Chemicals in Your Bed-

The Washington Post published an article yesterday about the chemicals in conventional mattresses. Flame retardants and stain repellents are made from chemicals that release into the air as we sleep. Here is an uplifting quote from the article:

"A 2006 Consumer Product Safety Commission study estimated that the average adult sleeping on a conventional mattress will be exposed to 0.802 milligrams of antimony and 0.081 milligrams of boric acid -- which is commonly used to kill cockroaches -- every night."

The organic and chemical free mattress has been way out of reach for most of us, economically, and still is to a large degree. But thankfully, as more people are caring about chemicals in our homes, there are now more options. They certainly aren't as cheap as the old chemically laden kind, but there are more out there if you are in the market for a new mattress for you or your kids. I just did a quick search on the sites recommended in the Washington Post article and the cheapest options run about $1,200 (and that is $400 more than I paid for a new mattress about 7 years ago!) for an adult queen bed. Sigh. Looks like I'll be breathing in and sleeping on chemicals for years to come.

This article also shares tips for how to minimize exposure if you are still sleeping on your old bed. Read the article here.

A good tip to limit the off gassing of these chemicals is to seal the mattress in a full cover during use. I know these are readily available for crib mattresses, so this is a more affordable step for many of us with young children.

For more information about the chemicals in flame retardants and stain repellents in mattresses, visit this article from Healthy Child, Healthy World.

photo by www.nontoxic.com