Are You Poisoning Your Child? (follow-up with solutions!)

First and foremost, thank you to all for reading the first installation in what will be a series of articles related to how our homes effect the health of children. Secondly, many of you asked for solutions to the toxicity generated from mattresses. I hear you, loud and clear! And to prove it, this article will be dedicated to what you want: solutions for every budget and/or level of paranoia. Enjoy and always feel free to contact me about specific questions that may arise.

For those of you who will be needing a new mattress soon, whether for you or your child, the best and most expensive way, is to simply purchase a mattress made with 100% organic cotton and pure grow wool (wool that has been sheared from clean sheep who were un-dipped, untreated, and free-ranging animals). This type of wool will repel dust mites, mold, and mildew-- naturally! Skip mattresses with metal coils or springs, which acts as a conductor of electricity directly to your body. Instead, opt for natural latex or 100% organic cotton. The mattress should also be free of synthetic materials, glues, foam, fire-retardants, and moth proofing. Don’t be fooled by the “DO NOT REMOVE BY PENALTY OF LAW” label, which actually gives no useful information about the chemicals used in your mattress. (You will find a list of recommended healthy bedding companies below).

Be wary of particle board bed frames. These are usually put together with formaldehyde that continues to outgas long after installation. Purchase an untreated frame, or one that is made with actual wood, which is very healthy.

If purchasing a brand new mattress for you or your children isn’t an option at the moment, there are a few things to do that will decrease the toxins emitted from a mattress.

First, your mattress must be tightly covered by an organic cotton and pure grown wool mattress pad. The pad will help to reduce the cocktail of toxins breathed in on a nightly basis as well as reduce the chances of mold and dust mites contaminating one’s bed.

Use 100% organic cotton sheets and pillow cases. Why go to all the trouble of making a healthy bedroom and buy conventional sheets doused in solvents, dyes, synthetic chemicals?

Raise your bed 12-16 inches off the floor, this allows for better air circulation in and around your mattress- your bed needs to breathe to avoid a high moisture content which causes mold and mildew. On the same note, open your windows before making your bed. After a full night’s sleep, we all tend to leave a fair amount of moisture on our sheets. Airing your bed out makes a lot of sense.

Clean and get rid of dust that may be harboring underneath your bed, or anywhere in your bedroom for that matter. Inhaling dust means your breathing in particles of whatever is in your bedroom. These dust particles are usually not healthy and are generated from one’s toxic mattress, carpets, particleboard framing, and even electromagnetic electricity from alarm clocks, cell phones, and TV’s (another article on this in the weeks to come). When dusting, always “wet” dust. The goal is to capture the dust, not spread it around more.

Use a a HEPA Filter Vacuum filter to vacuum you bed, curtains, floor, etc.  Only HEPA filters are able to rid your home of microscopic particles and help to purify the air. Conventional vacuums pick up less than 70% of particles as well as having the bad habit of regurgitating unhealthy air back into your home.

Purchase plants such as Aloe, Boston Fern, Bamboo Palm, Areca Palm, and Lilly Plants. According to a NASA study a few years back, these plants actually help to detoxify indoor air that is infiltrated with formaldehyde, PBDE’s, and other harmful chemicals.

Avoid “memory foam” pillows and mattresses. These are made with a concoction of petroleum products!

Opt for100% organic cotton fill, pure grow wool, or a mixture of both.

When washing sheets, pillowcases, blankets, etc, do not use conventional detergent which are made with a chemical stew of unhealthy ingredients. 7th Generation and Method make great products that are easily found.

**For all of your bedding needs, here are a few companies that are faithful in the production of healthy bedding products that abide by fair practices with the consumer in mind: These companies are recommended by the Institute of Building Biology.

Coyuchi,

Eco-Terric

Gaiam

Heart of Vermont

Janice’s

Shepard’s Dream

Natural Home

Sachi Organics.

Thanks for reading again and I sincerely hope that this helps more than it overwhelms.


For more information on how to offset the harmful chemicals in your home and protect your family. Please contact Neill Alleva at neillalleva@me.com

From a very early age, Neill has been passionate about finding a holistic approach to healthy homes and workplaces. None of us are safe from the battery of hormone-disrupting and cancer-causing chemicals that invade the very indoor air we breathe. 

Educating and changing the habits of the the public about the dangers of electro, water, and air pollution in ones home is of monumental importance to bodily health and function. Neill will diagnose the problems, prescribe remedies, and inform you on how to 

be your own advocate when it comes to maintaining a healthy home.

Neill is currently working on his Building Biology Practitioner Certification at the

International Institute for Bau-Biologie and Ecology.