Alternative Bedding Options
Our house is now diaper and crib free. YAY! and SAD! The mix of emotions these changes has brought on are too many to list…and would be probably be enough for its own blog post. But getting rid of one thing sometimes brings the opportunity to learn about a new thing.
One such thing for us was bedding options for the kids. Through our natural health journey, we learned about the various chemicals/VOC’s a new mattress can off-gas. More information on that can be found on EWG’s website here.
Chemicals used in mattresses can cause respiratory and reproductive problems, worsen pre-existing health conditions, and are possible contributors to cancer. My husband has worked in environments using chemicals and metals most of his life. To this day – he still struggles to properly detox them even after following a few detoxing protocols and going through the GAPS diet to heal the gut. These things are not to be messed with!
Seeing as our kids would be spending around 10-12 hours sleeping in their beds (I wonder what that’s like) we figured this would be one way to decrease their exposure to all sorts of nasty chemicals. The “new mattress smell” may go away after a couple days, but when trying to pinpoint how long the off-gassing would continue there was no definitive answer other than: unknown.
When we first started doing research about alternative options our eyes bugged out of our heads at the price tags!!! Not too shocking, but having a smaller budget meant we couldn’t afford to purchase an organic mattress, even though it seemed like the best option. If budget allows for organic, here are some tips and definitions from Wellness Mama’s “How to Choose an Organic Mattress (+ My Top Mattress Reviews)” blog post:
“Terms like “natural” and “eco-friendly” are unregulated for mattresses. They also don’t mean that the mattress is made of natural materials. A mattress must be 95% organic to meet USDA organic mattress standards and be labeled as organic. Some mattresses may use organic cotton or organic wool for the top layer but check before assuming an organic label means an entirely natural mattress.
If a mattress is certified organic, it is certified by a third party. Look for terms like:
GOTS – Global Organic Textile Standard. Mattresses with this certification must use at least 95% certified organic fibers for all fabric used.
GOLS – This stands for Global Organic Latex Standard and is the first third party standard for organic latex. It specifies that the latex used must be at least 95% organic latex.
GREENGUARD – An independent certification that requires environmental chamber tests for over 360 chemicals. This certification specifies that a mattress is low in VOCs, phthalates, formaldehyde, and other harmful chemicals and that it is safe for children and the elderly.
If you’re buying a mattress that contains both cotton/wool and latex, it is good for it to have all these certifications.”
As I mentioned, we needed something less expensive, which meant we had to loosen up some of the criteria. We wanted to be able to test the mattress before buying it, so we looked for someplace local that stocked a better alternative. Thankfully we found one place that was in our price range and made with less chemicals.
Here’s what we ended up getting: Green Choice Keystone Mattress from Denver Mattress. Although it’s not certified GOTS or GreenGuard and/or organic, we felt it was a better option.
Once we got it home, there were two other things we did to help decrease the off-gassing. We opened the mattress in a room that wasn’t used much and let it air out for at least a week. I have to mention that around 9 years ago (pre-health journey) Jason and I bought a foam mattress that I’m sure was loaded with everything – and it stunk SO BAD – for quite a few days and continued to linger for a while. With the Green Choice mattresses there was a slight smell for one day and then nothing. I feel that says a lot.
In addition to airing it out, I diffused Young Living’s Purification essential oil in the same room for 1-2 days. Although I have no scientific data this does anything other than make things smell nice; we felt it may help disperse things and decrease the length of off-gassing. Afterall, some oils are strong enough to kill mold, so didn’t hurt to try. Please note that some people may be sensitive to the oils used in Purification, so use with caution.
Since we were concerned with the mattress, we went a couple steps further and got these:
~ Gotcha Covered Waterproof Mattress Cover, which is 100% GOTS certified organic cotton jersey knit
~ Threshold Organic Cotton Solid Sheet Sets, which are made from 100% organic cotton and Oeko-Tex Standard 100 Certified
Overall, we’re happy with the choices we made. The mattresses are comfy (aka – we don’t mind falling asleep with them – at least I don’t – Jason has a hard time fitting on a twin size, lol)! The mattress cover is not noisy at all and the sheets are soft; both have washed well too. We can’t prevent them from encountering harmful chemicals all the time, but I’m sure their little bodies appreciate the help when they get it!
