So, you are busy in preparing for moving to a new place! But have you got a baby or about to get one? And are you wondering how to create a nice, comfortable, clean and healthy space for your beloved baby in your new home? If I have read your mind correctly, I hope the tips I am giving here may be useful to you.
1. Make it Playful, but Non-toxic
Decorating a baby’s room is much more fun than rest of the house, because patterns, colors and wallpapers are a lot more exciting than that for grownups’ rooms. So, you can easily get tempted to use one of them. It’s nothing bad; just ensure that the paint or wallpaper is non-toxic. Your baby would soon become a toddler and would love to taste everything including the nursery walls.
Most paints that are used commonly in homes are made from harsh toxic chemicals like VOCs (volatile organic compounds). These chemicals may mix with the nursery air. So, prefer water-based, non-toxic and VOC-free paints to paint the nursery walls.
However, be careful about painting long before you move in the new house to avoid any fumes from being inhaled during pregnancy or inhaled by the baby, if you already have a baby.
2. Choose Organic Bed
If your baby is still an infant, s/he will sleep a lot, which means most of her/his time will be spent in bed. And even if the baby is a little older, her/his bedding should be safer for her/his health. So, choose an organic bed, like the one made from 100% pure cotton treated with water-based pigments and not with formaldehyde.
3. Keep Air Clean
You will be surprised to know that the air inside our home is more polluted than the outside air. The reason behind this is the walls of our homes lock in particles which are then inhaled by us. You should be extra careful about your baby’s room and keep the nursery air as clean as possible.
Use a HEPA air purifier. This purifier filters larger particles first and then smaller ones, even as minute as 0.3 microns, like bacteria, dust, pollens, spores and pet dander. To get an ideal performance, you should change the HEPA filter regularly.
4. Non-toxic Toys
Babies tend to put everything in mouth including toys. So, choose non-toxic, non-plastic toys made from sustainable materials. Plastic toys contain BPA (organic synthetic compound with the chemical formula (CH3)2C(C6H4OH)2 )which has been found to cause hormonal disturbance particularly in young kids.
5. Use Natural Cleaners
Modern household cleaners are extremely dangerous for babies’ health. They are also dangerous for adults, but since babies tend to play on and are closer to floor than grownups, they are more vulnerable to the hazards introduced by these cleaners. Instead of these cleaners, you can use natural cleaners like washing soda or vinegar.
6. Let the Furniture be Natural
If you are being careful about choosing a non-toxic paint for your baby’s room, you should also take care of choosing natural furniture for the room too. Natural furniture is made from certified sustainable wood and is generally made more durable that other types of furniture. So, it’s a great investment, particularly if you plan to have more babies in the near future.
7. Keep the Flooring Natural too
You might plan to have carpet in your baby’s room to minimize the damage if the baby falls down. But remember that carpets are hosts to dangers like dust mites and a number of allergens that can mess up with the respiratory system of the baby. So, better you choose hardwood or tiles for the nursery’s flooring and clean it with natural cleaners.
September 23, 2015
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