B00AFU6252 EBOK (28 page)

Natural mattresses.
You spend about 20 percent of your life in bed—which means it’s worth investing in a mattress that doesn’t make you sick. Conventional mattresses are full of synthetic foam that’s been coated with flame retardants and other toxic particles . . . so we can’t be sure they won’t fall into the “doesn’t make you sick” category.

If you’re stuck with your current mattress, at the very least, put a strong, organic, allergen-blocking cover on it to help mitigate the off-gassing. If you’re in the market for a new mattress, make it organic cotton, wool, or another natural material like natural latex, which can be slightly less expensive and deters dust mites and bacteria (avoid this last option if you have a latex allergy, of course!). If you can’t afford to entirely upgrade your mattress, consider topping your old one with an organic wool mattress pad. Wool is naturally flame resistant and comfy, and will provide a layer of protection between you and the chemicals below.

Then add an allergen-protecting cover—this will keep dust mites from saturating your mattress (key for allergy sufferers) and may also help block any chemicals that are off-gassing.

Organic bedding.
Look for duvet, comforter, and sheet sets made from unbleached, untreated organic cotton or other eco-friendly natural fibers if you can—again, you spend so much time in bed, why not have the purest materials next to your skin? I like Simply Organic and Naturepedic; West Elm’s organic cotton line is a good affordable option. Always wash new bedding before you put it on the bed to rinse away manufacturing residues from the no-wrinkle coatings that many sheets are treated with these days.

Protected pillows.
Always encase pillows in protective covers with strong zippers; this helps them last longer and eases allergy symptoms. Regular pillows are filled with polyester and treated with chemical finishes, so I like natural fills like wool, kapok, buckwheat (which deters dust mites), or organic cotton; Gaiam, Garnet Hill, and Pristine Planet are good resources.

Toxin-free towels.
Pesticide-free organic cotton or bamboo are best, with no trace of triclosan (that nasty antibacterial chemical, which often gets coated onto towels that bill themselves as “antimicrobial”). Turkish-style linen towels are also lovely, natural, and get softer as you wash them. I love Gaiam, Garnet Hill, and Pristine Planet—we also stock up at Bed Bath & Beyond. If you buy regular towels, wash them first in hot water to remove any unwanted residues.

Shower curtains.
Whatever you do, skip the vinyl—the kind of curtain that stinks up your bathroom as soon as you hang it up!—in curtains
and
in liners. Organic cotton, linen, canvas, and hemp are all good choices because they don’t off-gas and you can throw them in the wash once a week to keep bacteria buildup at bay. Rock Candy Life makes adorable ones.

POP QUIZ TIME:
What’s the most toxic spot in your whole house? Kidding, this is not really a quiz. The answer varies depending on where you live and what’s in your house, after all—but when I asked Christopher Gavigan this question, he said, “If I had to choose just one, I guess it would be mattresses and cushions. You didn’t see that coming, did you?” That’s crazy!

But most mattresses and cushions are made from polyurethane foam, which is so flammable that it’s almost always treated with toxic flame retardants, which contain PFCs, BFRs, or HFRs (see “
Dishonest Ingredients
”). These chemicals can be found in cushions, mattresses,throw pillows, and—so disturbing!—baby gear like car seats and nursing pillows.

Instead, look for cushions and mattresses made with polyester, down, wool, or cotton, which are all less likely to contain these flame retardants—we love Naturepedic. And dust regularly, since that’s where these chemicals end up once your cushions start to off-gas or break down.

Buying used.
Craigslist! I troll it endlessly when there’s a particular item I’m after. You get the automatic environmental win of buying something used—plus you’ll often find more unusual, one-of-a-kind pieces at way better prices, which you can then refinish and reupholster in the eco-friendly materials of your choice. Note: Always take a guy you trust with you when you go to check out a piece from an ad. Better safe than sorry! Usually, I wait in the car and send Cash or a guy friend inside and have them text me pictures so we can be sure it’s the right piece.

One of my favorite sites I’ve bought a ton from is This Is Not Ikea (
thisisnotikea.com
), a well-curated vintage site. I also love
Etsy.com
, the online resource of artisan-made products, including tons of unique household stuff.

Buying new.
I try to shop indie boutiques where I can support local craftspeople as much as possible. They’re often more likely to be working with upcycled and repurposed materials, and you’re guaranteed to get a one-of-a-kind piece. That being said, I have seen lots of mainstream places—West Elm, Restoration Hardware, the Sundance Catalog, Anthropologie, Urban Outfitters, and so on—incorporating more vintage and repurposed elements into their furniture. I think it’s great to support those efforts whenever we can.

V
INTAGE IS A
huge part of Honest Home style. Not only do antique or secondhand pieces instantly lower your home’s carbon footprint because you’re reusing instead of buying brand-new—it also ensures that every room will look unique and especially “you.” As I mentioned, I always check Craigslist, eBay,
thisisnotikea.com
, and my local thrift stores whenever I’m on the hunt for a specific furniture item—almost every piece of furniture in our house has an entire life history that started well before it met us!

Buying secondhand also tends to be more affordable—or, at least, on par with what you’d pay at the big box stores and other lower-priced furniture outlets, where, frankly, the quality isn’t as great. When I was younger and decorating my first apartment, I made too many mistakes buying cheap pieces quickly, just to fill a room—only to have those furnishings fall apart, sag in the middle, or look like crap after a couple of months. Not to mention that all the while this cheap stuff was probably off-gassing toxic chemicals in the air I breathed. Formaldehyde and other VOC chemicals dissipate significantly after the first five years of a piece of furniture’s life, so vintage finds are often a safer bet than buying new.