Beyond Organic: What Truly Makes Household Products Safe
Updated: 1 day ago
Teresa's Guide to Safe and Harmful Products
Updated 10/13/2026
We all want those beautiful things. The shiny apple, the shimmering dress, the no-iron shirt, and the makeup that promises beauty.
But the fact is that most of these things hide a danger that can steal your health, harm your family, your pets and our Earth while you are unaware.
The year 2025 was an amazing year for me. I suddenly realized that almost everything that had made me so ill for fifty years was made from petroleum or petroleum derivatives.
In 2025, I also realized that a VOC meter was key to knowing what was safe or harmful.
Petroleum in products surrounds us all day, every day. Unless you are aware of them, they are impossible to avoid, and they off-gas 24 hours a day, seven days a week and cause high VOCs.
Toxic petroleum is in the clothes you wear, the bed you sleep in, your carpeting, your food, the air you breathe and even the medications you take for help; 99% of medications contain petroleum or petroleum derivatives. It is not the medication itself that contains petroleum; it is the synthetic colors, flavors, binders, and coatings that are added that are harmful. Check the ingredients in your medications and which other medications they interact with to make sure the medications you are taking are safe to take together. Generic medications will state the ingredients on the back of the box. For name-brand medications, call your pharmacy to get the ingredients.
Even when you choose sustainable products to protect yourself and all you love, most still contain petroleum or petroleum derivatives that off-gas and cause harm.
Our bodies are designed to manage natural toxins, not the synthetic toxins we are exposed to every day from every direction.
When VOCs go above 500, your body's respiratory system, mucous membranes, nervous system and cardiovascular system can all begin to react to these airborne chemicals.
Symptoms can include eye and sinus irritation, sore throat, dry cough, chest tightness, headaches, dizziness, nausea and brain fog. Elevated blood pressure, heart rate and fatigue are also signs of high VOCs from petroleum products or derivatives.
When exposure continues, the result can be asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia, trouble sleeping, headaches and pain. The symptoms are endless.
How did so many products get so toxic? Our mainstream standards define safety entirely on acute toxicity. Non-toxic simply means a product won't cause immediate poisoning or contain high-profile restricted chemicals. This is far from what each of us requires for health.
How did we get here? Because many organizations operate under a profit-at-all-costs mindset regardless of what is best for their buyer. They also have no accountability for harming their customers, and with the internet, for many businesses, losing a customer means little because so many new customers are available. An example of this issue is the movie Free Fall: A Reckoning for Boeing.
How do I know about these dangers?
When I was 22 in 1975, I took two aspirin as I had many times before. Instantly, I could not breathe, my eyes and sinuses poured, and my stomach hurt. Since I'd had asthma as a child, I realized I was having an asthma attack. Fortunately, I was in a convenience store and could buy Primatene Mist, or this reaction could have been disastrous.
I decided I would never take aspirin again, and I believed the issue was solved.
I was wrong, very wrong.
My health rapidly declined and became so difficult. Within a year, I was taking cortisone every other day to control my asthma and avoid any side effects. The result was aching all over the days I didn't have cortisone, even though it did nothing to stop my symptoms or avoid side effects, since I later developed osteoporosis from the cortisone.
I took 40 pills a day, still with no improvement in my symptoms. I have been to so many doctors, alternative doctors, taken so many medications and supplements, with no overall improvement to my health.
I began to feel so ill that every day was a struggle to survive. At any moment, I would feel my energy drain from my body, and then I couldn't breathe from a severe asthma attack, and I had no idea of the cause.
I began to search for answers endlessly.
I now know I had developed Samter's Triad, a severe form of asthma, which is a severe form of MCS.
People with MCS consider themselves canaries. Like a canary in a coal mine, our symptoms warn us of toxins we're all exposed to.
I consider myself a super canary because licking an envelope, brushing my teeth and taking many medications caused instant asthma. Even medications for asthma gave me asthma! Putting on lotion caused pain and made my skin turn red like a sunburn until I washed it off. Taking Monistat caused blisters on my hands and feet until I realized the cause. I can be in my car and instantly have asthma because the air has changed outside to pollution or wildfires.
I looked up everything I could remember reacting to over the years - every single thing contained petroleum, including the aspirin that caused my first symptom. I have never taken another aspirin since.
Listening to my body and researching for answers, I have gone from severely ill to flourishing at 73. Most of my intense symptoms are now gone.
Other people react to these toxins slowly, so it is hard for them to realize the cause of their headaches, pain, depression, cancer or other symptoms.
What I have learned is backed up by my VOC meters. When I wake up in the morning, if I have no symptoms, I know the VOCs in our home are at a safe level of 250 or less. If I wake up congested, having asthma or in pain, I know the VOCs in our home are above 250.
After all these years, I know the cause and the solutions to the severe symptoms I have suffered from for so long. I am so thrilled!
However, a huge issue we all face is how difficult it is to stay safe. These toxins are so ingrained in our society and are increasing at a rapid pace, which makes it so difficult to avoid them. As more people become aware of these issues and stop buying these products, the harm to all of us will decrease.
The danger is real, and many of us are paying the price.
You have the power to change what is happening with every decision you make, every product you buy.
Plastics are made from fossil fuels, petroleum products, but not all of them are harmful. Some companies have learned how to make their products safe. A great example is Dell Computers. I use their laptop computer every day with no issues!
Plastics are only the tip of the iceberg of what you and your family and everything you love are exposed to every day.
So I believe if something is safe for me, it is very likely safe for you, and this is why I wrote this guide.
So many products gave me asthma, pain and so many symptoms and caused high VOCs in my home, which gave me asthma. Some products I tried contaminated other things in my home.
Even organic products gave me asthma and contaminated other products.
I decided to create this list to share not only what is safe for me but what has caused intense harm for me and my husband Keith.
I have so much to share with you! I'll be adding more information to this list often, so please check back for updates. If a story has been updated, I note the date at the top.
To find these products, I have searched endlessly. Once I find a product that looks hopeful, I do two tests:
Do a VOC test to see if the VOCs stay at 250 or below. (Products with VOCs higher than this give me asthma)
Try the product to see if I feel fine when I use it, with no asthma or other symptoms and allow time before I recommend it
If the product is fabric (clothing, sheets, towels, blankets), I also do a third test.
The VOCs must go green and be safe in our home while I wash the product.
If you need a product I don't have listed, you can do your own VOC testing! I share how I do my testing in this story:
Please let me know if you have any questions.
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I am never an affiliate for any product I recommend. I share these recommendations only because they have genuinely helped improve my health, and I hope they can do the same for you.
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Safe Organic Products
Blankets
Chenille Herringbone Blankets - Natural only
Clothing
Harvest & Mill
Only buy the "drawstring only" pants and shorts. The issue is the elastic. All elastic comes from petroleum, which off-gases and isn't safe. You can find them by using the search tool and entering "drawstring only."
Don't buy any other pants or shorts, including jogger or lounge pants or socks. They all contain elastic and are toxic.
All of the T-shirts, raglans, sweatshirts and hoodies are safe.
I have not tested the other colored clothing yet. Dyes are a big risk.
This is the only company I have found that passed all of my tests! We were in misery before we found these because all the clothes I tried gave me asthma. It was so horrible! Before we found Harvest & Mill, we were wearing towels as clothes (listed below) because they were all I could find that were safe. Away from home, I could tolerate the toxic organic clothes I had bought before I found these because we were outdoors; I wore my respirator, or our HEPA/carbon cabin filters in our vehicles kept me safe, but wearing them indoors caused severe asthma and high VOCs.
Harvest & Mill is truly unique, following its own path and creating truly safe organic clothing.
We wear the natural-colored clothes indoors and the black clothes outdoors.
These clothes are so fantastic! They are so soft and comfortable. I don't use my purse since fragrances can contaminate it and then our home, so my pockets become very full. Using a bow lets the pants loosen, so I always tie them in a tight knot to prevent this.
I have fully tested the natural clothes; they are completely safe.
The black clothes passed my VOC meter test recently, even before washing! This is amazing! One of the huge issues in clothing is the dyes, which are usually so toxic; these passed with flying colors!
I have only worn our black clothing outside, in our vehicles with powerful cabin filters, or in public places with my respirator mask on. I haven't tested them indoors yet, where I am breathing the material constantly, filter-free. I will test them for this soon; I expect they will pass easily.
Gloves
I use these gloves to protect my hands and me from anything I suspect is toxic.
They are made from HDPE. They are a pure latex, silicone, nitrile,and PVC free, zero off-gassing, and odorless product!
Use them only to touch harmful products or things you haven't tested yet, then discard them. Don't then use them to touch safe products afterward because the gloves may be coated with the toxins.
Jacket
All the jackets I can find are made from polyester.
Polyester is the only product I have tested that showed low VOCs, yet it is harmful to me. I believe this is because it off-gasses so slowly that the VOC meter does not pick it up.
However, I watched my lungs get worse as Keith and I wore polyester clothing and slept on polyester pillows and a topper. Once I got polyester out of our life, my lungs improved so much!
My solution is layering.
First, choose a top, sweatshirt or hoodie as needed from Harvest & Mill
Second, if it is raining, add this totally safe poncho:
This 100% PE (Polyethylene) rain poncho is so safe and non-toxic. It contains zero latex, silicone, nitrile, phthaleates, pvc or fabric chemicals. It produces zero VOCs and has no scent once the package is unsealed. It does not have any elastic that will off-gas.
Simply open the package it comes in outside and let it hang in the open air for 2 to 3 minutes.
Mattress
I have searched since 2020 for a safe mattress. They are all very toxic and either caused severe asthma or were made from cotton and/or wool and packed down, which caused severe pain.
I made this bed and loved it! Keith came home from a trip and slept on it for 12 hours. It is still in progress; I think it will need 40 pounds to be luxurious. I haven't had any reaction, and we love how the bed feels. The best part is that you can add or remove the filling until it is perfect for you!
I sewed two of these sheets together to make the cover of the mattress
I did not use my sewing machine because it was frozen. I hadn't used it for 35 years. The repair shop had to use petroleum products to service it. It can off-gas onto my precious products and ruin them, so I opted not to use it.
Natural Sateen Flat Sheet with Z-Hem
I used this organic thread YLI 22503-800 Scanfil Organic Cotton Thread, 300 yd, White
I stuffed it with kapok I bought from Amazon. I know Amazon uses fragrance, so take care unpacking it. Once I unpacked this kapok, I had no issues, even when I tested it with my VOC meter.
This is the Kapok I used
Bean Products Premiium Kapok Fill | 20 lbs |100% Organic Kapok fiber | Chemical Free and Hypoallergenic
I am working on a video showing the process of making our bed.
Pillow
I also made pillows by filling these pillowcases
I did not use my sewing machine because it was frozen. I hadn't used it for 35 years. The repair shop had to use petroleum products to service it. It can off-gas onto my precious products and ruin them, so I opted not to use it.
Natural Sateen Pillow Cases with Z-Hem
This is the Kapok I used
Bean Products Premium Kapok Fill | 20 lbs |100% Organic Kapok fiber | Chemical Free and Hypoallergenic
Then I sewed the top of the pillowcase closed with this thread
I used this organic thread
YLI 22503-800 Scanfil Organic Cotton Thread, 300 yd, White
I am working on a video showing the process of making our pillows.
Sheets
I have tried and tested only the items listed below. Do not buy any other products. Do not buy any fitted sheets or sheet sets. The elastic is petroleum-based. Do not buy any white products - toxic products are used to make them white. Do not buy any dyed products.
Natural Sateen Flat Sheet with Z-Hem
Natural Sateen Pillow Cases with Z-Hem
Flannel Flat Sheet with Z-Hem - Natural Color
https://www.naturesoftbedding.com/shop/organic-bedding/organic-flat-sheets/flannel-z-hem-flat-sheet/
Flannel Pillow Cases with Z-Hem - Natural Color
These sheets and pillowcases are so luxuriously soft and silky. I have never slept on anything better. They wrinkle; who cares, the comfort is incredible!
Towels:
LL Bean
Organic Textured Cotton Towel
Item #: TA504588
Get the cream ones only. Dyes are very toxic and not safe. I have tried so many towels from so many places that gave me asthma; of all places, I found these at LL Bean. They are totally safe. I have even worn them as clothing and used them as blankets when I couldn’t find safe products, and they were fine.
These towels are so amazing! They are so absorbent that I can dry off using only a washcloth or hand towel. They kept me well when I couldn't find any safe products. I am so thankful for these towels.
Unsafe Products
Blanket
When washing this blanket, it produced high VOCs that stayed elevated and never returned to safe levels.
Chenille Herringbone Blanket - Buffalo Brown
Shower Curtain
This shower curtain was listed as non-toxic on Amazon.
This is meaningless in reality. It had a strong plastic smell, and VOCs rose to 800 throughout our home. VOCs at 800 will cause me to have severe asthma, congestion, and pain. We removed it from our home immediately. I had to wear my respirator mask to be safe until the VOCs went below 250, which took until the next day.
LiBa Shower Curtain PEVA 8G, 72x72 Inch Waterproof Clear
Stay Connected
If my story resonated with you, I'd be grateful if you could give it a heart at the end of my blog or stars! Your support means the world to me. I always love hearing from you; please leave me a comment below.
I have had so many miracles happen, and I am so thankful. I am working to share what I have learned through my blogs, social media posts, and YouTube so that you can also heal. You can see my videos on YouTube here:
Yet now, I find myself faced with increasing toxins in America that are making it difficult for me to stay healthy, and this is true for our Earth and all of us.
We need to work together to solve this issue. Our lives and our planet depend on this.
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