5 Tips for Designing a Green Baby Nursery

You have baby proofed the house and renovated the baby room to keep your little one safe from harm, but have you taken adequate care to design a green baby nursery?

Everything from the carpet in the nursery, furnishings, clothing and bedding, to soft toys, nursery crib, changing table and dressers, emit indoor air pollutants such as formaldehyde and other VOC’s (Volatile Organic Compounds). These common indoor air pollutants can cause health problems such as irritations of the eyes, nose, throat and skin, allergic reactions, nausea, headaches, and breathing difficulties. In worst case scenario, exposure to some VOC’s is known to damage liver, kidneys, the nervous system, and cause cancer.

Infants exposed to these harmful chemicals are susceptible to developing allergies and asthma, as they grow older. Before you start to worry about your baby’s healthy, implement these five simple tips to change the baby room into a natural, non -toxic nursery.

Tips For Designing A Green Baby Nursery

1. Choice of room – Choose a room that has adequate windows to allow for natural sunlight and cross ventilation.

2. Room Decor – Ensure that any major nursery renovations are made at least a couple of weeks in advance of your baby’s arrival.

  • Flooring – Before you know it your toddler will be crawling all over the nursery floor. If possible opt for wooden flooring; apart from being more natural it is easier to clean. If you opt for carpets, then choose a natural fibre carpet made of organic wool, cotton or jute.
  • Walls: Look for non-VOC paint options when painting the nursery. Once the room is painted, keep the door and windows open for the paint smell to clear out. Opt for eco-friendly wallpaper.
  • Curtains: Use curtains made of natural fibres like wool, cotton, linen and silk.  Also, wash and dry curtains in the sun  to remove any allergens, before using them in the nursery.

3. Natural baby crib: Opt for a crib that is made from solid wood, instead of compressed wood. Also, choose crib mattress, sheets, duvets and blankets made from organic materials. Organic bedding though more expensive, is more suited to the gentle skin of your baby.

4. Natural baby toys: Choose toys made from environmentally friendly materials such as wood and organic cotton.

5. Nursery maintenance

  • Open windows several times a day. Airing the nursery is the best way to minimize the presence of unwanted chemicals and allergens.
  • Keep slippers at the nursery entrance that your friends and visitors can wear before coming in, or request them to remove their shoes to avoid bringing in dirt and allergens.
  • Use chemical free cleaning products made from natural ingredients such as Abode Laundry Liquid and Surface Spray
  • If a mattress, toy or furniture emits an odour, remove it from the nursery. The smell is likely due to formaldehyde used in the glue in these products.

A few precautions and a bit of investment can help convert your baby’s nursery into an eco-friendly haven.  What are your top tips for keeping the baby nursery natural and toxin free? 

 

Author

  • Carol Parr

    We’re glad you’re here. We’re Carol and Tony, founders of one of the longest running Healthy Home Blogs in the world, Mitey Fresh Australia. We’ve been on this journey for the last 25 years and are passionate about helping families sift through health hazards and triggers like allergens, mould, water damage, chemicals and EMFs, to get clarity about what’s toxic and what’s not so they can create a healthy and happy home for their family they love. Each month, people visit this blog seeking focus on the health and wellbeing of their loved ones, sustainable and effective practice tips and guides, to help create and manage healthier indoor spaces, improve the built environment that is pleasing to the senses and support healthy living and nature, every day. Starting this blog was to help change people’s lives, one family at a time, and we can’t wait to share how its allowed us to stand next to you and show you how interpreting these synergies between buildings and the environment they are built in will impact upon the health and well-being of those who occupy them. Find out more about Healthy Homes and what this blog can do for you!

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