Improve Your Indoor Air Quality With An Organic Mattress1

Did you know that your indoor air quality could be as much as 100 times more polluted than the air outside of your home? That's because we fill our modern homes with products and materials that off-gas volatile organic compounds (VOCs) sometimes years after they've been purchased. By choosing products that are less toxic than conventional products (like an organic mattress) you can improve your indoor air quality significantly, which has health benefits for you and the environment.

Indoor air quality and your purchasing choices

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), we humans spend as much as 90% indoor - whether we're in our homes or in indoor offices. And while we work hard to create peaceful, healthy environments at home where we can rest and rejuvenate, we may actually be purchasing polluting products that harm our health.

This can include things like finishes on hardwood flooring, glues used to make cabinetry, paint on walls and furniture, scented cleaning products and candles, electronics, carpeting, and even linens and bedding. VOCs can contribute to a variety of health problems, including headaches, dizziness, fatigue, asthma and respiratory distress.

VOCs also contribute to environmental challenges. When they're released into the atmosphere, VOCs mix with other compounds and can create smog or ground-level ozone. This impacts the air quality in many cities and has the double-impact of trapping heat in these regions, increasing the need for cooling requirements.

Conventional mattresses are just another example of furnishings that poison indoor air. They are commonly treated with chemicals such as formaldehyde and fire retardents both of which can off gas VOCs into your home. Other VOCs found in traditional mattresses include chemical-based foams, adhesives used to hold the mattress together, artificial fibers, and chemically-treated wood used to make the mattress frame. Even conventional mattress covers are treated with chemicals.

How an organic mattress improves your indoor air quality

Thankfully, there are many things within your control that impact your indoor air quality, not least of which are the products you buy. And since you spend so much time in your bedroom sleeping, choosing an organic mattress that's not made with these indoor air polluting chemicals is very important. Here are some of the characteristics you should look for in an organic mattress and organic bedding:

- Choose natural rubber latex to avoid synthetic foams

- Look for products made with organic cotton, bamboo, or organic wool to avoid pesticides and other agricultural chemicals

- Look for the following seals of approval for indoor air quality: GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard), GREENGUARD, Cradle 2 Cradle by MBDC, Global Recycle Standard, SMART Sustainable Textile Standard, Oeko Tex

By choosing products that meet these stringent, third-party standards for environmental sustainability and human health, you'll be protecting your indoor air quality and your wellbeing.