Healthy Bedroom Storage
If you're planning some bedroom storage, here are some tips to help you plan for the things you need to store while improving the health of your bedroom: LARGE CLOSETS are very popular now. It seems the bigger the better! They're often a significant part of bedroom storage, especially for master bedrooms. However, if you want your bedroom to be healthy, it's actually BETTER to store your clothing and especially your SHOES in a separate room. “Impossible!” you might exclaim. But if you have closets elsewhere in the house (perhaps down the hall from your room), or even an extra bedroom available, that is a much healthier alternative for bedroom storage. You will cut down significantly on many chemical exposures by doing this. Most people don't realize how many chemicals they are being exposed to on a daily basis from all the clothing, shoes,furniture, carpets and products found in a typical bedroom. Where you choose to store your clothing and shoes is an important consideration if your are in the planning stages of a new home, or you want to design or organize a bedroom-AND make it healthy. CLOTHING The newer the clothing, the more chemicals will be found on them, primarily formaldehyde. Other chemical finishers are on new fabrics which outgas and have the potential to be harmful to your health. SHOES Most shoes are especially toxic to store in bedrooms. They contain petroleum distillates, solvents, plastics and other synthetic materials which outgas significantly into the room. If the bedroom door is closed at night, the chemicals are locked in the room in even higher concentrations. Perhaps, like me, you'd rather not absorb all those chemicals while sleeping! If you must store these items in your bedroom, make sure your closet doors are closed, and they are well sealed around all door edges to minimize outgassing.You can also buy “greener” shoes now which do not have these harmful chemicals, or have fewer of them. Remember--many of the harmful chemicals will not be detectable by your sense of smell.Yet these sneaky little chemicals are still absorbed in your body whether you realize it or not. DRY CLEANING and LAUNDRY Dry cleaning residues, scented laundry soaps, and fabric softeners also create an unhealthy and harmful environment in the bedroom. Whenever possible, use allergy-free, unscented laundry detergents, and eco-friendly (no harmful chemicals) unscented fabric softeners. Your clothing will still smell clean if good quality products are used, without all the perfumes and chemicals.
Contrary to popular recommendations, dry cleaning chemicals take about three months to completely dissipate. Therefore, the longer you can air out dry-cleaned clothing, the better. Or use a dry cleaner that uses a water extraction method, or some other more healthful, non-toxic method of cleaning. New clothing should always be washed at least a few times using a vinegar solution in hot water to remove some of the chemical finishes. Certified organic clothing does not have harmful chemicals or pesticides in the fibers that come in contact with your skin. If the fabric only says "organic" as opposed to "certified organic" it could still contain dyes or finishes that are toxic. They are only stating organic FABRIC was used, but do not have to specify if other chemicals were used in dyeing or processing the clothing.
Bedroom storage can be accomplished by using natural, solid wood or fiber products to store items in. Avoid furniture that contains particle board as it contains high amounts of formaldehyde as well as other chemicals you should not be exposed to. Remember the less that is kept in the bedroom, the healthier it will be. A good rule of thumb is to keep only what you truly need in the bedroom. If it can be stored somewhere else, then do that. Bedroom dressers and bedroom storage boxes are best if made of natural materials and non-toxic finishes. Consider a clear, safe-sealant that can be painted over the wood furniture and trim boards or door frames in the room, to prevent outgassing of formaldehyde and petroleum distillates from the finishes used on the wood. Avoid plastic storage boxes or containers as these offgas PCB’s (polychlorinated biphenyls) and styrene just to name a few. These permeate clothing stored in them. The chemicals from these products can cause many symptoms including headaches, irritation of nose, throat, lungs and skin, and are suspected of causing cancers as well. Remember, as you consider bedroom storage, you want it to be an oasis, not a toxic land-fill.
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