Did you know that your bedroom just might be one of the most toxic places in your entire home? We hear a lot about things like nonstick cookware, paint, and mold, but it's rare that we hear much about the bedroom. Yet you spend a third of your life (at least!) in that room. So does it make sense to fill it with toxins and poisons? No! Since Leo and I are currently revamping our own bedroom, I thought it fitting to discuss the potential toxins in the bedroom in a multi-part series. Today, the first toxin in your bedroom.
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| Think you know what's in your mattress? |
Toxin #1: The Mattress
I was amazed when I recently flipped through Mother Earth News and saw a Tempur-Pedic mattress ad taking up an entire page. Why? Because Tempur-Pedic is an offgassing nightmare of toxins and poisons. Comfortable? Maybe. But is it worth it, when there are natural alternatives? Memory foam is bad news, and the worst part is that there are so many beds making use of it now that it's hard to avoid. Plus, most mattress salespeople are woefully undereducated about their product, so they'll tell you there's nothing toxic about the beds at all. Wrong, wrong, wrong.
If you think you're safe going with, say, an air mattress like the Sleep Number bed, think again, because they put memory foam in between the air channels, plus those air channels are made of plastic and rubber that offgas, too.
Okay, so why not just your standard Sealy or average mattress from your local mattress store? Well, first, there may be memory foam in those mattresses, too. Second, you may be dealing with other fillers from countries unknown- meaning you just don't know what's in them, which means you may be inhaling pesticides and other chemicals while you sleep.
Third, it's not just the filling of the mattress you have to worry about. It's the covering. If you have a cotton cover for your mattress, there may be chemicals in that- certainly most mattresses are built with a cover that's treated with flame retardants, as required by law. Of course, who wants to wake up in the burning bed? Still, there are natural alternatives to the chemical flame retardants, as you'll see in my solutions list. And, if you're still inclined to go with a regular mattress, you can have your doctor write a prescription so you aren't forced to have the chemical options.
So what's the answer to the mattress dilemma? Well, there are a few potential solutions to the toxic mattress problem:
Natural Latex. Natural latex comes from the rubber tree and can be a great solution that offers comfort as well as a toxin-free sleep. It's also an eco-friendly option. But beware: many natural latex suppliers use toxic glues to bind it together, as well as chemical stabilizers to maintain the shape needed for a mattress. You have to check with manufacturer to find out what you're getting. There are some expensive options in natural latex, but even IKEA has some fairly comfortable (albeit slightly on the firmer side) natural latex mattresses (note that IKEA has options that combine natural latex with memory foam and options that are solely natural latex with coil springs).
Organic Cotton. Okay, remember back when you were in college and slept on futons? Well, they're not so bad for you, actually, and they can be a great, non-toxic alternative. But that's not the only way to get organic cotton in your mattresses. You can also get the spring-style mattress that most of us are used to in an organic cotton version.
Wool. Wool is a great mattress filler, since it's both a natural flame retardant and also wicks away the heat in the summer and keeps you warm in the winter. Wool is also a great component in a mattress topper (I've had a wool mattress topper for years and absolutely love it), and good for people with allergies.
Organic Cotton and Wool. Since another concern is the flame retardant chemicals used on the outside casing of a mattress, many manufacturers use wool as a natural flame retardant. Wool is also used as a batting material and you can find some great spring-style mattresses in cotton and wool in a wide range of prices.
The range of non-toxic beds is wide enough these days that you have a lot to choose from. In Indiana, we had a difficult time finding any stores that carried non-toxic beds (worse, we couldn't find people who knew what we were talking about), but we did find some useful places to shop in Chicago (including IKEA, though I can't verify whether they use flame retardant chemicals on their bedding). If you're on the West Coast, you'll find a ridiculous number of options and suppliers. The web sites below should get you started.
Chicago Luxury Beds
Re-Nest Shopper's Guide
Pristine Planet Green Comparison (all may not be non-toxic)
In Part 2, I'll talk about the second toxin in your bedroom: Your bedding itself.
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