Try to Avoid the Auto Body Shop if You Have MCS

I have MCS (with touch sensitivity), and I was in a small car accident three to four months ago. The insurance company advised me to take my car to a body shop of my choosing. After being repaired, the car came back so toxic that I can no longer drive it. I actually dealt with two different body shops and they were both super toxic. Body shops use a lot of toxic chemicals.[See 1.] Auto body shops often use chemicals such as paint thinners, paint removers, solvents in refinish paints, and various other harmful chemicals.[See id.] I would have rather just lived with a dented fender than lose the car--I'll have to sell it and buy another one. In the future, I will try to avoid body shops if at all possible.

 

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[1] Brown, N. J. (1990). Health hazards manual for autobody shop workers. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University, Chemical Hazard Information Program. http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/manuals/7

Christmas Tree Skirts Are Toxic

We recently purchased a Christmas tree skirt and it made me ill to have it in the house. After that, we found two other Christmas tree skirts in our basement and those also made me feel sick. I believe that tree skirts had this effect on me because they are probably loaded with the toxic chemicals found in flame retardants. Some people even spray flame retardant on their Christmas trees. I don't want to "[h]ave a holly toxic Christmas this year," so we used a sheet to make a tree skirt. :)

Chairs for MCS

I have MCS and am sensitive to chemicals to the touch. I really appreciate being able to use chairs that I can put in the dishwasher. I came across shower chairs a while back. The one I have can be easily taken apart and placed in the dishwasher, thus removing the chemicals. Here is a link to some products I was looking at on amazon: http://amzn.to/2ftgcWr. Also, I purchased an Ez2care Adjustable Lightweight Shower Bench and it has worked out well.

Seat Protectors for the Chemical Sensitive

Seat protectors can be highly beneficial for those with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity who have skin sensitivities to chemicals. A seat protector can be placed over the seat and back of a chair that has chemicals on it. Based on my experience, a good seat protector:

1. Is impermeable to chemicals (cloth is generally quite permeable)
2. Can fit in the dishwasher to remove chemicals by washing (if I remove the top rack of my dishwasher it will hold even my largest seat protectors)
3. Is relatively lightweight
4. Is not metal (if it needs to pass through metal detectors)
5. Is not too uncomfortable
6. Does not look too weird, and is relatively discrete
7. Does not present a danger with sharp edges or corners

Based on the above criteria, my preferred seat protectors are made from polycarbonate, which I ordered from TAP plastics (www.tapplastics.com). I measured the dimensions of the chairs and car seats that I wanted seat protectors for and submitted those measurements on the order form page. Here are the other dimensions of my seat protectors:

Thickness: 1/8 (.118) inches
Rounded Corners: 1 inches radius cornering
Color: Clear

TAP plastics also will cut to size other types of plastic sheets, including acrylic, but I haven't tried anything other than polycarbonate. The one criteria above that polycarbonate is not great for is comfort, but I just add a folded towel for padding and it is fine.

Good luck!

Sensitive to Soap? Try Washing Your Hands With Clay

I became sensitive to many (or perhaps all) kinds of soap some months ago. Since then, I have searched for alternatives to soap. I have bee using Cetaphil, a non-soap cleanser, Aveeno, a soap-free bar, and various types of clay. The clay seems more effective at removing chemicals than any kind of soap I have tried, perhaps because the clay absorbs the solvents and other chemicals. The clays I have tried include bentonite, red, kaolin, green, and some others. I have not tried Rhassoul clay but some people use that as soap. I have made most of my purchases from Amazon and recently tried Bulk Apothecary, which has good prices on some types of clay. Clay is pretty expensive, but I really needed something to wash my hands with. I received a product recall notice from Amazon on one of the bentonite clay products I had ordered because the product had high amounts of lead, so that may be something to watch out for in clay. 

Movie Review--Homesick: Living with Multiple Chemical Sensitivities 2013

Homesick: Living with Multiple Chemical Sensitivities 2013 [NR]

I recently watched this movie online through Amazon. It cost $1.99 to rent and was 56 minutes.



"Imagine your home is making you dangerously sick. You could be one of the millions suffering from Multiple Chemical Sensitivities (MCS). Susan Abod hits the road to discover how people with MCS are able to find safe housing. Join Susan as she discovers how people are coping with this 21st century illness." (Amazon.com product description)

This video primarily covers a narrow but important issue for those with multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS): finding safe housing. The documentary was well done and truly evokes compassion for those unable to find suitable housing because of MCS. This video could provide some ideas for housing options for those with extreme MCS. In the video, Susan Abod (who has MCS), and her camera person, go on a roadtrip in the Southwest of the United States and interview various individuals with MCS in Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona.

Beware of the Mortuary if you are Chemically Sensitive

I am chemically sensitive and have had problems on various occasions with the mortuary and also with people who work at the mortuary and funeral homes. Once a salesman from a funeral home came inside my home and I could immediately feel the chemicals on him. I suspect that it is the chemicals in the embalming fluid that are making me sick. There are various chemicals in embalming fluid, including solvents and formaldehyde.[1] I know that I am extremely sensitive to some solvents so it could be the solvents that are making me sick. It could also be the formaldehyde. "Formaldehyde is highly toxic to all animals, and is 'known to be a human carcinogen'. It is implicated in cancer, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, disorders of the nervous system, and other ailments."[2] Embalming fluid would be easily spread to anyone who touches a body that has been embalmed, and from that person's hands to anything that person touches. The volatile organic compounds and other chemicals in embalming fluid can also be transmitted through the air and can be felt by those who are sensitive to those compounds.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embalming_chemicals
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_burial

Nasal Filters for Chemical Sensitivity

I recently purchased some carbon nasal (or nose) filters to see if they would be effective in reducing the symptoms of chemical sensitivity. The nasal filters actually go inside the nose and are much more discrete than a carbon facemask. The filters themselves seem pretty free of chemicals. If anyone has tried these, feel free to leave a comment on whether they seem effective at filtering chemicals.

I purchased mine from ebay but there are other websites that sell similar products:
http://gadgetsgo.com/Nose-Filter-Spray-Tanning-Pollen-Smoke-Pollution.html
http://www.shop.breathecleanerair.org/category.sc?categoryId=2
http://www.nosefilters.com/Product_Page.html

Washable Men's Dress Clothing for the Chemically Sensitive

It is often difficult for individuals with chemically sensitivity to find clothing they can tolerate. And it is important to find clothing that can be washed so that any chemicals can be washed off. Dry cleaning generally entails the use of toxic solvents and is not an option for many with chemical sensitivity. I recently found washable versions of two items that generally are not washable:

Washable men’s suits:

I have purchased three washable men’s suits from Marks and Spencer in the UK. I live in the US but they will ship internationally to many countries. The suits are very reasonably priced and are wearable for me (the chemicals are not too strong). The shipping was surprisingly fast.

Washable men’s ties:

Haggar now makes a line of washable men’s ties. I have purchased five and at least two did not have a problem with chemicals on them. However at least one of the other ties was toxic with solvents and I think it was a blue one. I purchased them from Amazon.com.

Chemical Protection for the Car

For those who are chemically sensitive to the touch, it can be crucial to keep one’s automobile relatively free of chemicals such as solvents and pesticides. In the past, pesticide contaminated two different vehicles we owned to the point that I could no longer drive them. Now, I take various precautions with my car:

Gloves

I might go somewhere and pick up chemical residues at the store or shaking hands with someone. When I come back to my car, I put on layered disposable gloves (five polyethelene food service gloves and one nitrile glove per hand) so that I do not spread chemicals from my hands to the steering wheel and other parts of the car. See my blog post here on disposable gloves.

Seat Protectors

I sometimes pick up strong chemicals on my clothes if I sit on a chair with chemical residues. I use seat protectors (a piece of plastic or other relatively hard material) so that I do not contaminate the seat of the car. I can just put the seat protectors in the dishwasher if they get chemicals on them. Towels can work as seat protectors as well but I prefer the harder material because some chemicals on the seat can go right through a towel but generally not through a thick piece of hard plastic.

Containers for Items

I often put groceries and other items into plastic or metal containers, such as a Granite Ware stockpot (see post here) or a plastic bin. That way, if there are chemicals on the items, they will not spread to the seat of the car. I use containers that are barely small enough to fit in our dishwasher so that I can wash them if they acquire chemical residues.

Steering Wheel Protectors
There are disposable plastic steering wheel protectors that one can buy. I haven’t tried this, but that might be a good idea when you need to take your car to the shop. I just wrapped my steering wheel with aluminum foil with duct tape on the outside. If my steering wheel gets very strong chemicals on it, I will just remove the foil and tape.

The back of my car has some extremely strong chemicals on it so I covered it with sheet metal: