# stinky waterproof spray-dangerous???



## mittendrin (Nov 5, 2003)

so i went to walmart and got some waterproofing spray for some leaky aio's and it stinks so badly that i'm wondering if i should put the diapers that i treated on my ds's sensitive butt. it must have alot of chemicals that could harm him, any experience, ladies? the stuff i used is called"silicone waterguard" and i got it in the sports section.
somebody posted on an earlier thread of mine regarding waterproofing about some spray especially for diapers...maybe i should order that, but where, what was the name of it again..????

HELP, MAMAS


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## detergentdiva (Oct 16, 2002)

what most people use is:
Atsko Waterguard, some wal marts carry it in the camping section

Or you can go to www.atsko.com and buy it straight from them. Plus several wahms carry this in their stores.
This does not smell IMO


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## wawoof (Aug 17, 2003)

I would avoid any waterproofing spray that has flouro-anything in it, including Permanent Waterguard. For an article on the dangers of perflourates, check out: http://ewg.org/reports/pfcworld/

BTW, DH is a chemist and backs up this info.

With a home waterproofing spray, I would worry about:

a) you inhaling it

b) the spray coming off in the wash and getting on everything (if it only lasts 20 washes, this tells me it's coming off in each of those)

c) polluting your home environment


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## mittendrin (Nov 5, 2003)

oi, i thought it wasn't a good idea when i sprayed the diapers outside and couldn't even breathe...
so now i can wash those darn things seperate from anything else ahhhh, maybe about 15 times until the stuff is off and i won't have to worry about it harming ds....great! 3 diapers and a lot of wasted water! good job, annika


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## ctdoula (Dec 26, 2002)

I wrote a really long reply earier & then the site went down.... grrrr....

Anyway, I use PWG, as do a lot of wahms. What you bought is different & I can't speak to it's safety, etc. PWG does not have a strong odor.

When we first started using PWG we called the company to ask about safety & were told it was safe, etc. This week I emailed them again with concerns that someone had emailed me. This is their reply (I requested & was given permission to post this):

_
Dear Amy,
Rest assured I have personally researched these concerns because so many of our customers share them. The EPA published a document on May 16, 2000 titled EPA and 3M. It details the concern which centers around perfluorooctanyl sulfonate (PFOS). PFOS was a byproduct of the system 3M used to manufacture their fluoropolymer. 3M withdrew it voluntarily in spite of the EPA finding it safe. (See article of June 5th Newsweek.)

A different process makes our ingredients and there are no PFOS in the Permanent Water-Guard.

I have also tried to verify the claims that purple and gold Macaws can be injured by overheated Teflon cookware. (Birds are very much more exposed to the air they breath.)

The only risk we can verify is that breathing a fine mist can cause temporary pneumonia by making fluids run down to the bottoms of the air sacs in the lungs.

Once dry there is no exposure. Fluoropolymer parts are preferred for use within the human body. The 25 wash durability of Permanent Water-Guard suggests that very little of it comes off the fabric while wearing.

I believe our products to be the safest possible both for you and the environment.

Sincerely,
Dan Gutting
Vice President_

Yes, I know that this is the VP, and it's his job to promote his product. However, I am comfortable using this product in my home, and think it is safe when used responsibly (in a ventilated area, don't inhale mist, etc). There are thousands of chemicals in each of our homes that many of us use in our daily lives (tylenol, asprin, Coke, Pepsi, shampoo, laundry detergent, gas, dishwasher soap, sun screen, bug spray, nail polish, nail polish remover, paint, carpets, flame-retardent on PJs, hair spray, purfume, static guard). Yet, despite the vast use of chemicals, humans in our culture (that being the US specifically) are living almost twice as long as they did 200 years ago! I've seen so many 'dangers' but, in reality, are they really hurting us (of course, YES, there are many many things that hurt us, but I'm referring to many of the every day chemicals that we use in our homes). Dangers to the earth, yes, many things pose a danger to animals and the environment. But again, I think the earth is so much more powerful that we as humans can ever be (OT - I once watched a NOVA on the grand canyon. A LONG time ago a volcano erupted & filled in part of the grand canyon. It took a few MILLION years for the water to break down the blockage. We put up the Hoover Dam, and within 50 years, major repairs are needed. We can never hope to be as powerful & destructive as the earth itself can be).

We all know the chemicals that go into 'sposies. What about the off-gassing from fleece, the chemicals on PUL, pesticides in cotton? Unless we all grow our own cotton & wool, harvest rubber for elastic, and forge metal for our own pins, or buy only organic everything, it's hard to live completely without chemicals in our lives. I'm sure many of you try. I do my best. But, I also live in the modern age of laundry detergent and comet to scrub the tub.

I'm sure many will disagree with me, but that's great. That's the wonderful world of free thought & expression








Amy


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