Detox Your Kids? Bedrooms

Are you concerned about the toxic nature of the furniture, bedding, flooring, and so forth in your kids’ bedrooms? Other parents are in agreement with you, and looking for ways to detoxify the room where their kids spend so much time. Here are some ideas to help you make your kids’ bedrooms a safer, more pleasant place to be.

Bedding

The central part of most bedrooms is the bed itself. Depending on your budget, you can replace your child’s mattress with a natural rubber one. Synthetic foams and plastics found in conventional mattresses can out-gas potentially dangerous – possibly even carcinogenic – vapors. Natural rubber mattresses provide the spring and support without the chemicals.

Regardless of the kind of mattress you use, cover it in natural wool or organic cotton sheets and blankets. Wool comforters are especially warm, and naturally flame-retardant. Look for bedding that is dyed with natural pigments rather than synthetic ones.

Flooring

Take up carpet and refinish your hardwood floors underneath with eco-friendly stains and varnishes. If you don’t have hardwood, put down an eco-friendly flooring choice such as natural linoleum, cork, or bamboo. If you want carpet, try wool carpet and avoid toxic glues and adhesives.

Furniture

Depending on the age of your child, you can get pretty creative here. If you have an older child, design a social area where he or she can visit with friends. Use eco-friendly, used or refurbished furniture. There are really interesting things out there these days – tables made from old framed pictures, for instance, or chairs made from recycled bottles or cans. But since you are detoxifying, steer clear from plastics – even recycled ones.

If you are investing in new furniture, choose natural wood furniture without synthetic varnish or shellac. Bamboo and mango wood are eco-friendly choices.

Window Treatments

As with the bedding, choose fabrics that are natural and dyed with non-synthetic pigments. Cotton, wool, and linen are good choices. Don’t get too elaborate with the window treatment, however – lots of fabric folds can harbor dust, dirt, and animal hair. Plus, you want to let in natural light.

The Walls

Again, in with the creativity! Once you have found a non-toxic, eco-friendly paint that is low in volatile organic compounds (VOCs), the sky’s the limit. Do faux textures, sponge painting, murals, and so forth. Or skip the paint altogether and cover your kids’ walls with postcards, cut-up magazines, antique maps, or other interesting papers. This might be a good time to break out all your kids’ artwork that you saved over the years!

Lighting

As long as you establish some safety rules, candles are an eco-friendly, non-toxic option for your older child’s or teen’s room. Get candles that are made of natural beeswax or vegetable oils, and not full of synthetic, chemical scents. For brighter lighting, your child may enjoy strings of LED lights. Use CFLs in lamps and overhead light fixtures. And open things up to allow as much natural light as possible.

---

If you liked this post, submit your email address below to get new posts by email:

Disclaimer: This website is not a substitute for consultation with your health care giver. You should not use any of the exercises or treatments mentioned in this website, without clearance from your physician or health care provider.

Disclosure: When I mention products, you must assume I will receive compensation for doing so. However, I only recommend products and services I myself use or believe in and would recommend to my own sisters and mother. Nevertheless, you should perform your own due diligence before purchasing a product or service mentioned in this website.