Possibly the most exciting room to decorate is a baby nursery and it’s easy to do this in a eco-friendly way. Using organic materials is important to a developing baby’s health. Use these tips to avoid toxins and create a safe and adorable nursery!
Crib:
All new cribs must meet federal Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) guidelines. But these guidelines don’t address materials such as composite woods made with formaldehyde, or paints or polyurethanes containing fungicides, and other additives that you really don’t want a baby chewing on. Tracy Tullis for The Green Guide
Chemicals often found in conventional mattresses such as polyurethane foam, nylon, polyester, and vinyl are treated with harmful chemicals which can accumulate in breast milk and in fat. Scary thought! To ensure your baby’s safety, try buying crib mattresses made with organic cotton, wool padding and natural rubber- all chemical free!
Bedding:
Whether or not you choose a natural mattress or not, you can use an organic mattress pad as a barrier between the mattress and your baby. Organic materials such as hemp fabric can be used to make pillows, blankets, diapers etc. Even toys can be made in organic materials so you don’t have to worry about your baby cuddling up to something that could be harmful to him or her.
Rugs, Flooring and Paint:
Your child is going to spend a lot of time on the floor crawling, playing and spending time with you. Wood floors with a non-toxic sealer are going to be your best bet for being eco-friendly. If you have carpet, I recommend using rugs as they are easy to wash, keep clean. There are many natural-fiber rugs out there!
Some of the least toxic paints include Auro Paints (aurousa.com), Benjamin Moore’s Pristine EcoSpec (benjaminmoore.com) and BioShield casein milk paints (bioshieldpaint.com). Basically, what you are looking for is any paint and primer made with low VOCs.
Luckily, going green is very popular right now so shopping for an eco-friendly nursery isn’t as difficult as one might think.
organic cotton crib sheet
100% wool baby blanket
You have great ideas and products!