Archives for October 2009

Safe Bath Toys – PVC Free, Phthalate Free, BPA Free

baby-bath-toys-710661

This post was updated here in the 2014 Guide to Safer Bath Toys.

I was recently at Babies ‘R Us looking through the bath toys for a last minute addition to a baby shower gift.  I looked through everything they had but couldn’t find even one bath toy that wasn’t plastic or at least plastic and labeled ‘PVC Free’ so I skipped on the baby toy and found something else.  Now I’m on a mission to find bath toys – that you can find locally at some of the big box stores – that are safe so you can avoid the same experience!

Boon Odd Duck

Boon Odd Duck

BOON –  Finally, a PVC free rubber duckie!  You can be confident buying ANY of the BOON bath toys because they are all PVC, BPA and phthalate FREE!  In addition to their rubber duckies, they have several other bath toys for all ages.  Locally, you can find Boon products at Babies R Us, babyGap, buybuyBaby, Baby Depot and Target.

Summer Infant Digital Temperature Tester

Summer Infant Digital Temperature Tester

Summer Infant– The 3 bath toys that the company confirmed were PVC, phthalate and BPA free are the digital temperature tester, tub time bubble maker, and tub time light up stacker.

199-Item

Sassy Tubby Tumblers

Sassy – Although the packaging isn’t labeled, all of the bath toys currently listed on the Sassy website are PVC, phthalate and BPA free.  Sassy did say that 3 toys DO have BPA and may still be in stores, so stay away from these: rubber duckie with temperature gauge, Gator Boat, and Sassy Car Wash.

Infantino– I inquired and the response from Infantino was that their toys “conform with the safety regulations and have the allowable amounts of PVC and phthalates.”  So I would stay away from Infantino.

Although I’ve only included some of the major manufacturers here, you can also find many other brands of bath toys that are safe at local baby boutiques.

If there are any particular brands you are curious about, let us know!  We’ll find out how safe they are.

 

BPA in canning lids

DSC_0502The BPA saga continues…..

Do you can?  I make strawberry jam every summer – that is the extent of my canning expertise. Unfortunately, I just found out that my favorite Ball canning jars have BPA in the lid.

Jarden Home Brands is the manufacturer of many of the most popular home canning products : Ball, Kerr, Golden Harvest, and Bernardin.  On their website, they state “the coating on our home canning lids is designed to protect the metal from reacting with the food it contains. A small amount of Bisphenol A is present in the coating.”

However, the good news for those of you with the plastic canning containers and lids – they DO NOT contain BPA.

It figures that I would buy glass canning jars because overall, I think glass is safer than plastic and then the stinkin’ lids would have BPA!  So disappointing – I have 50 Ball jam jars!

If you are interested in complaining to Jarden to encourage them to find a safer way to manufacture their canning lids – do it here!

You can purchase BPA FREE canning jars and lids from Weck Canning, a German company.  This is the only alternative I have found.  Let me know if you found anything else!

UPDATE: There are now more BPA free options for canning jar lids.  Please see my updated list here.

 

Kid’s PVC Free Rain Boots and Gear

octobers

I adore October as it’s the last of the sunny, dry days in the Pacific NW. Come November, the long rainy winter begins and we start needing waterproof clothing and shoes on a daily basis.

Waterproof gear for children is often made with PVC (the “poison plastic“) so I’ve gathered together some really cute PVC free options to put on our kiddos this winter.

western-chief


Western Chief :  My kids have worn these coordinating boots and raincoats for years (they carry umbrellas, too). The boots are 100% waterproof, natural rubber boots and have a non slip sole.  The raincoats are made of 100% polyurethane shell and polyester/cotton lining. There are dozens of darling patterns like lady bugs to popular characters (see Batman, Hello Kitty, Spiderman above), horses, frogs, flowers, and other classic designs. They also make boots for teens and adults.

 

hatley
Hatley :  The Hatley line of raingear includes rubber boots made of 100% latex rubber with a cotton lining and their raincoats have a 100% polyurethane shell and polyester terry lining. Classic designs include apples, horses, dinosaurs, helicopters, unicorns and many more. Solid colors also available.

oakiwearoakiwear3

Oakiwear : This local-to-me company offers outdoor gear for kids: 100% rubber rain boots, neoprene muck boots, and a one-piece waterproof rain suit. The rain suit is their #1 selling item and I can see why. 100% waterproof, PVC-free, reflective tape: it’s the perfect off-season outfit for kids.

kushies

Kushies : The hooded rain jacket and pant set is sized for kids ages 1-3.  The visor on the hood is a nice detail to keep rain off a little one’s face. Made of PVC-free vinyl and lined with cotton, comes in 6 colors.

For teens and adults looking for stylish PVC-free rain gear, check out Chooka, Hunter, Kamik, or Joules.