Give Your Baby the Healthiest, Safest Nursery Possible
Protect your newborn by choosing nontoxic nursery furniture, bedding, rugs and paint. We give you all the details here
Babies spend most of their first year sleeping. So naturally they should have the safest, most nurturing space possible, right? The Environmental Protection Agency has found that indoor air is two to five times more polluted than outdoor air, and many of the pollutants and chemicals that could harm your baby aren't visible to the naked eye. Plastics and vinyl can off-gas potentially harmful phthalates and BPA, and many textiles are treated with toxic flame retardants. Thankfully, in light of this, the marketplace has responded with chemical-free cribs and furniture and organic mattresses and sheets, all of which feel better, smell better and help keep your baby comfortable, healthy and safe.
Naturepedic Organic Cotton Quilted Deluxe 252 Crib Mattress
Traditional crib mattresses are made from plastics, which leach BPA and phthalates, and are treated with flame-retardant chemicals known as PBDEs. All of these chemicals can be absorbed through baby's skin and ingested or inhaled, harming developing hormone and nervous systems. Some are potential carcinogens.
You can avoid putting your baby to sleep in a bed full of chemicals by opting for vinyl-free wool and cotton mattresses such as this one from Naturepedic.
Keep in mind as you shop for a healthy crib mattress:
You can avoid putting your baby to sleep in a bed full of chemicals by opting for vinyl-free wool and cotton mattresses such as this one from Naturepedic.
Keep in mind as you shop for a healthy crib mattress:
- Soybean foam, which is often advertised as “green” and “healthy,” is usually polyurethane foam mixed with 12 to 17 percent genetically engineered soybean oil and treated with toxic flame retardants. It’s risky and better avoided.
- Any mattress with an organic cotton filling or surface fabric can be called organic. Some “organic” mattresses have vinyl coverings. Vinyl, which is made using lead and potentially carcinogenic chemicals, is best avoided.
- "Natural cotton” does not meet the same standards as organic cotton and is likely to be full of chemicals.
- Look for mattress interiors made of untreated wood, metal and nontoxic adhesives.
- Look for a mattress that meets the Global Organic Textile Standards (GOTS), which means it's free of toxins and made from fiber and fabrics certified by Europe’s National Organic Program.
Coyuchi Organic Cotton Baby Blankets
Organic cotton and organic wool are your best bets when it comes to mattress pads and beddings, but keep in mind that wool mattress pads can’t be machine washed. The best mattress pad is made from tightly woven organic cotton. Coyuchi makes organic cotton mattress pads as well as the colorful organic cotton blankets shown here.
Keep in mind as you shop for baby’s bedding:
Keep baby safe with hypoallergenic bedding
Keep in mind as you shop for baby’s bedding:
- Hemp, a durable fiber from a plant that grows well without chemicals, is also a good choice. Sometimes silk is added to make hemp fibers softer.
- Goose-down comforters may trigger allergies and sudden infant death syndrome.
- Polyurethane foam pads are treated with flame retardants, and vinyl — which, as already mentioned, is made using lead and can off-gas harmful carcinogens — is never a good option.
Keep baby safe with hypoallergenic bedding
Changing Trunk
The fact is, you don’t have to buy a changing table if it’s not in your budget or you lack space. You can change your baby’s diapers on a towel or blanket on your bed or on the floor. Changing tables are convenient, however, and this one from Kalon Studios is made from bamboo and finished with nontoxic wood oil.
Keep in mind as you shop for a changing table:
Keep in mind as you shop for a changing table:
- Look for solid wood with a nontoxic, water-based finish.
- Wicker, when it’s made from natural fibers such as rattan, willow or bamboo, is durable and more affordable than hardwood.
- Look for a table that is strong and secure and doesn’t wobble when weight is applied.
- Make sure the table has adequate safety straps and rails to prevent your baby from rolling off.
Natural Organic Cotton Velour Changing Pad Cover
Bicultural Mama’s 100 percent organic cotton changing pad is a great alternative to chemical-soaked plastic and vinyl.
Organic Cotton Chenille Shaggy Rug Natural Color
Area rugs are great in babies’ rooms, because they can be vacuumed or machine washed frequently. This undyed organic chenille rug from Homescapes is comfortable underfoot and sumptuous enough to sleep on.
Keep in mind when shopping for rugs:
Keep in mind when shopping for rugs:
- Even natural rugs can have synthetic backing, chemical dyes and flame retardants. Look 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, including jute, sisal, sea grass and coir, are durable but not very soft underfoot.
Flax Linen Hidden Tab Drapes
Natural-fiber shades and curtains, such as these linen and cotton drapes from Carousel Designs, are your best bet. Linen holds up well in sunlight but usually requires dry cleaning, which can bring unwanted chemicals. After dry cleaning these curtains, take them out of the plastic and let them off-gas outside or in a well-ventilated garage before rehanging.
A few things to consider when choosing window coverings:
A few things to consider when choosing window coverings:
- It is imperative that you keep window-shade cords permanently out of children’s reach, and never place a crib or playpen within reach of a window blind.
- Curtains tend to collect dust and dust mites, which can cause allergies and other respiratory complications, so wash them often.
- Hemp fiber holds up well in sunlight.
- Solid wood plantation shades with nontoxic finishes are easier to clean and collect less dust than curtains.
Conventional paint contains benzene, formaldehyde, mercury, solvents and petrochemicals, and it sends a cloud of VOCs into your baby’s bedroom. Investing in nontoxic, VOC-free paint is a wise choice that will keep nasty chemicals out of your nursery. AFM Safecoat’s no-VOC paint (shown here) comes in a wide range of rich colors.
Pick the perfect paint with a professional’s help
A few things to keep in mind when you’re selecting paint:
• Some paints carry a circular Green Wise logo on their label, which would seem like a good indication that the paint is environmentally safe. Sadly, Green Wise is green wash. The logo means only that the paint meets standards set by paint manufacturers. It doesn’t mean 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 independent standard exists to verify that.
• Natural paint, made from food-safe ingredients from plants and minerals, and milk paint, made from milk protein, pigments, lime, clay and water, are safe, chemical-free choices.
Pick the perfect paint with a professional’s help
A few things to keep in mind when you’re selecting paint:
• Some paints carry a circular Green Wise logo on their label, which would seem like a good indication that the paint is environmentally safe. Sadly, Green Wise is green wash. The logo means only that the paint meets standards set by paint manufacturers. It doesn’t mean 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 independent standard exists to verify that.
• Natural paint, made from food-safe ingredients from plants and minerals, and milk paint, made from milk protein, pigments, lime, clay and water, are safe, chemical-free choices.
All-natural, nontoxic American Clay wall coverings bring a soft look to any nursery.
Removing wall-to-wall carpet, which off-gases chemicals and harbors toxins and pollutants, is the healthiest thing you can do in your nursery. If this isn’t possible, seal existing carpet using AFM Safecoat’s SafeChoice Lock Out, which keeps chemicals from off-gassing and repels dirt and stains. Cork or colorful natural linoleum, such as the kind shown here from Eco-Friendly Flooring, are also good bets.
Deep-clean carpet before baby arrives
Keep in mind when you’re choosing flooring:
Deep-clean carpet before baby arrives
Keep in mind when you’re choosing flooring:
- If you choose bamboo, shop carefully. Prefinished bamboo flooring can off-gas formaldehyde and other harmful chemicals.
- If you choose carpet, opt for untreated 100 percent wool carpet and have it installed using a tack-down method rather than glue.
- Don’t pull up carpet yourself if you are pregnant. Pulling up the padding could expose you to a cloud of PBDEs. After the carpet is removed, have someone clean up the small particles with a HEPA-filter vacuum and mop.
Natural wood floors finished with nontoxic oils are one of the smartest choices you can make in the nursery.
Whether you use new furnishings or hand-me-downs, a little maintenance will go a long way toward creating the healthiest room for your baby.
A few more things to remember:
• Before you bring anything into the nursery, let it sit outside in a covered area or in a well-vented garage for a couple of weeks so that any potentially harmful chemicals can off-gas outside.
• Wash everything you bring into the nursery — clothing, curtains, upholstery, changing pads, bumper pads, even the padding from car seats and swings — with a cup to a cup and a half of vinegar to remove flame-retardant chemicals.
• Vacuum often with a HEPA filter or use a wet mop twice a week to minimize chemical particles that break off from textiles, finishes and electronics.
• Check all hand-me-downs for rips, tears or chips, and repair or seal them right away.
A few more things to remember:
• Before you bring anything into the nursery, let it sit outside in a covered area or in a well-vented garage for a couple of weeks so that any potentially harmful chemicals can off-gas outside.
• Wash everything you bring into the nursery — clothing, curtains, upholstery, changing pads, bumper pads, even the padding from car seats and swings — with a cup to a cup and a half of vinegar to remove flame-retardant chemicals.
• Vacuum often with a HEPA filter or use a wet mop twice a week to minimize chemical particles that break off from textiles, finishes and electronics.
• Check all hand-me-downs for rips, tears or chips, and repair or seal them right away.
Keep in mind as you shop for a healthy crib: