How to Create an Eco-Friendly Baby Nursery

Eager parents-to-be who are busy outfitting a nursery for their future baby may not realize that their choice of furniture, carpeting and even bedding could expose their child to a boatload of chemicals. Because their bodies are still growing, babies are more vulnerable to environmental pollutants than you are. Give your newborn a head start by creating a safe, healthy and non-toxic haven, free from hazards that could interfere with his or her mental and physical development.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

How to Get the Room Ready

1. Paint the walls of the nursery with environmentally friendly paint that doesn't release poisonous volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air. Look for VOC-free paint made from all-natural ingredients such as mineral pigments, beeswax, plant oils, crushed limestone, soy resins and buttermilk.
2. Strongly consider tearing up and discarding any wall-to-wall carpeting because they trap mold, dust mites, and other allergens. Choose, instead, hardwood floors made from sustainably managed forests and finish them with a nontoxic or natural sealant.
3. To brighten up floors, select nontoxic carpets and area rugs made from natural, untreated fibers such as wool, organic cotton, hemp and jute. Their synthetic (and nonbiodegradable) counterparts can harbor up to 120 toxic and carcinogenic chemicals.
4. Pick a baby mattress made with wool casings or organic cotton filling. Regular mattresses contain harmful and potentially cancer-causing fire retardants such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), in addition to equally suspect stain- and moisture-resistant chemicals.
5. Rest your baby's head on pillows that are stuffed with natural stuffing such as kapok, buckwheat hulls, untreated wool, organic cotton or synthetic-free latex.
6. Dress the crib with organic all-cotton bedding. Conventional cotton is one of the most heavily pesticide-sprayed crops in the world and the chemicals could irritate your baby's sensitive skin.
7. Avoid furniture made with plywood, particle board, and medium-density fiberboard (MDF) because they often contain formaldehyde in their glues. Used furniture more than a few years old, however, is likely to have released all its harmful chemical fumes by the time it's ready for baby, so those are fine (and affordable) options next to buying furniture made from solid wood, wicker or rattan.

Tips & Warnings

• If you suspect that your brand-new furniture has been treated with toxic chemical finishes or wood sealers, air it out in a well-ventilated room for at least a month before use.
• As a precaution, don't paint the walls or finish any floors if you're pregnant.