Toxic Air and other pollutants can harm your newborn baby and be a threat to your family.
Every expecting parent looks forward to setting up their baby’s first nursery. You spend the months leading up to the birth shopping in stores and online for the perfect crib, furniture, and decorations. You choose a theme and pick out paint, carpets, and other items to transform the room into the ideal sanctuary for your newborn.
You imagine of your precious baby dreaming away in their crib with colorful pictures and stuffed animals surrounding them on the shelves. But what kind of harmful spores could be floating around the air, unnoticed?
According to The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), indoor air quality is the 4th greatest pollution threat to American households. Unfortunately the air in your baby’s nursery is no safer than the other rooms in your home.
But since we can’t see or smell these harmful air spores, it’s hard to imagine these “invisible” enemies could harm your newborn.
Since babies breathe more often and they usually spend most of their time crawling around the floor at ground level, they are at a much greater risk for ingesting harmful contaminants.
Use “safe” paint
It is very hard to find safe paint nowadays. Many brands claim to be low-VOC, but those levels do not include the other pigments or colors in the mixture. Colors are the leading source for VOC’s in paint. We recommend looking for paints with the Green Seal. These paints are certified to meet the strictest indoor air quality standards in the country.
Do not buy new furniture
Sticking away from brand new furniture and instead buying used cuts down on formaldehyde that is emitted by both furniture finishes and glues. Formaldehyde resins “set” after five years. Once it sets it becomes safe enough for a baby to be exposed to. The best part is that used furniture is cheap! Check out your local thrift store or estate sale.
Stick with organic bedding
Take the money you saved by buying used furniture and invest it in a quality organic baby mattress and bedding. Traditional bedding can include the same harmful formaldehyde that is in new furniture. Regular mattresses have been treated with toxic flame retardants that can cause breathing problems.
Avoid pressed wood or particleboard
If you decided to go with new furniture after all, we recommend sticking with solid wood options. They will probably include finishes that have formaldehyde, but letting the furniture sit in a garage or storage area will help air it out.
Keep Chemicals Away
So now that you have a healthy area for your newborn, the next step is to keep it that way. It is important to only buy safe cleaning products, low in VOC’s.
Call Orange Restoration For Air Testing and Evaluations
Knowing your nursery is safe and your baby isn’t in any danger from indoor air pollutants you can rest easier at night. It can be a painstaking restoration process to find the right paint and materials but the extra effort is well worth it. If you have any questions or concerns about indoor air testing you can visit us online or give Orange Restoration a call 24/7.
