Somewhere in China, at some point in time, there was a mechanical breakdown in the manufacturing process at a factory, and metal fragments made their way into these good-looking pillows. Then, the pillows were packed up, loaded into freight containers, and shipped to America, where 120,000 of them were sold at various Costco stores between…
I was so excited about this new shower curtain, which was a gift for my husband. It was at about 35,000 feet, breathing airliner air, when I saw in a magazine this really neat shower curtain. The clear vinyl on the top would allow our dark and narrow shower stall some needed daylight. And the…
Backyard play sets Units: About 11,000Distributor: Backyard Leisure LLC, of Pittsburg, KansasHazard: Hangers holding the chains for the gliders can break, causing a child to fall and suffer injuries.Incidents/injuries: Backyard Leisure has received 114 reports of glider hangers breaking, including three reports of minor injuries to children. Injuries included abrasions and a child being hit…
I don’t really know why I’ve become so obsessed with recalled home-related goods. Some kind of personality disorder? A perverse interest in the wrongdoings of others? It’s baffling. But here’s another example of something gone wrong in the manufacturing process. These log swings, made in China, are missing just one nail. But that nail holds…
Recalls for these products were announced recently by the Consumer Product Safety Commission: Product: Kenmore wall ovensManufacturer: Frigidaire Canada, a sister company of Electrolux Home Products Inc., Cleveland, OhioNumber recalled: 7,500Problem: During extended broiling, gas can build in the oven cavity and escape when the oven door is opened. This poses a burn and possible…
It’s your wood-burning fireplace, of course. And they’re slowing going out of style, much to the dismay of fire devotees (and I used to be one). Last weekend, I visited with a couple who took out their fireplace during a remodel. In this photo, you see a Santa Barbara home that also lost its fireplace…
The father of a soldier who spent 15 months in Afghanistan and then came back to live in horrid conditions at Fort Bragg didn’t much like the way his hero son was being treated. So the dad posted a YouTube video of the barrack’s mold, rust, peeling lead paint and sewer problems. It worked. According…
Jennifer, a mother of three young kids (who is NOT pictured here), is understandably "freaking out" about the possibility of lead-tained dust in her home. For advice, I turned to members of the newly form L.A. chapter of the National Assn. of the Remodeling Industry. Three contractors responded. Read the question and their answers below:…
So I asked the guys at my local paint store about no-VOC and low-VOC paints. As you may know, VOC stands for volatile organic compounds, but you could also call them volatile chemical compounds. They are emitted as gases from paints and glues and sealants and other products and make people sick. Or, as the…
A lot has been written lately about insomnia. An L.A. Times piece asks "Can insomnia kill?" and author Gayle Greene wonders if Heath Ledger’s death was due to insomnia and the subsequent overload of insomnia drugs. Greene is a professor at Scripps College in Claremont and the author of "Insomniac," a first-person account of living…