Give Your Baby the Healthiest

Infants spend the majority of their first year sleeping. So naturally they ought to have the most secure, most nurturing space possible, right? The Environmental Protection Agency has found that indoor air is two to five times more polluted than outside air, and many of the pollutants and chemicals that could harm your baby aren’t observable to the naked eye. Plastics and vinyl may off-gas potentially harmful phthalates and BPA, and many textiles are treated with toxic flame retardants. Luckily, in light of the marketplace has responded with chemical-free Automobiles and furniture and organic mattresses and sheets, all of which feel much better, smell better and keep your baby comfortable, healthy and safe.

ella+elliot

To locate the safest crib, prevent medium-density fiberboard, plywood, particleboard and laminated wood, which virtually always contain carcinogenic formaldehyde, which may seep into the air of your infant’s room. Solid wood with a nontoxic, water-based finish or wicker produced from natural fibers like rattan, willow or bamboo are your best bets. The Kalon Studios crib shown here is made from Forest Stewardship Council–certified raw walnut and finished with nontoxic finishes.

Keep in mind as you search for a wholesome crib:
If you are buying used, locate a crib made after 1990, when the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s criteria were upgraded. Cribs made before 1990 could be structurally weak and also have loose components. Antique Automobiles may have lead paint.If you are unsure about your crib’s wood or finishes, put it outside or in a well-ventilated garage for at least a month prior to using it. This will make it possible for any problematic substances to jelqing before you bring it into infant’s room.If you do buy or inherit a crib which contains particleboard, seal it thoroughly utilizing a specially made sealant paint from AFM Safecoat to prevent any chemicals from entering the air.

Fawn&forest

Naturepedic Organic Cotton Quilted Deluxe 252 Crib Mattress – $359

Traditional crib mattresses are made from plastics, which leach BPA and phthalates, and therefore are treated with flame-retardant chemicals called PBDEs. Each of these chemicals can be absorbed through infant’s skin and ingested or inhaled, harming developing hormone and nervous systems. Some are possible carcinogens.

You can prevent putting your infant to sleep in a bed filled with chemicals by opting for vinyl-free wool and cotton mattresses like this one from Naturepedic.

Keep in mind as you search for a wholesome crib mattress:
Soybean foam, which is often advertised as “green” and “healthful,” is generally polyurethane foam combined with 12 to 17 percent genetically engineered soybean oil and treated with toxic flame retardants. It is risky and much better avoided.Any mattress with an organic cotton surface or filling cloth can be called organic. Some “organic” mattresses have vinyl coverings. Vinyl, which is made using lead and potentially carcinogenic chemicals, is best prevented. “Organic cotton” doesn’t meet the very same criteria as organic cotton and is likely to be filled with chemicals.Look for mattress interiors made of untreated wood, metal and nontoxic adhesives.Look to get a mattress that satisfies the Global Organic Textile Standards (GOTS), meaning it is free of toxins and produced from fiber and materials certified by Europe’s National Organic Program.

ABC Carpet & Home

Coyuchi Organic Cotton Baby Blankets – $50

Organic cotton and wool are your best bets when it comes to bed pads and beddings, but bear in mind that wool mattress pads can not be machine washed. The very best mattress pad is made from tightly woven cotton. Coyuchi makes organic cotton mattress pads in addition to the vibrant organic cotton blankets shown here.

Keep in mind as you shop for infant’s bedding:
Hemp, a durable fiber from a plant which grows well with compounds, is also a good choice. Sometimes silk is inserted to make hemp fibers softer.Goose-down comforters may trigger allergies and sudden infant death syndrome.Polyurethane foam pads are treated with fire retardants, and vinyl — which, as already said, is made using lead and may wreak harmful germs — is never a good alternative.

Kalon Studios

Changing Trunk – $520

The fact is, you don’t have to buy a changing table if it is not in your budget or you lack distance. It’s possible to change your baby’s diapers onto a blanket or towel on your bed or on the ground. Changing tables are suitable, however, also this particular one from Kalon Studios is made from bamboo and finished with nontoxic wood oil.

Keep in mind as you search for a changing table :
Look for solid wood with a nontoxic, water-based finish.Wicker, when it is made from natural fibers like rattan, willow or bamboo, is durable and more affordable than hardwood.Look to get a table that’s powerful and secure and doesn’t wobble when weight is applied.Make certain the table has adequate security straps and rails to stop your baby from rolling away.

Buy Buy Baby

Organic Organic Cotton Velour Changing Pad Cover – $14.99

Bicultural Mama’s 100% organic cotton changing pad is a great alternate to chemical-soaked plastic and vinyl.

Homescapes Europa Ltd

Organic Cotton Chenille Shaggy Rug Natural Color – GBP 69.99

Area rugs are excellent in babies’ rooms, because they may be vacuumed or machine cleaned regularly. This undyed organic chenille carpet from Homescapes is comfortable underfoot and sumptuous enough to sleep on.

Keep in mind while looking for carpets:
Even natural carpets can have artificial backing, chemical dyes and fire retardants. Start looking for rugs with jute or natural latex backing and vegetable dyes.Rugs with a green Carpet and Rug Institute label have been tested for VOCs and other emissions.Consider organic wool, organic cotton or hemp. Natural fibers, such as jute, sisal, sea grass and coir, are durable but not very soft underfoot.

Carousel Designs

Flax Linen Hidden Tab Drapes

Natural-fiber shades and drapes, like these linen and cotton curtains from Carousel Designs, are your very best option. Linen holds up well in sunlight but generally requires dry cleaning, which may bring undesirable compounds. After dry cleaning these drapes, take them from the plastic and let them off-gas outside or in a well-ventilated garage before rehanging.

Some things to consider when choosing window coverings:
It is very important that you keep window-shade cords permanently from children’s reach, and never put a crib or playpen in range of a window blind.Curtains have a tendency to collect dust and dust mites, which may cause allergies and other respiratory complications, so scrub them often.Hemp fiber holds up well in sunlight.Solid wood farm colors with nontoxic finishes are easier to clean and collect less dust than drapes.

Traditional paint contains benzene, formaldehyde, mercury, solvents and petrochemicals, and it sends a cloud of VOCs in your infant’s bedroom. Investing in nontoxic, VOC-free paint is a wise choice that will keep horrible compounds from your nursery. AFM Safecoat’s no-VOC paint (shown here) comes in a vast assortment of rich colors.

A few things to remember while you’re picking paint:

Some paints carry a round Green Wise emblem on their label, which might seem like a good indication that the paint is environmentally safe. Green Wise is green scrub. The emblem means the paint meets with criteria. It doesn’t signify the paint is chemical free.
“Low odor” doesn’t mean that the paint is free of chemicals.
Zero-VOC paint is practically VOC free, but no separate standard exists to verify that.
Natural Paint, produced from food-safe ingredients from plants and minerals, and milk paint, produced from milk, pigments, lime, clay and water, are secure, chemical-free alternatives.

All-natural, nontoxic American Clay wall coverings bring a soft appearance to any nursery.

Removing wall-to-wall carpet, which off-gases compounds and harbors pollutants and toxins, is the healthiest thing you can do in your nursery. If that is not possible, seal existing carpeting using AFM Safecoat’s SafeChoice Lock Out, which keeps chemicals from off-gassing and repels dirt and stains. Cork or vibrant natural linoleum, like the kind exhibited here from Eco-Friendly Flooring, are also good bets.

Keep in mind while you’re picking flooring:
If you choose bamboo, store carefully. Prefinished bamboo flooring may off-gas formaldehyde and other damaging chemicals.If you choose carpeting, elect for untreated 100% wool carpet and have it installed utilizing a tack-down method rather than glue.Don’t pull carpeting yourself whether you’re pregnant. Pulling up the cushioning could introduce you into some cloud of PBDEs. After the carpet is eliminated, have someone clean up the tiny particles with a HEPA-filter vacuum and wash.

Cusano Construction Company Inc..

Natural wood floors finished with nontoxic oils are one of the smartest choices you can make in the nursery.

Carousel Designs

Whether you use new furnishings or hand-me-downs, a little maintenance will go a long way toward producing the healthiest room for your infant.

Some more things to remember:

Before you draw anything into the nursery, allow it to sit outside in a covered place or in a well-vented garage for a couple of weeks so that any potentially dangerous compounds can off-gas outside.
Wash everything you bring in the nursery — clothing, drapes, upholstery, and changing pads, bumper pads, even the padding from auto seats and swings with a cup to a cup and a half of vinegar to get rid of flame-retardant chemicals.
Vacuum regularly with a HEPA filter or use a wet mop twice weekly to minimize chemical particles that break off from textiles, finishes and electronic equipment.
Assess all hand-me-downs for rips, chips or tears, and repair or seal them right away.

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