creating a nontoxic bedroom

I don’t know about you but I spend a lot of time in my bedroom. And as a cosleeping mama, my toddler does too. Knowing that half our life is spent in this room means that tossing out toxins and creating a relaxing and safe sleep environment is a huge priority.

If you are brand new to going “green”, I encourage you to take small baby steps. Start with laundry detergent, shampoo, body wash, lotion or makeup. Then slowly work your way from there. Don’t get overwhelmed. I promise it is easier than you think!

We have been mostly toxic free for the last two years now so I knew I needed to finally tackle our bedroom. And I’m so excited to share a few of my favorite items and tips.

First thing first is your mattress. Choosing a non toxic mattress is important because you are sleeping on your mattress every day and whatever chemicals your mattress is off gassing, you are breathing in and absorbing. Traditional mattresses are made of toxic materials and are also sprayed with them (formaldehyde and other flame retardants to name a few). Formaldehyde is now known to cause cancer and yet it is used in thousands of products. The average person is said to keep their same mattress for at least a decade. That adds up to a lot of toxic exposure.

When choosing a new mattress I went to some conventional mattress stores and tried out several options and I left feeling dizzy and with a headache. I’m very sensitive to smells and chemicals and I knew that a traditional mattress wasn’t an option for us.

I ended up purchasing a 100% latex mattress with an organic cotton and wool cover. Wool is a natural flame retardant and a great non toxic option. And while I felt good about our new mattress, it wasn’t as comfortable as I was hoping. So I knew I needed to find a topper that was both non toxic AND soft enough to provide pressure relief. Latex is extremely natural and non toxic and it can be somewhat “soft”. It’s a unique feel. Firmer than a pillow top but it doesn’t conform the way memory foam does. It does have good give but I prefer a plush feel so I knew it needed tweaking. I finally found two products that work wonderfully!

First up is a wool topper from Frankenmuth Woolen Mill. Initially, I was very nervous to try a wool mattress pad. A previous product I tried smelled so strongly that I couldn’t use it even after airing it out for a month. The barn/petting zoo smell was even noticeable in the hallway outside of my bedroom.

However, I am happy to say that I love the mattress pad from Frankenmuth Woolen Mill! It is cozy and adds just the right amount of cushion. The outside cover is organic cotton and soft. I’ve had no issues at all with odor and the quality is amazing. The company behind this product is equally impressive. If you are in need of any wool bedding, I highly recommend this company.

As for comfort, wool is soft yet supportive. My favorite thing about wool is that it is naturally antibacterial/fungal/microbial. It is also very temperature regulating so you never get too hot or too cold. If you prefer the feel of a pillow top and a more fluffy type sleep experience, a wool topper will be perfect for you!

The second topper I tried was a memory foam topper from Plush Beds. Memory foam is a beloved option due to its pressure relieving abilities. Memory foam will never be as non toxic as a latex or wool topper but I was determined to find the cleanest one available.  After all my research, Plush Beds was the only company I could find who had memory foam that was green guard gold certified. Their memory foam is made from foam sourced from plant materials instead of petroleum products. Almost all tradition memory foam is petroleum based and extremely toxic. I am so happy to have a better and safer option! Plush Beds also offers latex toppers (what they are known for) as well as mattresses. All of Plush Beds products are green guard gold certified.

As for comfort, the memory foam topper has a completely different feel from a wool topper. Where a wool topper is fluffy and cozy, a memory foam topper is conforming and pressure relieving. I personally have the 4lb memory foam and it offers wonderful pressure relief even though I only weigh 120. If you are significantly overweight I would recommend getting the 5lb foam for better support. The Plush Beds topper offers immediate response/sinkage (you don’t slowly sink deeper) which is nice. Also, it doesn’t sleep hot at all which is a concern for some. I got the cotton cover that you can add on to your topper and I recommend it.

Over all, you can’t go wrong with either of these toppers! I have loved sleeping on both of them.

Next up is bedding. Now, if there is one thing you don’t have to purchase organic, it’s your washable bedding. Although organic cotton is better for the environment, if you need to save money somewhere, your bedding is the place to do it. The toxins stored in cotton bedding will be washed out in the creation of the bedding and any residual will be washed out when you wash your bedding before use. I did purchase organic cotton sheets because they were amazing quality and were extremely soft. But I also have a set of cotton flannel sheets that are not organic (keeping it honest). For my duvet, I purchased one from Amazon that was 100% organic cotton with down filling. My duvet cover is from Ikea and is also 100% cotton.

Now let’s talk clean air. Get a good air purifier! The amount of circulating toxins in our home has a huge burden on our bodies. A high quality air purifier can remove almost all of the dust, mold, allergens, and vocs. My 7 year old has severe environmental allergies and our allergist was the one who recommended an air purifier. After having it for awhile, I am now on the hunt for a whole house system. We all love it! We went with the Rabbit Air purifier and I definitely recommend it. It’s easy to use, so quiet, minimalist, and saves you money with long lasting filters. The settings are very customizable (via a remote or the touch screen front) and it even has a setting to make it a negative ionizer. Negative ions counteract the abundance of positive ions produced by electronics. There are so many benefits to negative ions! This purifier removes all odors/pollutants and we are definitely breathing easier and sleeping better.

Lastly, if you don’t have an essential oil diffuser in your bedroom, get one!! Oils have thousands of benefits and uses and we love diffusing oils in the evening (and at nap time) that promote restful sleep. A bonus to the health benefits of oils is that you can have a great smelling home without synthetic fragrances and toxins. We normally diffuse thieves+orange during the day and gentle baby+lavender for nap. At night we are currently doing lavender+cedarwood+peace and calming for the adults and my boys diffuse sleepize+dreamcatcher. It’s our favorite part of bedtime!

Just remember that every step you take toward ditching toxins can make a huge impact on you and your family! We are the gatekeepers of our homes and we decide what toxins come in or go out. I am just so thankful that we have so many options now!