Voicelessness and Emotional Survival > Voicelessness and Emotional Survival Message Board
Coronavirus
Hopalong:
I think you're so wise to be considering used furniture, Tupp.
I was in that industry.
Old furniture offers 90% of the time much better materials and construction than new. I have an early-60s sofa that's solid as a tank. Simple slipcovers or reupholstery if affordable is all these need in most cases.
Where I used to work I did a great deal of research on materials. Most new furniture is toxic and adds to the endocrine-disrupting chemical load in the body, which has been implicated by researchers and epidemiologist in developmental brain disorders, cancer, infertility and even obesity. They call them "obesogens."
There's an absolute forest of poorly-regulated toxic chemicals in new household furnishings, flooring, carpets, foam stuffing in cushions and pillows, bedding, laminates, anything with particleboard or synthetic lumber, vinyl, drapes, etc. Flame retardants, nanoparticle fabric treatments, pesticides, toxic stains and dyes and on and on. The off-gassing VOCs (volatile organic compounds) from plastics and vinyls doesn't even end when the "new" smell is gone, but continues for years undetecably.
I MUCH prefer well-built old furniture! It's not only less expensive but avoids another discarded thing going off to a dump or landfill -- keeps it out of the waste stream.
Haven't resuscitated that rant for a while now! Hope you enjoy your shopping and find pieces you can work with and enjoy for years to come.
hugs
Hops
Twoapenny:
Zoiks! I didn't know all that, Hospie - I've always gone for second hand just because I can get nicer pieces for less money and it tends to be better made, means another tree hasn't been cut down and so on. I like the history with old pieces as well, not that I usually know what it is but I can make something up in my head :) But all that chemical, health impacting stuff - yuk! I had no idea. Is it all just to do with the processes they put them through and chemicals they treat them with? I'll probably have to get son's bed new as it's a particular kind of storage that I'm after and the chances of one of those being in the shop second hand are slim (I'll have a look, though!). But everything else I'll try to get through them. They also take furniture; son's current bed still has life in it, it's just too small for him now so they can have that and our sofa is very old and battered but might do someone a turn (we got it free from someone who was moving and that was about seven years ago now so it's on it's not as good as it once was but it can still do the job). I might be able to sort it so that they take the old stuff when they pick up the new which would be handy. Nice to have a little project to think about. I love the sound of your 60s sofa! It's great when you get a good piece that just lasts forever xx
Hopalong:
--- Quote ---Is it all just to do with the processes they put them through and chemicals they treat them with?
--- End quote ---
Exactly that. Indoor air pollution is often worse, due to buildup and inadequate ventilation, than outdoor air pollution. Candles, cleaning products, furniture, carpets, cleaning products, personal care products and cosmetics, on and on.....
https://www.blf.org.uk/support-for-you/indoor-air-pollution/causes
https://www.ewg.org/research/dirty-dozen-list-endocrine-disruptors?gclid=CjwKCAiAlNf-BRB_EiwA2osbxeh-mLEpGPB_ds-T5Ne8R65qorKuafxHQ8q89w3iL_m6Rh55NNFcHBoCjsgQAvD_BwE
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2677823/
Note that while PBDE's have been banned as flame retardants, it took industry no time to come up with a slightly tweaked new formula (Firemaster) that researchers expect is just as toxic.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2677823/
Bottom line is that the chemical industry wordwide is valued at over $80 billion annually (imagine the lobbying budgets). As recently as ten years ago (unlikely to have improved since), it was reported that the US tests only about 10% of new chemicals for human and environmental safety, and the industry makes new forumulas all the time. Basically, we're human sponges and if a kind of pesticide or plastic or finish makes a product shinier or cheaper or look more appealing to the consumer eye, manufacturers aren't staying up at night worrying about the long-term chemical load in our bodies.
hugs
Hops
sKePTiKal:
Our "bubble" here has tightened. (Not that I ever had or am starting a massive social life.) Hol's very freaked out about the possibility of getting the virus; not knowing and then giving it to someone else - any of her friends or me. So, she's not inviting anyone out to visit -- and when she does, has her list of things to ask them, prior. It's usually one or two people at a time now.
I think one of my issues last week was how much running around I had to do between Kitty & car inspections. With all the covid protocols and especially masks - I'm reading/picking up more negativity from people than ever. It's DEPRESSING to me, especially in this season... that people even when interacting are all so closed off and unfriendly.
Twoapenny:
--- Quote from: sKePTiKal on December 13, 2020, 09:20:11 AM ---Our "bubble" here has tightened. (Not that I ever had or am starting a massive social life.) Hol's very freaked out about the possibility of getting the virus; not knowing and then giving it to someone else - any of her friends or me. So, she's not inviting anyone out to visit -- and when she does, has her list of things to ask them, prior. It's usually one or two people at a time now.
I think one of my issues last week was how much running around I had to do between Kitty & car inspections. With all the covid protocols and especially masks - I'm reading/picking up more negativity from people than ever. It's DEPRESSING to me, especially in this season... that people even when interacting are all so closed off and unfriendly.
--- End quote ---
That's a shame, Skep (about people being more unfriendly). I guess it's been going on for so long now and it's so grim that people are fatigued with it all. In our local area I have to say I've seen the opposite - people are going out of their way to say hi and chat a bit. I think because the masks cover facial expressions (I still find myself smiling at people even though they can't see it and then I realise I need to put it into words as well lol). But I know here everyone is fed up with it and I imagine it's similar over there. It's caused huge problems in pretty much everyone's situation and it's just gone on for so blooming long - with no real end in sight yet. Bleurgh. I'll be glad when it's over.
Hopsie, thank you for all of those links, I'll have a read later. I suspect they're going to make me glad I don't usually buy new furniture! Lol. I really wish that every government in every country would bring in legislation so that anything that's produced has to be sustainable, no risk to health (known risk, anyway) and that everyone involved has to be paid properly. I know it would make things more expensive but how much of what we all buy is really necessary? And what could we get second hand instead, or just make do with something else? We do a pretty good job of rarely buying new. Even tech I usually pick up second hand as there are loads of places that refurbish phones, laptops etc and we've always done alright with it. It's difficult picking your way through all the information; I try to buy as ethically as I can but you have to put in a lot of time and leg work checking things out and a lot of people just don't have the time (or don't realise it's even an issue). Wishful thinking, I know.
In slightly better news, although numbers in the county overall still haven't dropped much, in our local area there's been a pretty big drop and we've very few cases now. That makes me feel better as we only tend to go from here to the library or cinema. The town we are going to visit tomorrow (to look at the houses) is also pretty low now so I feel a bit easier about it. Funnily enough I told son we were going to look at places in case they're nice enough to move into and he didn't protest - he normally grumbles if I mention moving but the idea didn't seem to phase him. Or maybe he wasn't listening properly lol xx
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version