Choosing a Clean Mattress

We spend a great deal of time indoors - and about one third of that is in bed! When in such close contact with our mattress, it’s important to think about what’s gone into it -  and what could be coming out of it.

For the Health of Your Family & The Environment

Most conventional mattresses are made using polyester (a material treated with thousands of toxic chemicals during production), flame retardants, rayon, fiberglass fiber 'fire socks,' boric acid, dyes, solvent-based chemical adhesives or water-based chemical adhesives (such as Polychloroprene), polyurethane foam that can emit Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) or vinyl covers that contain Phthalates, fragrance chemicals, conventional cotton that is often polluted with pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers, or other undisclosed chemical treatments - all of which you could be breathing in, or could be absorbed by your body.

According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), these harmful chemicals can cause respiratory irritation, cancer, hormone disruption, adverse effects on the immune system, damage to developing reproductive systems or other health problems. In babies and young children especially, these toxins have increasingly been linked to asthma.

As a doula I spend an entire session in my Growing Together Circles discussing the importance of cleaning up your home environment in preparing for a newborn. Sourcing a clean mattress for baby is always my top recommendation. Research has shown that environmentally poisoning nerve gases like phosphine, arsine and stibine created from conventional crib mattress materials are connected with Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) - particularly those that contain polyurethane foam covered in vinyl with added fire retardants, chemical plasticizers and biocides. With such delicate and developing respiratory and immune systems, babies should not be breathing in or in such close contact with these toxins.

Materials to Look For

The EWG recommends choosing a mattress made with at least 95 percent tightly woven organic cotton, wool or natural latex. Look for Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) Certification and Global Organic Latex Standard (GOLS) certification. Also be sure to avoid scented mattresses, toppers and bedding with added chemical antimicrobial treatments.

There are only three mattress brands in the world who have achieved the MADE SAFE® Certification using these safer materials: Happsy, Naturepedic and our absolute favorite, Avocado. 

Why We Love Avocado Green Mattresses

I just stared sleeping on my new King Size Latex Avocado Mattress and I am getting some of the best sleep of my life!  Handcrafted in Los Angeles with only the finest naturally non-toxic and 100% organic materials - including GOLS organic certified latex sustainably harvested from organic rubber farms they own; GOTS organic certified wool, prized for its cooling and moisture wicking properties from a herding collective that they own; and GOTS organic certified cotton - Avocado is one of only two Formaldehyde Free mattress available in America and a company we trust through and through.

Their mattresses were screened against 6,500 known and suspected harmful chemicals to receive the GREENGUARD Gold Certified for child-safe low emissions. This means they meet the world’s most rigorous emissions standards for chemical exposure and pollutants, including VOCs. 

Their certified organic mattresses have no chemical smells, no risk from off-gassing and happen to be incredibly comfortable. 

Sources: Avocado, EWG, Made Safe, Midwifery Today, Healthy Child