot of washing.  After all the effort I spent on making him a safe sleep environment I didn’t want to cover his organic mattress with a piece of vinyl.  Kind of defeats the point, no?

So I went on another hunt to find a mattress protector that wasn’t vinyl.  Easier said than done but on a whim I tried a few super stores to see what they had and what I was up against.  Vinyl, vinyl everywhere!  But I hit the jackpot.

A company called AllerEase makes mattress and pillow protection made entirely of polypropylene and polyethylene plastic, weaved in a manner that it is thin and has a soft material feel like those reusable bags at grocery stores.  It fits the mattress well and has helped us avoid some major “wet” incidents so far so I can attest to its waterproof ability.  I feel better knowing there is no vinyl between my son and his bed.  Plus it wasn’t a fortune..I think I spent a total of $23 on a twin cover.

Where Do I Find It?  I found mine in WalMart of all places and according to AllerEase’s website they sell them at Target, KMart, Bed Bath and Beyond, Kohl’s and Sears (although I checked almost all those places and only found it at WalMart… the other stores I looked in only had vinyl but perhaps its regional).  You can also order them online at Amazon.com and a few other retailers.

Jun

5

Dear SafeMama: Summer Series – Baby Pools

Filed Under Dear SafeMama, PVC Free | 1 Comment

dear safemamaQ: Do you know of any baby/wading pools that are safe from phthalates/pvc/bpa? I really want to get one for play at home with my 9 month old but am concerned they will leach chemicals. Thanks.

I get this question a lot and really wish I had a better answer.  Hopefully in the next few years there will be better options available but for now we’re pretty limited when it comes to water toys and the use of vinyl or PVC.  Most mainstream blow up style pools are made with vinyl because of its water resistant nature and its ability (through the use of phthalates) to be flexible.  Same with beach balls, slip n slides and all those fun outdoor water toys.  I’ll admit all those vinyl pools look like a LOT more fun, but if you’re worried about using PVC then unfortunately there aren’t a ton of options in this area but I have but one answer for right now:

Molded Pools. From what I’ve gathered, the majority of molded kid pools are made of HDPE (High Density Polyethylene or #4 on the recycling scale).  These are available many times out front at the grocery store.  You’ve seen them propped up by the door sometimes in 2 sizes with weird fish all over them.  Toys R Us carries a couple molded pools made of #4 plastic as well.

Many of the molded pools I’ve found have a recycling mark on them somewhere but I have seen some that were not marked with recycling codes.  However my best guess is that most molded pools are not made of PVC.  (But don’t quote me on that – there is always the exception).  If anyone has ideas I’m happy to add reader feedback!

May

19

Review: Bumkins Dr. Seuss SuperBibs

Filed Under PVC Free, Product Reviews | 5 Comments

bumkinsI have friends and family who have been using Bumkins SuperBibs for years.  Only until I won a cool giveaway from Bumkins did I get the chance to try them out.  Bumkins bibs are made in the USA  with a soft waterproof fabric.  They are in fact soft like they claim and have a “catcher” at the bottom which I think every good bib should have.  Even my 3 year old gets food in his catcher often if not every time.

I have always used Bjorn bibs but one of the problems with those is the lack of portability.  With Bumbkins, since they’re just a soft piece of fabric you can roll them up and stick them in any bag when you’re on the road, out to eat, at Gramma’s.. whatever.  They fit easily anywhere and that’s where my adoration for these developed.   They are also wide enough to provide good coverage.  I always thought traditional bibs were too small to be effective and Bumbkins seem to cover allthe right spots.

They come in  lots of fun colors and I really dig the Dr. Seuss line!  Bumkins bibs are free of vinyl, PVC, phthalates and BPA of course and you can throw them in the wash with the rest of your laundry. The nice part is these are readily available at most baby super stores, as well as online so finding them is pretty easy.

Get some: You can also order the Bumkins SuperBib on their website Bumkins.com!  A 3 pack goes for $19.95  – $21.45 – Or you can get them at TheSoftLanding.com for $8.00 each.  Use our coupon code SF-10 to get 10%  off your order.

Mar

31

Review: New Boon Bath Toys

Filed Under PVC Free, Phthalates Info, Product Reviews, Toy Safety | Comments Off

boon bath toysI recently got my hands on all of the new Boon Bath Toys for my son.  Our bath toy collection had drastically dwindled last year when I learned about PVC and Phthalates and promptly pitched everything we had.  Bye bye bath squirties.  Then, light shone down on me when I entered a giveaway at The Soft Landing (hey I like to win things too!) and I was totally giddy.

To start, these bath toys are totally cute, are BPA, PVC and Phthalate Free so you can be confident that your little one isn’t chewing on some off-gassing toxic piece of junk.  They’re done in the bright colors we’re used to from Boon products and I have to say, I even had a great time with them.

The Boon Scrubble Squirties are adorable (and also double as a good “car wash” if you have boys) and my favorite part is they unscrew so not only can you refill them quick, you can clean them.  Traditional bath squirters tend to get moldy and end up in the garbage since there is no real easy way to get them clean.  These wash up easy and you can mix and match them.

boonsplatBoon Splat Bath Toy works like a good old simple ring toss. The blue Splat floats on the water and my son and I take turns trying to get the rings on the peg.  He thinks its hilarious.  And of course the Boon Water Bugs Bath Toy is my favorite.  The little bugs float on the water and you can scoop them (or other things) up with the little net.  Overall good bath time fun!  When they get a little grimy you can run them through the dishwasher on the top rack and they’re good as new so these will last a long time.  Good job Boon!

Get Boon Bath Toys: Pick up any of the three Boon Bath Toy sets at The Soft Landing, and don’t forget to use our SafeMama coupon code “SF-10” for 10% off your order.

Mar

30

April Showers Bring PVC Free Rain Gear

Filed Under Green Mama, PVC Free, Product Safety | Comments Off

We got an email from a reader last week asking about rain gear.  I thought writing something up about it now at the beginning of Spring would be an appropriate time.  Traditionally, raincoats and hats are made with a PVC outer shell.   We try to avoid PVC for a multitude of reasons.

Dioxins: PVC or polyvinyl chloride (also referred to as vinyl) is one of the most toxic plastics made.  When created or burned, it releases dioxins which are some of the most dangerous synthetic chemicals out there.  They can cause cancer and harm the immune and reproductive system. It also may never stop off-gassing… ew.

Mercury & Phthalates: We are contaminated with chemicals released during a piece of PVC’s life including mercury, dioxins, and phthalates.   PVC is almost always made using phthalates to make it soft and flexible.  We avoid phthalates for some of the same reasons (reproductive health risks, potentially carcinogenic & hormone mimicking).

Environmental Bummer: PVC cannot be recycled.  In fact if one PVC container gets mixed into a batch of other plastics during recycling,  it makes that whole recycled effort a complete waste.   Producing PVC in plants has contaminated the air and ground water in surrounding areas with dioxins, which are dangerous to people and animals.

So What To Do?

I’ve looked around and found a few alternatives I think are better choices.  It seems to be the normal alternative for companies to use fabric coated with Polyurethane rather than PVC.  The reader who wrote in and I looked for the next step above that and came up empty handed.

In some situations, you don’t even need rain gear.  I’ve never bought my son a raincoat and we’ve survived on a simple windbreaker.  But if you live in really wet areas or need rain gear for a specific reason here are the ones we found that would be a safer choice.

puddlegearPuddleGear: This company has been around for a long time but was more recently taken over by a husband and wife team who really believe in the product.  All their rain gear is totally PVC and Phthalate Free and instead coated with ATEK – a Polyurethane-coated stretch fabric.  It’s a very light, soft, tear-resistant material and is wind and watertight. I had a chance to ask them about their Polyurethane coating,  they put me at ease:

“…when this particular Polyurethane is in its fully expanded state it is an “inert chemical”  meaning that it has no off gassing left to do.  Atek is fully expanded- and tested to be free of over 100 harmful chemicals.

Not all Polyurethane is PVC or Phthalate free- some who don’t heat seal their seams use PVC to make them waterproof…and Phthalates make the PVC soft.  Polyurethane is also a controlled application  when you make it so its not leached into the ground water like PVC plastics.

PuddleGear also gets certified by Öko-Tex – an organization that tests materials for over 100 harmful chemicals.  PuddleGear has jackets, pants, mitts and hats in sizes ranging from 6 Months to 9 years.  Order from their website PuddleGear.com.  Rain Jackets range from $50-$60 but are virtually indestructible and last forever.

  • aliengearAlien Kids RainCoat – PVC Free raincoats, cotton lined with a polyurethane shell.  You can find these at Hatley Stores on line and retail for about $40  These PVC Free raincoats come in a few different cute designs (I love the spaceships)and come in a range of kids sizes.  Find them at HatleyStores.com
  • llbeanLandsEnd Big/Little/Toddler Kids Solid Rain Slicker – Polyester-backed polyurethane shell fabric that’s more flexible than the usual PVC kind. Of course, it’s every bit as waterproof, with sealed seams to prevent leaks., cotton lined with a polyurethane shell. It’s unclear to us as to whether this is totally PVC Free based on what we learned from the folks at PuddleGear.  They retail for about $36.
  • landsendLL Bean Discovery Rain Jacket – For something a little less heavy duty LL Bean’s Rain Jackets might do the trick. These fleece lined jackets are covered with a waterproof nylon shell.  They are wind and rain resistant, as well as have reflective safety details.  LL Bean assures me that they seal the seams with nylon tape that is Polyurethane coated..jackets retail around $37.   Totally PVC Free.
  • ruggedbearRugged Bear Kids Pulyurethane Raincoats – These raincoats are polyester/cotton lined with soft polyurethane shell that is waterproof & windproof.  They heat seal the seams for additional waterproofing.  These are a bit more affordable than some other options retailing at around$20.

What About Boots?

bootsMost of the rain boots I’ve looked are made of rubber, but I have seen some made of PVC so make sure to read the materials before buying.  Rugged Bear carries a line of cute kids rain boots by FireChief made of natural rubber with a cotton lining, in bright fun colors for girls and boys.   They retail for about $18.   Check them out at Rugged Bear.

Healthy Child Healthy World has an article about this now as well, with some other alternatives to pick from.  Check out their article on their blog at Healthy Child Healthy World.

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