Sustainable Saturday - What’s lurking in your bed?

I read somewhere if there is one thing you do for your kids, launder their sheets once a week. Why? To remove dust, body oil and dust mites that love to set up camp in your bed.

Sheets and pillow cases provide protection for both your mattress pad and keep the top covers (blankets, comforters, quilts, etc.) protected from your skin, oils, etc. Launder your bedding once a week to keep the dust, body oil and dust mites at bay. Another great tip is to pull back your top covers to allow the bed to air out (while you are in the shower) and then make your bed afterwards. This too will help to keep dust mites to a minimum.

If you are in the market for new sheets try to avoid labels such as “easy care” or “no iron”. Look for sheets that are made of earth-friendly materials like bamboo, hemp and organic cotton. There are affordable options available from retailers like Target and JCPenney.

Now that you’ve taken care of your sheets, what about the other components of your bed?

Mattresses because they are made from flammable material, are treated with fire retardants PBDE (poly-brominated diphenyl ether). Look for mattresses that do not contain toxic chemicals from fire retardants, foam or stain-resistant chemicals. Look for mattresses that are green with no toxic chemicals, latex mattresses or cover your mattress and pillows with protective covers. An affordable green mattress company is keetsa.

Wash the mattress pad at least once a month and vacuum the mattress itself to remove dust mites. Look for mattress pads that are made of earth-friendly materials like bamboo, hemp and organic cotton.

Top covers including blankets, comforters, quilts, etc. should be laundered every 3 to 4 months. Look for blankets that are made of earth-friendly materials like bamboo, hemp and organic cotton.

Symhomemom is now also a featured blogger on Big Green Head. You can also read this article on Big Green Head, a local resource for all things green.