Thinking about the environment means looking at what one spends money on when it comes to children. Diapers, clothing, bedding and also nursery furniture and all considerations of an eco-friendly upbringing. When one first starts looking at these things in detail, it can be surprising to find that there are a lot of potentially hazardous issues. This article is going to talk about nursery furniture and nursery materials and their potential hazard to the health of your baby and the environment and what to look for instead.

First of all when it comes to the nursery there are many things one wants to do with it; paint it, put in new flooring and clean it. Carpets, paint and cleaning products all can emit toxic fumes called volatile organic compounds of which some are carcinogenic and can irritate the lungs and thus one’s breathing. Children are much more susceptible to toxins then adults as their lungs are smaller and they also breathe much faster. Babies are even more susceptible especially as their lungs are much smaller and haven’t developed as far as a child’s or adult’s. Their immune and nervous system are only in the early stages of development. They also breathe faster. As a result they inhale more toxins than adults do and have much smaller bodies. This is also a caution for pregnant women, as inhalation of toxins can also affect the baby.

First of all one will want to paint the nursery and many people leave to the last minute. If you are going to paint the nursery it is best to do it as soon as you can and ventilate it well. If you are pregnant this is a job best left to someone else to be extra safe. When painting you need to give at least a month or so for the room to properly air before putting your baby in there. The longer you leave a room to dry and let the paint settle the better. It is also best to avoid conventional paint and look for eco friendly paints and ones low in VOCs. You could also try looking for milk or natural paints. There are also paints that are completely VOC free and thus do not emit any fumes. These are well worth looking for to be extra safe.

Besides paint there is also the floor to contend with. Carpet is far from ideal when it comes to toxins and being green. New carpet will emit VOCs and with its flame-resistant properties will also add more toxins into the mix. Carpets can also trap in dust, mold and pesticides and your baby will be crawling on it and be very close to it. Carpet is best avoided but there are some great alternative carpets such as cork or bamboo that you could use without the toxic issues. If you do not like the idea of a bamboo or cork carpet then wood flooring is the better option. You can also use natural rugs on the floor for particular areas to add some cosiness and make it softer for your moving baby.

Lastly there is the issue of furniture. Many people do not think that furniture could possibly admit toxins – I didn’t at one point. However if you are buying cheap MDF/chipboard style furniture, this type of furniture usually contains formaldehydes that can be hazardous to health. Avoid them at all costs and only go for furniture that is formaldehyde free or solid wood.

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Do you want to take closet organization one step further and make your storage space more environmentally friendly?  You may think that you’ll have to pay more for some of the eco-friendly finishes and alternatives, but you could be wrong.  It may take a little shopping around to find a custom closet company that offers the sustainable materials that you want at the price that you like, but they are out there.  Some of the items you can simply buy yourself and use them however you want.  This is a guide to help you determine how green you can go when building or installing an eco-friendly closet system.

1)  When you get your closet emptied out and gutted, you may want to paint it.  Paints that are commonly used are filled with chemicals that can be damaging to our health.  These chemicals are volatile and exist as a gas that is emitted from the walls.  The chemicals that you want to avoid are referred to as volatile organic compounds, or “VOCs”.  You should be able to find low VOC or VOC free paints at your local hardware store.  Do your research before you go to determine which brands perform best.  Some all natural paints still have high VOCs and some low VOC or VOC free paints can take a really long time to dry or they are not to be used in damp areas, like bathrooms and kitchens.

2)  Consider taking up the flooring at this time.  You will need to wear a good half-mask respirator to avoid risk of exposure to toxic chemical emissions and old dust.  Then you can consider which type of flooring meets your needs and has the least impact on your air quality and the environment. Options include bamboo, natural fiber or recycled carpet, linoleum flooring (not vinyl), rubber flooring or cork flooring.  All have their good points, it’s more about personal taste and how much you’ve budgeted for.

3)  Now your focus is on green building materials.  If possible, reuse products that are already built.  Sometimes it can be cheaper and easier on the environment if you can install existing shelves and reuse dresser drawers to build your closet system.  Salvaging fixtures, lumber, and hardware is cheaper and uses less energy than using recycled products.  If you use new wood, look for the FSC stamp.  This stamp is from the Forest Stewardship Council and certifies that the wood comes from well managed forests and if it is particle board, ensures that no formaldehyde binders were used in processing.  Another option is to use sustainable resource materials, like bamboo.  Bamboo is the fastest growing plant on Earth and supports economies all over the world.

4)  When you’re finished, outfit your closet with eco-friendly hangers, like bamboo <a rel=”nofollow” onclick=”javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview(‘/outgoing/article_exit_link’);” href=”http://www.onlyhangers.com”title=”Hangers”>hangers</a> or clothes hangers made of recycled materials.  With a tensile strength similar to steel, bamboo makes a nice and sturdy wood hanger that is strong enough to be used as a coat hanger, supporting tremendous weight, while adding style and functionality to your closet.

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