Entertainment, Part Three: Shopping

Shopping used to be my number one form of entertainment and a reason to meet friends for relaxation and fun. It was more a form of therapy than a money-spending event with free advice shared by friends, salespeople and even other shoppers.  The saying, When the going gets tough, the tough get going was re-written to serve as our mantra: When the going gets tough, the tough go shopping.

"I'm feeling depressed."

"Let's go shopping!"

"I'm feeling fat."

"Let's go shopping!"

"I'm bored."

"Let's go shopping."

"I need a new pair of shoes."

"Let's go shopping."

"I need advice."

"Let's go shopping."

There was nothing more exciting that seeing the latest fashions, the beautiful fabrics, bright colors and patterns and sparkly accessories in a setting conducive to conversation and counseling. With others or alone, it was a cure-all and a mood booster for any situation.

With multiple chemical sensitivity, the mantra has changed to When the going gets tough, the tough probably WENT shopping!

Traditional shopping, or face-to-face people contact, is obviously problematic for many reasons. Salespeople stink. Shoppers stink. Merchandise stinks. Air fresheners stink. Cleaning products stink. These stink dangers are general to any type of store. In addition, isolating a large number of toxic products in one space can be extremely hazardous to a MCSer.

Besides general toxicity issues, stores specializing in specific types of merchandise will have associated risks. Listed below is a random selection of products that make shopping difficult for chemically sensitive people:

Clothing/Fabric New clothing or fabric is saturated with chemicals such as dyes, fire retardants, and anti-mildew treatments such as formaldehyde. The latest trend is to treat garments with perfume as a sales enhancement, but perfume also gets on the merchandise from  salespeople handling it and shoppers trying it on. There isn't much that can rival the toxicity of a Nordstrom department store with their perfume counters on the entrance floor and all their perfumed salespeople intermingling with smelly shoppers trying on chemically-treated clothing.

I rarely go clothing shopping, but when I do I go to stores that have excellent ventilation and shop during off hours when there are fewer customers. If I find merchandise I like, I buy in quantities so I don't have to shop often. Online shopping or ordering through catalogs are less-toxic options, but when it comes to clothes, I've never been comfortable buying something without seeing and touching it first. I have purchased clothing at yard sales or Goodwill thinking the toxic treatments have been washed off or off-gassed long enough only deal with the smelly laundry detergents used by the clothing's former owner, but after one or ten spins in the washing machine, even those smells may be eradicated. There are some organic clothing shops with online and catalog options, but I find these to be too expensive for my budget.

Furniture  In addition to chemicals used to treat the upholstery fabric, check the materials used to make the furniture. Plastics, polyurethane foam and plywood may cause health problems due to the off-gassing of these cheap, treated materials. Quality materials such as solid wood pose less risk, but be aware of surface treatments of paint, polish, wax or stains which may be hazardous as well.

I buy quality materials and products like wood, metal or glass from garage sales or get them free from Freecycle. Used furniture poses less risk, but I have had to put newly-purchased, used furniture out in my garage for some off-gassing time. I would love to get rid of my old furniture and replace it with some modern designs, but it's not worth the risk.

Blinds  I had plastic blinds in my house when I moved here. I considered replacing or adding more until I checked the manufacturer online. It seems fifteen years ago these blinds were almost recalled because the plastic is strengthened and bound with lead. In sunlight this lead disintegrates over time, dries, and forms a powder that is extremely deadly to children. They get it on their hands and put their hands in their mouths. This safety issue was within the minimum standards because the lead dust wouldn't kill an adult so it was decided not to recall the product. I guess kids aren't that important! I wondered why the blinds always felt gritty. It amazes me what we don't know about products we purchase.

Rugs I bought a rug made by Feizy Rugs at a store closing sale with all sales final. Before purchasing, I got my nose right down next to the wool pile and couldn't smell a thing. I also assumed wool is a natural fiber so it must be safe. As soon as I got it in the car I could smell it.  I expected with a new rug it would be treated so I'd do some fancy off-gassing tricks and it should be fine. Six months later after multiple treatments with baking soda, vacuuming, heating, fans, bowls of vinegar, bowls of coffee grounds, it still stunk and I couldn't be in the same room with it for more than five minutes without my throat and lungs constricting. I finally did some research online and found out wool pile rugs made in India are made with latex as an adhesive. After time or if exposed to heat or sun, the latex disintegrates creating a toxic dust. People are being diagnosed with nighttime asthma, when in fact they are sleeping in bedrooms with these rugs. (Nighttime asthma? Really? What will stupid doctors think of next?) Places like Pottery Barn and Home Depot sell these poisonous rugs. I wrote to the company and they told me tough luck, sucker. They had my money. They didn't care.

Most of my floors are tile or hardwood and most of the rugs I own are 100% cotton and washable. I do have one bamboo wooden rug I purchased at a yard sale and another woven wool rug I purchased at an antique consignment shop. I won't go near carpeting or carpet padding because of the chemicals used. Other housewares items I usually purchase from yard sales or get from Freecycle.

Groceries A stroll down a grocery store's laundry detergent aisle is suicide! The stink from detergents, bleaches, fabric softeners, fabric sheets, air fresheners, scented candles, and cleaning products is suffocating. Newly polished floors reek. I had a chat with a produce employee who told me he worked for a produce manager at another store who always sold conventional produce as organic to make extra money. Who to trust? Plastic grocery bags are printed using lead-based ink. Don't ever use them inside-out with the ink touching food items. Some paper grocery bags are treated with chemicals and cardboard boxes used to ship the groceries are treated with pesticides to control cockroaches in grocery storage facilities. Another problem I have in grocery stores is the grocery checkers who wear scented hand lotion. They reapply it constantly, bag my groceries touching every item, and the stink goes home with me.  It's very difficult to wash oily lotion off cardboard containers or produce.

I do most of my grocery shopping at a local food co-op that I trust due to their extremely high principles regarding quality. If I do shop at a conventional grocery store, I check out the employees by walking through the store and making observations. I especially check out the grocery checkers who will be handling my purchases as I don't want their perfume or scented hand lotion on my food. There have been times as I'm waiting in line the checker gets out his/her hand lotion. I leave. Immediately. Once I had a cashier do this just as she was about to scan my first item. I yelled, STOP!, grabbed everything off the conveyor belt, loaded it back in the cart, and left. When given the choice, I opt for self-checkout lines so no one handles my groceries. Also, if any product makes me sick and is labeled organic, I don't buy there again. Grocery employees seem to think people can't tell the difference between organic and chemically-grown food. I can!  I use cloth bags instead of store-provided plastic or paper bags.

Other grocery purchasing options are farmers' markets, health food stores, and local organic farmers. In some areas there are farms with cooperative agreements where you can purchase an annual or seasonal membership and they deliver fresh produce to your home or community pick-up area. Check to make sure they are organic. Don't assume even if they say they are!

These are just a few toxic shopping experiences and some alternative ideas.  Still, nothing beats being able to go into a store and seeing the product to make a sound purchase, but it's not always worth the health risk. I've learned to live without a lot of excess, shop during slow hours, scope out the salespeople and cashiers, and select stores with good ventilation and limited smell. I also do my best to recycle and reuse and I'm a devoted fan of Freecycle and addicted to garage sales!

For those of you unfamiliar with Freecycle, it is an online group located in most communities where people post  for items they want or items want to offer others. The basic rule is it has to be free.  The concept is to recycle, reuse, and reduce waste.

Shopping is still entertainment, but different. To me a trip to Whole Foods is a thrill. It's an adventure! It's a chemically sensitive person's Disneyland! The laundry detergent aisle at Whole Foods doesn't even bother me and I've encountered few smelly shoppers. I still need to take the standard precautions and avoid the scented candle section, but for the most part I've found it fairly safe. I get really excited when planning a Whole Foods shopping trip!

What are products you find especially hazardous?

What are stores you find are relatively safe?