Mom Goes Green

I had a completely different post planned for today, but in light of a recent conversation, I just had to write this instead.

You might recall a post last spring when we were in the market for a mattress for our son.  We wanted an organic, chemical-free mattress so we could have peace of mind while he was getting a peaceful night’s rest.  The issue is the excessive chemicals sprayed on traditional mattresses to make them meet government standards for fire retardants.  They are so, so dangerous for everyone, since we inhale these toxic chemicals each and every night, but especially for children with developing bodies and systems.

Well, a friend of ours recently contacted us and wanted to know about the mattress we ended up buying.  When I sent him the information he told me that the mattress store he just visited told him that he was “unable to buy that type of mattress without a prescription” (presumably because they are also hypo-allergenic) and “they have to use chemical fire retardants to meet standards”.

This is where my blood started to boil.

The reality is that they were lying to our friend simply because they didn’t HAVE what he was looking for and, obviously, would go to any length to make a sale.

The truth of the matter is this:   Mattresses do NOT need to be sprayed with chemicals to make them fire retardant! They do, however, need to meet standards for BEING fire retardant.  There are other ways to meet this standard but unfortunately, for consumers, the cheapest way to do this is simply to spray on a load of dangerous chemicals.

The mattress we chose was from Savvy Rest (via Healthy Home Sleep Gallery).  Since organic wool is quilted to the inside of the organic cotton fabric cover, THIS is the non-flammable layer that inhibits burning and makes it pass these tests.

I absolutely hate the fact that a mattress retailer would tell such lies just for the sake of a sale.  But on top of that, they are completely misleading consumers about the truth.

Of course, there are honest retailers out there, but if you are in the market for a new mattress, don’t be misled.  You CAN buy a safe, non-toxic mattress… no prescription needed.

We’ve long been in the market for a mattress since our son is growing like a weed and, much to my dismay, he’s outgrown his toddler bed.  I’d never given much thought to mattresses aside from finding the most comfortable choice, but I’m quickly learning that there is a whole lot more to the story.

I first recollected my dear friend, Kev, telling me how he began to feel sick and even experienced hallucinations the very first night he began sleeping on his Memory Foam mattress cover.  He described it as an all-over “un-well” feeling.  After a few days and nights of being sick, he removed the cover and all symptoms disappeared.  Needless to say, the mattress cover met the trash.

So I’ve been researching mattresses and the results are not good.  I’ve learned that beginning July 1, 2007, Federal Fire Retardant Regulations mandated mattress manufacturers to INCREASE the levels of toxic fire retardants, but DO NOT require them to list the ingredients in the contents! THAT is absurd… and certainly not without questions.

And what do these fire retardants contain?… boric acid, melamine, antimony and formaldehyde… all chemicals linked to cancer, and they just “upped our dosage!”.  Antimony alone causes heart muscle damage and a single dermal application has killed rabbits in laboratory tests.  (I don’t like animal testing, but that speaks volumes.)  Additional tests on Memory Foam mattresses even detected 61 chemical emissions and off-gassing from a single mattress.  All I can think about is my son’s precious body laying on these chemicals, night after night, and his little lungs inhaling those dangerous toxins.  Rest is supposed to rejuvenate us, not poison us!  But take a look.

I quickly realized that our only option was an organic mattress.  They’re made of pure organic wool, 100% organic cotton covers and 100% natural latex cores, providing even better fire retardancy than the chemicals… naturally!  We selected a mattress from Healthy Home Sleep Gallery, and although we paid more than the common mattress store brands, I have never second guessed this choice for the health and safety of our son. (They can ship anywhere in the US and if you mention Mom Goes Green, they offered to give an additional discount.)

My days with baby beds have sadly come and gone, but there are also great options for crib mattresses. The Natural Mat Company offers mattresses, as well as bedding and linens, and their products are made with all natural and organic materials. They’re washable, breathable, anti-dust mite and naturally fire retardant too.  They are truly the most important and best products for baby when you consider how much time they actually spend sleeping (… you hope!)  And if I had that choice to make all over again, I would undoubtedly choose organic.  (Natural Mat products are available through Goore’s and you can also enter code: mggnm for a 10% discount!)

It’s shocking, maddening and ultimately very sad that we aren’t being protected from harsh and toxic chemicals that are literally being shoved under our noses as we sleep, so I made the choice to do what I can to protect our son by choosing organic.

Now, when our “big boy” is getting a good night’s rest, I can get a good night’s rest too.