Taking Organic into the Bedroom

When someone starts talking about going organic you probably assume they are referring to eating organic fruits and vegetables. And while that used to be the case, going organic doesn’t stop in the kitchen anymore. Yes, you can have organically-grown fruits and vegetables….or even organic beef, chicken, milk, eggs, etc. But have you ever thought of taking organic to your bedroom?

Now before your mind starts wandering, I don’t mean bringing organic food into the bedroom. I mean lowering the level of toxins in your bedroom by switching to organic products. Did you know your home is probably filled with toxins and chemicals from your furniture to your carpets, in the aerosol sprays and cleaning products you use, to the flame retardant on your children’s clothes, etc?  A California study even found that chemicals in the home could be a possible trigger for Autism.

Considering you spend probably 1/3 of your day in your bedroom, the bedroom seems like a good place to go organic, right? Well, here are a few key steps to get you started:

1) Stop using chemical cleaners. Switch to either home-made cleaners or green cleaning supplies. Your home has enough chemicals in it, don’t make it worse by adding more.

2) Re-paint your bedroom with a less toxic paint. As you probably know, if your home was built before 1978 it more than likely has lead-based paint in it. Even if it does, there are safe, eco-friendly ways to remove that lead-based paint. But regardless of whether or not you have an older home, your bedroom paint could still contain harmful chemicals, therefore it is worth the investment to find and use a low-VOC (volatile organic compound) paint to dramatically raise the organic nature of your bedroom.

3)  Sometimes people complain of their mattress being old or worn-out and thus it being hard for them to get a good night sleep. The reality is that your current mattress may be doing you more harm than you know. Most regular mattresses are sprayed with a chemical flame retardant or stain protector, some of which have been known to contain chemicals such as formaldehyde.

What you need to do is get rid of your old mattress in favor of a truly organic mattress such as the OrganicPedic®. Their organic mattresses meet the Federal “open-flame standards” without the use of chemical flame-retardants. Add to that organic sheets and bedding and you’ve got yourself a great, organic night’s sleep.

4) What about the other furniture in your bedroom, is it made from artificial wood? It if is, you are running into a similar problem as with a non-organic mattress. The simple solution is to get yourself some organic furniture using solid wood and natural or organic fabrics.

5) Bring some of the outdoors in. Decorate your bedroom with some natural plants and/or trees. They will provide a great addition to the room and add some life as well. When you’re going organic, you can’t forget nature!

6) Last but not least, don’t forget your carpets. If you can replace the carpet in your bedroom, then do so. But please take a look at these 6 Ways to Sidestep New Carpet Smell (and Toxins) before you do.

If you can’t replace the carpet, then get them cleaned. Try to avoid companies using chemical-based cleaners instead of plant-based cleaners to “get out the stains” as that does more harm than good. Be smart about it and choose one of these eco-friendly carpet cleaning options.

In the end, consider the fact that since you probably spend 6-8+ hours a day in your bedroom, taking organic to your bedroom is an important step. Besides if you are using organic fruits, vegetables, etc in your meals, then you are probably around half-way to making your home 100% organic! I’d love to hear what steps you have taken to bring organic into your bedroom (or home).