Flame Retardatants in Couches and Mattresses Flame Retardants in Couches Keep in mind that these companies use toxic foams, glues, fabric finishes and possibly particle boards. Companies selling green upholstered furniture generally do not use flame retardants. Always ask, but I have not found one that does. For a list of totally green, non-toxic sofa companies see my post on non-toxic furniture. There are many companies making organic or natural fiber carpets, such as wool. And for rugs, some good options include cotton, rattan or jute. Carpets should explicitly state that they use all natural materials. I go over the greenest carpet companies in this post. Conventional types from big box stores contain a long list of chemicals including flame retardants. However, many big box stores now carry carpets with the Green Label Plus certification which means the carpets emit low levels of VOCs. Always ask about FRs, since these are not considered VOCs.I have a post on window coverings with chemical-free options.
Flame Retardants in Insulation HBCD is typically used in polystyrenes, in concentrations of up to 1% in EPS, and up to 5% in XPS. TCPP is typically used in polyisocyanurate foams (up to 10%). There is no EPS or XPS insulation without flame retardants on the market currently. Almost all spray foams made in the US contain FRs according to Treehugger, usually TCPP () Natural insulation options in . Apple phased out brominated flame retardants (BFRs) in 2008 but uses "safer" unspecified flame retarding chemicals. Motorola is BFR-free and Sony has phased it out of some products (). How much these can leach out of electronics is not clear. With furniture, it is when the particles become dust bound that they become the biggest problem. Flame retardants become mobile in dust as opposed to gas. So keeping a dust free home is of utmost importance. HEPA vacuum is the best way to deal with the dust if you have conventional furniture, carpets and curtains.
The Nilfisk brand is recommended by the experts. You can also add a HEPA filter (or even better, this one) to a Shop-Vac. (High-efficiency filter bags are also needed to catch all the fine dust.) (which some people say has a plastic smell), and . A decent one that is a more affordable is this . I have heard pretty good experiences with Honeywell considering the price. Foam & latex mattresses The price reflects selected options CA, East Palo Alto Go to Foam & latex mattressesThe following blog post was written by Rachel Koller, a long-time WTC volunteer, on her experiences while shopping for a new mattress for her daughter. When my daughter turned 3 we knew it was time to get her into a twin bed. This was a challenge not because we worried about her wandering around in the middle of the night without the confines of a crib, but because it involved buying a new mattress, and we are picky consumers. We have “lofty” goals when buying furniture: avoid chemical flame retardants, and protect indoor air quality.
We also believe that a mattress should be comfortable, durable, and affordable. Would this be too much to ask? I know the best options out there use natural materials, like wool, cotton, and natural latex. But they are spendy – starting at around $700 for a twin, and I wanted to see if there were options that were less expensive, but still addressed my chemical concerns. First I went to Ikea, hoping to find an affordable solution. I wanted a mattress immediately, not one that would have to sit in our garage offgassing for 6 months before it could come inside. This means avoiding PVC, polyurethane foam, and memory foam. The lower-priced Ikea mattresses had enough synthetic materials that they didn’t pass my sniff test. I could have purchased their Sultan Erfjord natural/synthetic latex combo but it still cost $699, and I’d rather support a smaller USA based mattress company at that price. My husband and I had been sleeping on a natural latex mattress from Soaring Heart Natural Bed Company for years, so I knew they might be an option for us.
Straight from Ikea we drove to their shop in Seattle (where they make all the products), and found a kids cotton/wool futon that was appealing. The only downside is that the cotton is treated with boric acid powder for flame retardancy. They do make an organic cotton version without any boric acid powder, but it is double the price. We ended up with the kids cotton/wool futon – spent $365 on the futon, then more for the cotton mattress pad and wool pad (to protect from the inevitable accidents). For alternative mattress protection, we did buy Ikea’s PVC-free mattress protector which is cheap and effective, with the idea we’d use it as backup while my daughter is learning to potty train through the night. Something I really love about Soaring Heart is that they can rebuild or “fluff” your futon in the future, right in their Seattle workshop. It’s a product that can be refurbished as needed, instead of heading straight for the landfill when it gets tired. The futon worked for us because 1) my daughter is petite, and they said people under 150 lbs won’t feel the bed slats under the futon, 2) I’ll make the effort in the summer to air it out in the hot sun (which makes a big difference in keeping it comfortable), and 3) we believe that unlike parents’ bodies which are prone to aches and pains
, kids’ lithe bodies can do fine on a firmer surface. The bottom line is, everyone has their own idea of what defines a comfortable mattress – soft, firm, springy… and that influences a purchase. If money were no object, I’d jump on the all natural materials mattress with no chemical flame retardants, but for those on a budget compromises must be made. Hopefully someday we’ll have many more options for affordable, chemical-free mattresses. Till then, the Soaring Heart cotton/wool futon will work for us, and my daughter happily jumped into her new big bed! Here at WTC, Staff Scientist Erika Schreder also sleeps on a Soaring Heart mattress, while Field Organizer Anna Dyer sleeps on a Naturepedic mattress. Climate & Clean Energy Notes from the Panther Lounge What's off-gassing in your bedroom? Off-gassing in the bedroom is not cool. Does your mattress contain eco-friendlier ingredients? (Credit: kobiz7 via Flickr) February is "Bedroom Month" where I dish on all things bedroom-y!
Week 3: Birth control Week 4: Clothing storage Fart jokes aside (for now), nighttime gas in the bedroom is not cool. Especially volatile organic compounds (VOCs) off-gassing from polyurethane foam! Avoid nightmares about VOCs, fire retardants, antibacterial protection (some made with nanosilver particles) and stain-resistant finishes. Conventional mattresses tackle these with chemical treatments and toxic compounds, but wool naturally repels dust mites and natural latex foam is fire-resistant. Remember s — synthetic chemicals added as fire retardants? They're not produced in Canada, but imported by manufacturers and in consumer products (e.g., televisions, furniture and carpets). Subscribe to the Queen of Green digest Mattresses made in Canada generally do not contain these flame retardants, but it's always good to ask. Also avoid additives used to repel stains and water. Although natural fibres are better — wool, organic cotton, hemp and natural rubber — you'll need a separate savings account.
Petroleum-based contents are what make regular mattresses affordable (i.e., cheap). Note: Natural rubber is natural latex but latex/rubber can also be synthetic! Short on (wallet) green? Choose a mattress protector made from wool or organic cotton to create a barrier between you and that polyurethane foam mattress! And prioritize a natural crib mattress for babies (see a few options below). Some eco-friendlier mattresses (claims and products not tested, ranked or rated): Essentia (made in Montreal) with natural rubber or latex and a 20-year warranty! Majestic Sit & Sleep made in Canada from 100 per cent certified organic Dunlop latex (with three per cent unnatural binding agent), wool and organic cotton. Obasan made from natural rubber, organic wool and organic cotton — and can be customized. Organic Lifestyle uses wool, natural rubber (made in Canada) and innerspring with organic cotton (from the USA). Shepherd's Dream made from wool. What are your reviews of natural options?