7 Ways To Detox Your Sofa & Mattress

We spend about a third of our day sleeping and a little more sitting on couches, chairs and loafing
around in the bedroom. It is important to provide a healthy, non-toxic atmosphere for the important
activity of sleep so that your body is fully restored physically and mentally to take on a new day. It is
therefore essential to keep your bed and bedroom free of toxins, ergo detox your bed, sofa, mattress,
and sheets to keep your bedroom environment healthy.

Your physician would insist that the bedroom be free of allergens, electromagnetic fields and synthetic
chemicals as possible. These specific methods are to get the centerpieces of the bedroom in order, the
bed, mattress, and a sofa.

Go Natural with your Mattress

The mattress is the most important hardware (or software?) in the bedroom and the choice you make
about it has a bearing on your health. Conventional mattresses are mostly made with polyurethane
foam that give off volatile organic compounds (V.O.C.’s), and EPA suggests that these chemicals cause
respiratory irritation and other health problems. Further, the use of Boric Acid a pesticide, Antimony a
heavy metal and Decabromodiphenyl Oxide, a possible carcinogen in these mattresses are known to
cause reproductive and developmental toxin, heart and lung damage and hair and memory loss
respectively. It is also known that the skin readily absorbs these substances from the mattresses and
accumulate them in the body for years leading to liver toxicity, thyroid dysfunction, and cause
neurodevelopmental issues.

Further, beddings and mattresses use flame-retardants that are SVOCs (semi-volatile organic
compounds) and mingle with or contaminate the dust in the bedroom. The body is stressed further by
having to detoxify itself of these chemicals.

Given these dangers, an organic cotton mattress is the best option with a mattress topper made from
organic cotton and wool being the second best option. Another option would be a mattress cover made
of a tightly woven barrier cloth that has a high thread count.

Organic Cotton Sheets

We know about the widespread use of harmful chemicals in the form of pesticides and fertilizers in
conventional cultivation of crops such as cotton. These materials are harmful and known to cause cancer
while other materials such as chlorine bleach, heavy metal dyes and formaldehyde resins that are used
in conventional cotton are also harmful. The wrinkle-free nature of these sheets and bedding material
comes from the use of another carcinogen, formaldehyde. No further reasons needed to switch to
healthy, toxin-free organic cotton sheets that do not use synthetic dyes, softeners, and de-wrinkling
chemicals do.

Pillows

Like mattresses, pillows also come with the same toxic problems, given that they are made with
polyurethane foams and hence undergo flame retardant additives to meet federal fire regulations. But
these chemical flame retardants bring about health issues like infertility, obesity, and liver damage.
Therefore the safer pillow options include those made with 100 percent natural, sustainability-sourced
latex or all-natural wool. Newer options include charcoal bamboo or regular bamboo and silk pillows are
safer.

Cleaners that are Clean

Now that you have got non-toxic bed and sheets, it is about how you clean them whenever you need to.
Chemicals such as 2-butanone, acetate, alpha-Pinene that are used in the cleaning agents are known to
cause respiratory, urinary, reproductive, skin, gastrointestinal, liver, cardiovascular, blood, and
neurological diseases. It is known that laundry dyes and dryer sheets are carcinogenic and the solution
all these issues is for us to look for natural solutions that do not contain synthetic chemicals. Better still
we can think of making them on our own with basic essentials like baking soda, white vinegar, and
essential oils such as lavender, lemon, tea tree, orange and eucalyptus, fresh herbs and citrus peels.
Save money and your health.

Sofa and Furniture

Sofa and other wooden furniture products such as dressers, bed frames, armoires, and nightstands use
particle board, pressed wood, plywood or MDF. While these materials are much cheaper they require
heavy use of toxic glue during production. These glues are toxic since they contain formaldehyde. It is a
known volatile organic chemical (VOC) and the glue continues to emit this chemical in vapor form over a
period of time. The chemical is known to cause several health issues including leukemia and cancer.
Additionally, the regular sealants and paints used in sofa and furniture may include lead and other heavy
metals that are known to seriously affect brain development in babies and children.

The alternative here is to choose solid wood or second-hand furniture so that the emission of gas is
much less. The use of natural sealants like beeswax or oil instead of polyurethane is a healthier and
logical option, not to forget the fact that solid wood furniture is healthier and long-lasting.

Foam Based Sofas

Brominated flame retardants are known to affect thyroid function and brain development. PBDE is a
common one and is used in lining mattresses, sofas, upholstery and couch cushions. It is high time that
we replaced this health hazard with foam, cushions, and mattresses free of such fire-retardant-free
foam.

Sofa Polish

VOCs or volatile organic compounds are the culprits again in the polish and compounds used to make
furniture soft, shiny and sleek. These compounds pollute the air in the room and home and produce
nasty side effects like irritation of the eye, nose, and throat, headaches, loss of coordination, and
nausea, besides causing damage to the liver, kidney, and central nervous system or even cause cancer.

It has been found that hidden toxins numbering over 30 are found in mattresses alone. Some of the
major ones include formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, benzene, vinyl acetate, Hexabromocyclododecane,
Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), Trichloroethylene, Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers, Phthalates, and
Perchloroethylene. The option here is to look for a polish that is free of these dangerous chemicals.

Cleaning, Washing and Dusting

If you’ve ever watched a single episode of Four in a Bed; the TV show where B&Bs go head to head in
order to win a cash prize, you’ll know that dust can be found just about anywhere. Lampshades,
cushions, curtains, air vents, picture frames…we could go on! To give your home that truly thorough
clean; make sure to move items, rather than simply dusting around them. Vacuum behind sofas, under
seat cushions, and picture rails.

Dust is specifically formed from textile fibers and harbored by mattresses, pillows, and sheets in a
bedroom. This dust contains more than 8000 different species of microbial particles and is known to
aggravate certain allergies, making it imperative to remove excess dust in your home regularly. They
need detailed and regular cleaning, dusting, and polishing with the right tools and materials.

Cleaner and Healthier Lives

While we have looked at a few specific materials and fixtures, the results would be evident in a fresher,
cleaner and healthier space. It might be a good idea to extend this line of thought and concern to other
areas of the house to make it a healthier home.