Tips for decorating a natural eco-friendly nursery

Is it time to decorate a nursery for your baby? Why not consider going green? And we don’t mean sage green, emerald green or mint – we mean choosing eco-friendly, organic and natural products to help your baby flourish in a toxic-free space?

It’s important to understand the scientific reason behind looking for all organic and natural products for your baby’s room and understanding the benefits of removing our exposure to VOC’s.

What are VOCs?

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are compounds that easily become vapours or gases. They can be released from many consumer products.

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are a group of carbon-based chemicals which evaporate easily at room temperature. VOCs are organic chemicals that have a high vapor pressure. We use thousands of these chemicals in products we have around the home every day.

Is it better to limit your exposure to VOCs. It’s a good idea to check what’s contained in your cleaning products and switch to those without VOCs, perhaps choosing plant-based cleaners or organic products. Other sources may include household furnishings which tend to give off more VOC’s when they are new, carpet, furniture, paint, plastics or electronic devices.

Looking to create an organic and eco-friendly nursery?

Organic, eco-friendly toys and nursery items are widely available and more fashionable and reasonably priced than ever before. Pondering on how you can create a non-toxic, eco-friendly nursery for your little bundle of joy? These simple tips eco-conscious tips for creating a natural nursery are a great way to help you along your way:

1)     Non-toxic flooring for an eco-friendly nursery

Carpeting the whole floor might seem like a cosy option, but it’s not the eco-friendliest choice. Carpets harbour dust mites and allergens and when new, synthetic carpets contain VOCs.

If you can’t afford to rip up your current carpet, then don’t panic! The VOCs decrease over time and if your carpet is old, then the VOCs will have evaporated already. If you’ve already installed new carpet in your nursery then ensure you air out your baby’s room regularly and often.

2)     Use non-toxic paint for your baby’s nursery

Paint is full of offensive, fume-releasing chemicals. These chemicals—known as VOCs—dispel slowly, compromising air quality as they evaporate. There are some non-toxic options for paint available on the market now, so do your research before buying any paint. If you’re visiting the paint store, look at the organic paints and some will even have labels to say they are VOC free.

3)     Avoid ready-to-assemble furniture

If you’re looking for eco-friendly furniture for your baby’s nursery, give the pre-boxed furniture and the “ready-to-assemble” furnishings a miss. Furniture made using pressed-wood products, such as plywood, particleboard, and medium-density fibreboard frequently holds formaldehyde—a recognised carcinogen connected to headaches, asthma, and skin irritation.

If you have the funds for it, solid-wood furniture then this is much better for your baby. For affordable DIY furniture, you can find eco-friendlier options too – IKEA for example offer furniture made from wood obtained from sustainably managed and legally logged forests, and their pressed-wood products meet the low-formaldehyde thresholds established in Europe. Simply look for certified materials labelled “low formaldehyde” or formaldehyde-free.”

4)     Choose a natural cleaner for the eco-friendly nursery

If you’re going to be green when designing your baby’s nursery then you have to consider the cleaning products you use when it’s finished. There is no point in going green if your cleaning spray is full of toxins. For a chemical free nursery, look for brands that offer natural cleaners, or make your own cleaners using lemon, hot water and natural anti-bacterial elements.  We’ve found a good article about DIY natural cleaning sprays which you might want to look at.

5)     Buy Eco-Friendly Toys

Low-priced, plastic toys may look blameless but it’s what you can’t see that could hurt your little one. Many plastics contain chemicals, like BPAs and phthalates, which tend to leach out of plastic and into our bodies. Ditch the dangerous dump-fodder and opt for the all-natural and locally produced toys made from eco-friendly materials like organic cotton, sustainable bamboo and responsibly sourced wood.

6)     Opt for an organic cot mattress and bedding

A natural nursery’s most vital purchase should be organic bedding. An organic mattress is the single most important purchase you can make for your baby’s health.

Conventional cot mattresses are treated with toxic, fire-retardant chemicals. These chemicals evaporate with time, exposing your baby to dangerous toxins—a frightening thought bearing in mind your baby will spend as much as 16 hours a day in bed.

The Baby Ely Cot mattress offers a safer alternative. We know that some brands label their cot mattress as “Organic” and with it, hike up the price – so we have ensured that we can provide one as a reasonable and affordable cost.

Purchase your organic cot mattress here.