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Annie B. Bond

Safe Baby Mattress on a Budget? Ask Annie

posted by Annie B. Bond Oct 15, 2008 3:00 pm
filed under: Blogs, Ask Annie, Children, Health & Safety, , , , ,
Safe Baby Mattress on a Budget? Ask Annie
11 comments

Dear Annie,
I am pregnant with my second child, and as much as I want to buy an organic wool mattress for my new baby, I can’t afford it. I bought a mattress and am outgassing it on the porch, hoping that all the smells will be gone. Is that OK? –Sara, NY

Dear Sara,
It is great that you are aware of toxics in baby furniture, an important first step. My suggestion for you is to air the mattress out like you are doing, but to also to make a cotton barrier cloth cover for it. Barrier cloth is a very tightly woven material consisting of a 440 thread count that blocks most fumes and dust mites. Just make sure to wash the barrier cloth frequently.

When I was getting my daughter’s nursery together I found a used mattress for sale at a garage sale because I knew that it would be fully outgassed. I then covered it with a barrier cloth. I felt quite satisfied that she was sleeping on a non-toxic mattress with those steps.

While you are buying the barrier cloth, get some extra to make a safe car seat: Chemical Dangers in Car Seats.

More on Ask Annie (117 articles available)
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11 comments

11 comments

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11 comments add your comment
Jennifer R.

With bedsharing, you would want to buy yourself a non-toxic mattress or else you have the same issues with chemicals in the mattress.

Becky B.

A word of caution about Ikea's mattresses - even though they do not contain PBDEs, they do have chemical flame retardants if they are sold in the USA. We may not know whether these alternative chemicals are safe, but new Ikea mattresses do not smell non-toxic. I have heard that some Ikea mattresses sold in Canada are chemical flame retardant free. Also make sure latex products are 100% natural latex, otherwise they come from petroleum products and out-gassing is a problem.

Becky B.

Just a warning about Ikea's mattresses. They still contain chemical flame retardants if they are sold in the USA - they are PBDE free, but we do not know what the replacement chemicals are or how safe. I do know that they outgass because they smell toxic when new. Some Ikea mattresses sold in Canada are free of all flame retardants.

Brittany Beckman

Northern Naturals sells a type of chemical-free cotton foam mattress, not for babies, though, because they are intended for futons and too billowy for safe infant sleep.

My own mattress is a White Lotus Boulder style mattress, 100 percent cotton, not organic though. It cost only about 600 for a Queen size. They have a good selection of toddler and crib mattresses, too.

Brittany Beckman

Is latex really safe? I heard it too gasses off.

Eric Gahan

Here's a great link for American-made natural kids mattresses & bedding with local ingredients: http://www.earthsake.com/kid_mattress.html

Our children should sleep with healthy PBDE-free, chemical-free mattresses & bedding -- Earthsake uses organic PureGrow wool from local farms as a natural fire-retardant in their mattresses & bedding:
http://www.earthsake.com/kid_mattress.html

Elena N.

I heard that IKEA matresses only fit IKEA cribs. This makes it hard for families who bought a used non-IKEA crib...

Jo A.
  • Jo A. says
  • Oct 18, 2008 8:42 PM

Here is a link to a site that has eco-friendly bedroom products such as mattresses.
http://www.greatgreenlist.com/Bedroom-41.html

Annie Bond

Thanks for the headsup about the Ikea mattresses.

Audric Moses

Ikea's 100% latex mattresses are also PBDE, polyurethane, and PVC-free...our Swedish pals tend to have much higher standards for toxins than us Canadians and Americans :-)

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