6 Ways to Design an Eco-Friendly Nursery for Baby
When you’re preparing to have a baby, you’ll probably look through all sorts of baby magazines to get an idea of the perfect space. Unfortunately, many of the products used in these pictures may be harmful to your new child. It’s vitally important that you consider the safety of the room your child will be spending a majority of the time.
Many parents are taking the initiate to “go green” and ensure their children live in the best environment possible. Here’s how you can design an eco-friendly space for your baby.
1. Choose a safe mattress and crib bedding.
Infants will spend a lot of time in their crib, so it’s important that you buy organic bedding and accessories. Even some of the so-called eco-friendly options contain trace amounts of chemicals and toxins you would rather not have near your children. Choose fabrics made with natural dyes. If you are stuck with a traditional mattress, top it with an organic mattress pad and sheet set.
2. Use eco-friendly cleaning products.
As a society, we’re becoming more aware of how dangerous the cleaning products beneath our sink can be. Pick up some organic cleaning products for use in the baby’s room. Be sure to check all the labels for any harsh chemicals or industrial compounds. For bathing purposes, always use a natural cleaning agent on your baby’s soft, delicate skin.
3. Paint properly.
Painted walls continue to emit toxins up to three years after they’re dry. Use paint with no volatile organic compounds (VOCs). If you’re painting the room for your new little one, make sure to do it a few weeks in advance. Give the room plenty of time to air out – leave the windows open and a fan running. Leave the baby’s furniture out of the room during painting and drying.
4. Use eco-friendly furniture.
Cribs, dressers, changing tables, and shelves made with laminated wood, pressed wood, medium density fiberboard, and particle board can emit formaldehyde due to the glue in the products. Make sure everything is formaldehyde free, including the paint on each piece. If the product doesn’t have a label, look it up online based on where it was purchased so you can learn about it.
5. Stock it with organic clothing.
If you’re going to great lengths to make sure your nursery is full of safe products, you shouldn’t neglect baby’s clothing. After all, nothing will be closer to the skin. Find a manufacturer that truly cares for the environment. You can judge their commitment by their packaging: if the vendor is willing to offer post-consumer packaging, they care about their environmental impact.
6. Choose safe flooring.
Eco-friendly, natural woods and sustainable carpeting contain the fewest chemicals. Use materials like cork, natural linoleum, carpet, and bamboo. These materials are durable, so it will be a while before you need to replace them. Bamboo is especially eco-friendly because it grows quickly and doesn’t require a lot of space. Area rugs made from natural fibers such as jute, sisal, sea-grass, coir, and hemp, have become very popular. If you use conventional carpet, ask the retailer to leave it unrolled in a warehouse for at least a week to air out.
Written by Holly MacLean from Wee Urban
As a new mom, Holly was driven to start Wee Urban™ to offer the modern family a unique and fresh collection of eco-friendly baby gear and accessories that goes beyond the conventional and explores the exceptional! Tired of traditional pinks and blues and cute motifs, we offer sophisticated designs, “conscious” organic alternatives, practical functionality and superior quality. Using our custom certified organic cotton blends, low-impact dyes, and other trendsetting fabrics, we hope to inspire families to be make better choices and of course- do it all in urban style!
Beyond our organic cotton and azo-free dyes, Wee Urban uses 100% post-consumer packaging and tags for our Wee Dreams™ Sleep Bags. Our distinctive screen-printing is done with 100% eco-inks and are all phthalate free.
We also recycle our remnants and donate as much as possible to local elementary schools to help with arts and crafts programs.
For more information, visit wwww.weeurban.com
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