Contents
With our expert, Emilie Delbays, Health and Environment education manager at WECF France.
Organic materials for insulation
A well-insulated bedroom protects our child from noise pollution and temperature variations. Better to avoid glass wool and polystyrene which we are accustomed to using, but which can be toxic. We prefer cork, linen, sheep’s wool or organic hemp. These natural materials are often more efficient than synthetic materials and therefore help reduce your energy consumption (heating).
Haro sur les COV!
Any new material, both naturally and manufactured, emits VOCs = volatile organic compound. Wood, for example, but also paints… All are not necessarily toxic, but some are irritating to the respiratory tract.
Wooden parquet on the floor
Baby spends most of his time playing on the floor! The choice of floor covering for your bedroom is therefore important. The simplest and healthiest remains the tiling, especially in case of suspicion of family allergy. But it is a bit cold in a bedroom… Classic carpet is to be avoided because it is a real dust trap that can cause allergies. Not to mention that it can be cleaned with potentially polluting products and, far from being environmentally friendly, its installation often requires an underlay made of foam, a toxic product derived from petroleum. If you really have to cover the floor, then you opt for an untreated natural fiber carpet: wool, cotton or seagrass which has the advantage of being waterproof, rot-proof and washable with a damp mop!
The solution: a parquet, ideally in unvarnished unvarnished solid wood, which can be oiled, or a real linoleum based on linseed oil and cork, often sold in sheets, and perfectly healthy if glue is used. organic or water to fix it. Not to be confused with the PVC coating often mistakenly called “linoleum”, which is not recommended.
Less common, cork tiles are a perfect alternative to carpeting in children’s rooms because they are flexible, resistant, free from toxic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and less expensive than natural lino.
A carpet ?
Yes, if it can be shaken and machine washed. We prefer a model untreated in natural fibers, bearing the German GUT label.
Natural paint on the walls
Better to choose natural paints. They most often contain linseed oil as a binder, and water or turpentine as a solvent, products that are much less toxic than those used for synthetic paints (polyurethanes, white spirit, hydrocarbons …).
We also prefer a paint with the least possible VOC: its content per liter is listed on the label of the jar, A + being the lowest content. Ideally, we opt for a mineral paint which, permeable to air, also prevents mold. Or an ecological water-based paint and stain. There are labels, such as the European Ecolabel, but above all the Blue Angel (Der Blaue Engel) and Nature Plus, two top labels.
As for the “NF Environment” label, it offers guarantees concerning heavy metals such as lead, but does not take into account certain toxic volatile organic compounds.
We are also wary of non-ecological water-based paints, because. often composed of glycol ethers, not recommended.
Wallpaper and the glue used to fix it should be avoided as they emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which are dangerous for health. If we really have to cover the wall with wallpaper, we use so-called ingrain paper or a tapestry printed with water-based inks. We avoid wall hangings, which may have undergone treatments (stain resistant, etc.) not good for children and which are real dust traps.
Curtains, yes but not treated
In cotton or linen, labeled “Confiance Textile” respecting specifications that limit toxic substances in textiles. And we forget the fabrics treated against mites, antibacterials …
Solid wood and second-hand furniture!
Beware of kit furniture, made of plywood panels or, worse, chipboard. Formaldehyde, a pollutant classified as carcinogenic, is used in their manufacture.
The ideal is to buy the second-hand bed, chest of drawers and wardrobe: cheaper, greener and above all already “degassed” of VOCs, second-hand furniture is our preferred option! Otherwise, we opt for solid wood furniture, untreated, and we possibly then coat it ourselves with ecological varnish. And above all, we buy it in advance to air it out before installing it in the bedroom.
A used bed!
Yes ! As long as it is clean, up to safety standards and free of paint or varnish flakes. If we repaint it, we choose a super safe paint since its edges and bars are likely to be “sucked”.
Ecological bedding
For bed linen, we turn to cotton bedding from organic farming, guaranteed GMO-free, or bamboo, naturally antibacterial and very absorbent (ideal when baby is sweating from the head!). And of course without chemical treatment or inks containing heavy metals for prints. The Oëko-Tex Label is a benchmark in this field.
Sheep wool is also very fashionable for making baby blankets because it is anti-allergenic, anti-bacterial and naturally processed.
Well-chosen toys
We prefer quality to quantity, we make sure that they can be washed and that they are without batteries and without industrial odor for 0-3 years. In wood, better FSC®, standard and raw, or covered with a food-grade paint that resists saliva! Beware of toys that are too old which may not meet the standards and contain materials that are now prohibited (BPA, etc.). The limit = 2011!
And when it comes to soft toys and soft toys, long live organic wool and cotton, washable and wearing Ecolabels (Oeko-tex, for example)!
A healthy and airy space
Out, the connections and the waves! For that, we avoid connected objects in our room and the Wifi box just on the other side of the wall where the baby’s bed is placed. The best, even for us: cut the Wifi at night. Just think about it and plug it back in in the morning!
An easy-to-apply green tip: ventilate the baby’s room every day. Nothing better to clean the air around it and rid it of pollutants. However, we make sure that he does not catch a cold by moving him away to another room, as long as the windows remain open.
For maintenance, products such as bleach or aerosols should be avoided because they contribute to air pollution. We dust and clean regularly with hot water and a good natural detergent, that’s usually enough!
What if work is planned?
They are prohibited for mothers-to-be, the fumes (even “odorless” products) being potentially toxic to the fetus. We protect ourselves with gloves: in 5-10 minutes, a product penetrates the skin and then passes into our organs.
Ideally, they are scheduled at least a month before the baby’s arrival. Or we opt for a co-sleeping bed in our room upon arrival. During the work, we ventilate as much as possible!
We store the remains of paint outside the living rooms, because once opened, the jars continue to emit VOCs.