Dangers at the Dollar Stores?

I am a huge fan of dollar stores like the Dollar Tree and have written numerous posts featuring products I think are good finds and personally use. A friend of mine recently forwarded this article to me from Womansday.com, which features dangerous items found at dollar stores, asking me what I thought.

First of all, I am not a scientist, nor do I have a lab in my home to personally test products so I have to rely on what the professionals say. The research for this particular article was done by the consumer testing group Healthy Stuff which is part of ecocenter.org. The information is informative, you can see which items tested highest for toxins like lead and DEHP, and use this for your own decision-making when shopping at dollar stores.

One of the items I have featured in the past that showed up as a “don’t” was the plain plastic kitchen utensils (like spatulas.)  Because I do cook a lot, I will simply recycle the ones I own and pick up stainless steel or silicone ones, which the Dollar Tree also sells. You know, sometimes it can be so confusing with all the reports that come out on everything from the foods we eat, to the vitamins we take, to all the products we use on a regular basis. One week red wine is good for you, the next week it’s not. (I never pay attention to the articles that say wine isn’t good for you.)

But if you are a regular dollar store shopper, especially if you have children, this article might be helpful in deciding what you spend just a buck on versus paying a bit more.

Here’s the Woman’s Day article on the 10 things you should never buy at dollar stores because of toxicity levels…

http://www.womansday.com/health-fitness/advice/g1798/the-10-most-toxic-items-at-dollar-stores/

Here are the test results conducted by Healthy Stuff

http://www.ecocenter.org/healthy-stuff/reports/dollar-store-report

If you have questions about consumer products you can always go the Consumer Product Safety Commission website

http://www.cpsc.gov/en/

For questions regarding foods, drugs or cosmetics, the Food & Drug Administration website can help you

http://www.fda.gov/