Is Your Bedroom Toxic?

Posted by: admin

I experienced one of the worst headaches of my life when someone, in an attempt to be thoughtful, placed one of those liquid air fresheners on the headboard of my bed. For six hours or so I breathed that stuff in, and when I woke up it felt like someone was trying to split my head open . . . from the inside. Although the bedroom is supposed to be a place of rest and rejuvenation, the air quality in the average bedroom is poor and sometimes toxic. The standard mattress outgasses chemicals for years after it’s purchased. Most people have no idea that they are sleeping on a mattress manufactured with formaldehyde and various carcinogenic chemicals. Your bed may be making you sick.

Needless to say our largest organ, the skin will absorb whatever we’re sleeping on. We also breath in the chemicals in bedding and furniture. Pesticides, herbicides, fire retardants, and stain-resistant solvents are routinely used to manufacture bedding. Wood bed frames may be treated with paint or stain. Metal frames may be treated with chemicals to keep them from rusting. Sheets and blankets advertised as Wrinkle Free indicate the presence of additional chemicals.

Your mattress is the biggest contributor to poor air quality in your bedroom. Synthetic polyurethane, which is used in mattresses, pillows, sofas, and chairs, is made from petrochemicals—carcinogens. If this material burns, it is incredibly toxic. Several states have laws that require manufacturers of beds and bedding to treat their products with flame retardants. All of this contributes to the poor air quality of your bedroom.

In case you didn’t know about the danger of flame retardants, let me give you a quick tutorial. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers, or PBDEs for short, are commonly used fire retardants. As a class they tend to be toxic and endocrine disruptors. They also disrupt the brains of developing fetuses. The retardants escape from foam cushions as household dust. European studies have found them in the tissues of arctic whales. A Swedish study found that they were accumulating in breast tissue.

With all that said, the real problem is not knowing what your bed is made of. Usually furniture manufacturers do not reveal what is in their products. If you try to get exact information about materials, they make vague claims about their materials being natural or eco-friendly. Using buzz words is not exactly reassuring.

Unfortunately, concrete information is not often detailed in consumer literature so the consumer does not have any way to know what process the latex has been through. Please note that if you are allergic to latex, it may be that you are allergic to synthetic latex and not is natural alternative that comes right out of the tree. In another example, products are often imported from countries such as China and fumigated for pests. Do you know what chemicals were used? Try getting that documentation from the manufacturer and see how far you get.

It is possible to find products that are not manufactured with toxic chemicals and petrochemicals. There is 100 percent natural latex that can be washed and dried which rids most if not all of any residual chemicals from the product.

Pure wool bedding is naturally fire resistant and does not release toxic chemicals when it does burn. If you are allergic to wool, it may be that you are actually allergic to the lanolin in the wool. Often people with wool or latex toppers on their beds have no adverse reactions to wool.

In general it is a good practice to encase your bed (and pillows) with a cotton barrier. You may be thinking that plastic would be better, but plastic will outgas too. A cotton barrier will reduce mattress emissions, dust mites, and allergens from the air. If your bed frame is treated with some sort of paint or stain, consider a sealant.

Another way to improve indoor air quality is to use an air filter. These are especially good for people that experience breathing problems or sleep apnea. As materials age, they release chemicals into the air that irritate the airway.

If you’re looking to buy a new bed, there are many green varieties available in organic cotton, wool, and natural latex. Another alternative is to buy a used mattress. Used mattresses have outgassed most of their chemicals. If you decide to buy a natural mattress Sheep are regularly dipped to prevent parasites, so you must specify organic wool. If your bed is made of particleboard—an engineered wood–it is definitely releasing formaldehyde.

Needless to say, air quality can affect the quality of sleep you get. Air fresheners, dirty air filters, and even candles contribute to the air pollution of your bedroom. If you notice you don’t breath well in your bedroom or that you sneeze, cough, or your sinuses generally become irritated, consider getting an air filter. The newer models are quiet and you’ll be amazed at how better rested you’ll be. You may also find that your allergies improve.

If you do like candles, you don’t have to give them up. Simply use soy candles. They burn clean and won’t contribute to poor air quality.

Look for mattresses and bedding that are made from natural products such as latex and watch for labels that claim to be stain resistant or wrinkle free. That means the bedding has been treated with chemicals.

Lastly, if you’ve bought new furniture and smell that synthetic smell, let them sit in the garage for a few day. It will go a long way in helping to reduce the amount of indoor air pollution.

You may also be interested in–

50 Houseplants That Purify Your Home and Office

Indoor Air in Homes Often Contaminated with Formaldehyde from Building Materials
Many consumers may not be aware that formaldehyde, a toxin and carcinogen commonly used in the embalming process, is also one of the most common ingredients in many materials that make up a normal home. As a result, many household items …