It’s time to “clean up” your bedding and linens for a more non-toxic home. I’m a mom of three, so ensuring my family’s bedding and linens contribute to a non-inflammatory environment is crucial to me. Every small change helps to create what I call an environment to thrive and a healthier place for you and your family. It also reduces your total toxic burden, which is the amount of toxins you’re exposed to at any given time and can contribute to symptoms and diseases.
Imagine your body as a glass and toxins as water. As you pour more and more water into a glass, eventually it will overflow. Likewise, as more and more toxins enter your body, you’ll start to experience physical and mental symptoms from those toxins. You may also start to see laboratory abnormalities, which may point to chronic or autoimmune diseases. To reduce our total toxic burden so our bodies can better defend themselves and work the way they should, we want to do things in our lives to lower this harmful exposure. Your home environment is one place where you can make these upgrades.
Today, let's focus on the bedroom and break it down into several key areas to upgrade your bedding and linens. Whether you tackle all right away or start with just one, taking action now can ensure you’re setting yourself and your family up for better-quality sleep and healthier mornings.
UPGRADE YOUR MATTRESS
What you sleep on matters. You don’t want to sleep seven to eight hours each day lying on top of something that contains harmful chemicals that you’re breathing in and your body is coming in contact with. The first step for finding a non-toxic mattress is to search for one that’s organic to avoid harmful chemicals such as fire retardants and chemical adhesives. Next, look for one without metal coils. Metal coils will attract more electromagnetic frequencies (EMFs), which can impact your body negatively over time. Although I’m not fully eliminating them in my home, any little upgrade helps to decrease overall exposure. If you do an internet search for non-toxic organic mattresses, I’m confident you’ll find many to choose from.
SWAP OUT YOUR SHEETS
This is an easy one (and essential) as organic sheets are the most accessible upgrade to make for your bedding. Traditionally made sheets can be manufactured from materials that are heavily sprayed with pesticides or made with harmful dyes. Organic cotton or bamboo are the two top materials I’d recommend for your sheets and pillowcases, but be sure to check that they are made with eco-dyes if you're looking for a colour other than white that suits your style. Don’t forget to wash your new sheets with non-toxic detergent, and dry them with wool balls instead of dryer sheets, to keep them toxic-free.
GET A GREAT BLANKET
I’m a big blanket girl; I love being cozy and warm. Similar to your bedding, get an organic and non-toxic blanket to decrease inflammation daily. Buy a few new organic blankets for everyday use, and store your old ones away in case you ever need extras. You’ll feel refreshed and happy knowing you’re snuggling up with something conducive to wellness.
CUE THE COMFORTER
A comforter that’s organic, pesticide-free, and harsh-dye-free is exactly what you want to be using at night. This contributes to better sleep and a healthier you. Sustainable wool or recycled down are your two most common options here, both being better for the environment and your body. Of the two options, I prefer a wool comforter as it regulates your body temperature better and also has less chance of growing mould due to drying faster than down. My children and I all have organic wool comforters that we love.
WRAP WITH NEW BATH TOWELS
After your shower or bath, or after you’re finished with that dreamy skincare routine, you’ll want to wrap yourself in natural materials that are gentle on your body. This is hugely important because right after you bathe or shower, your pores are open and more susceptible to chemicals that may be present in some towels. Organic towels are gentler on your skin and provide a safer option for drying you and your family.
There you have it! Meaningful core areas to “clean up” in your bedroom so you can start making your home a more non-toxic place to live. Every clean upgrade you make in your home has a huge impact because you’re detoxifying your environment and reducing your overall toxic load—and that’s a good thing.
