To PVC or not to PVC ..

Hello,

My name is Bwings and I can't make up my mind on PVC

Rubber duckie you're the one, you make bathtime...oh so controversial. There was a time when a rubber duckie was an accepted friend in your tub. Now he is the site of so much disagreement. First he is made out of PVC which (depending on it's texture) is likely laced with phthalate plasticizers. Then you don't even want to get me started on his moldy interior. yick

As a rule the softer the plastic the more toxic it may be. It's complicated though and sometimes I think just getting rid of all plastic altogether would be far easier than trying to determine the toxicity of each individual item in my home.

So what to do? Honestly I have as of yet to form an opinion here. This is largely why I have taken so long to post today. I knew the topic would be PVC and I really don't know what to do.

However, there are some small changes one can make.

1. There are organic rubber toys available for purchase that are so tender and chewie for our toddlers mouthes. These toys also have available options where the duckie can come apart (childproof) and be washed in the dishwasher. Solves that embarrassing interior problem our pal used to have.
2. The shower curtain, sure the off-gas is the only PVC you really need to worry about unless you have a child who chews on it. But why not spring for a vinyl curtain on the inside and a fabric one on the outside. Both of these are machine washable and will save your wallet. You simply wash them 2-4 times a month rather than replacing them with new ones every few weeks. You might think spending $1-$5 a month on curtains isn't that bad. But just think. You could be saving yourself almost $60 a year!!!
3. Bottles have symbols on the bottom. Learn what they mean. Use only 1,2 or 5 for consumption. I won't tell you why here for it's in depth. But learn what you're putting to your mouth.
4. NEVER MICROWAVE IN PLASTIC!! If you absolutely must, at least use a microwave safe container. Even those may leach though. It's always safer (if you're concerned) to just microwave on a dish without the plastic wrap or plasticware. 
5. If you don't want to get the organic toys a rule of thumb is the harder the toy the lower the phthalate plasticizers. Not always the case but often enough to count.

Mostly just keep yourself informed. Don't take for granted that what you're buying is good for you. Remember we are the beta testers for most products as they don't test on humans extensively....it's sort of illegal ;)

They didn't used to know x-rays were bad in high amounts, or bad for fetuses. They didn't realize the nuclear bomb would leave adverse effects on those around after an explosion.

Never assume, be a wise consumer.

That's all for this post as I'm still completely undecided on PVC's myself. I will be changing my shower curtain on the next paycheck. Not just because of the PVC but because a machine washable non-toxic shower curtain just makes sense ;) $60 a year that I can use towards organic toys. I kid, but that's certainly a fair amount of money. 

So for now this is an undecided opinion from your friendly neighborhood hippie mom.