Thursday, January 31, 2008

What Do You Know About All Organic Mattress Stores?

If you're seriously interested in knowing about organic mattress, you need to think beyond the basics. This informative article takes a closer look at things you need to know about organic mattress.



I trust that what you've read so far has been informative. The following section should go a long way toward clearing up any uncertainty that may remain.

With an increase in various organic choices available lately it is only natural that there are all organic mattress stores. These stores sell organic mattresses and bedding for children and adults. Organic mattresses and bedding can help you have a better night’s rest while helping you to improve your overall health.

Conventional mattresses are made of synthetic materials, usually polyurethane foam. These materials cause health risks. The chemicals that polyurethane foam is made of are known carcinogens. On top of that, polyurethane foam releases chemicals as it breaks down and since it is continuously breaking down it is always releasing chemicals into the air. This process is called off-gassing.

Chemicals used as flame retardants on conventional mattresses also increase health risks. These chemicals include boric acid, a chemical used to kill cockroaches. Boric acid is known to cause neurological damage and reproductive problems as well as being an eye, throat and lung irritant. Boric acid is also a carcinogenic agent. According to the CDC, exposure to boric acid can cause acute health problems in as little as 15 days.

Memory foam mattresses are comfortable, that is after you let them rest for 24 hours after removing them from their packaging. During those 24 hours the smell you notice coming from the mattress is extremely strong. The smell slowly decreases until you no longer notice it but off-gassing is still happening. The chemicals that are given off from memory foam can cause nausea and headaches to people who sleep in the same room with them.

Formaldehyde is used to treat non-organic cotton sheets and pillowcases to keep them from wrinkling. Labels do not need to include this information so consumers often have no idea that they are increasing their health risks by purchasing seemingly harmless items.

All organic mattress stores sell mattresses that are made of cotton, wool, wood, and natural rubber. These materials do not give off chemical vapors like their non-organic counterparts.

Latex foam is a natural material that comes from rubber tree sap. The sap is whipped into latex foam. Mattresses made of latex foam have an expected life of 20 years. This foam is comfortable but not breathable so foam rubber mattresses are padded with organic cotton or organic wool. Both materials breathe and wick away moisture which helps with temperature control.

In addition to mattresses, organic bedding is available in most organic mattress stores. Organic cotton or wool bedding can help to control body temperature during the summer and winter and increase overall comfort. Sleeping on natural materials can decrease allergic breathing problems, decrease snoring, increase circulation, and improve the overall quality of sleep.

Wool pads have been used in hospitals to reduce pressure and prevent bed sores for many years. Neonatal units have been using sheepskin pads to help infants control their body temperatures for more than a quarter of a century. The risk of SIDS is increased when infants sleep on mattresses that emit toxic chemicals. This risk is decreased when all organic materials are used instead.

Natural bedding can help to reduce health risks while allowing you to enjoy a good nights rest.

You can't predict when knowing something extra about organic mattress will come in handy. If you learned anything new about &keyword% in this article, you should file the article where you can find it again.

Why Your Mattress May Be Killing You

Do you ever feel like you know just enough about organic mattress to be dangerous? Let's see if we can fill in some of the gaps with the latest info from organic mattress experts.



If you base what you do on inaccurate information, you might be unpleasantly surprised by the consequences. Make sure you get the whole organic mattress story from informed sources.

The organic movement, which started with organic food, is moving to the bedroom in a big way. "The bedroom? " you say. Yes, my dear, the bedroom, where organic mattresses and organic bedding are becoming an important new trend in the quest for a healthier lifestyle.

The organic bedroom trend is motivated by some very recent disturbing discoveries about the petroleum-based foam mattresses most of us sleep on every night. Studies of household dust have confirmed that your mattress is likely one of the most significant sources of cancer-causing chemicals in your home. The average mattress consists of petroleum-based foam covered in petroleum-based polyester fabric. During its 10-year average lifetime, a foam mattress loses up to half its weight, and the lost weight goes on your bedroom floor in the form of toxic dust and in the air in the form of formaldehyde gas which is a by-product of the foam breakdown. Those dust bunnies under your bed could be a real threat to your health, unless you use an organic mattress which does not break down into these toxic by-products.

The foam mattress story gets even more scary. The average petroleum-based foam queen-sized mattress is soaked in about a pound of fire retardant chemicals called PDBEs, which have already been banned in Europe, but not in North America. PDBEs are chemicals which are similar to the banned PCBs, and they build up in the body like DDT and PCBs. The PDBEs are used because they are the simplest and cheapest way to conform to United States mattress fire resistance codes. They are also promoted by the chemical industry, which recently sponsored tightening of the mattress fire resistance codes, which will cause even greater quantities of PDBEs to be used in the manufacture of mattresses beginning in 2006. While these new codes will save an estimated 27 lives a year from fires, these new regulations play Russian roulette with the future health of the 285 million Americans that sleep on these petroleum-based foam mattresses. Those calling for a ban on PDBEs say the greater danger is not the lives lost in fires, but the potentially millions of cases of cancer caused by exposure to these chemicals over the coming decades.

The solution to this problem is to remove petroleum-based bedding from your home, and this has spawned the burgeoning organic bedroom movement. The cornerstone of this trend is the organic mattress, which is the same kind of mattresses our ancestors used before the rise of the petrochemical industry after World War II. It is also interesting to note that current cancer rates are more than 5 times higher than before World War II, when everybody was sleeping on organic mattresses by definition, because there was no petrochemical industry during those times.

Examples of an organic mattress include:

1. Organic cotton and wool batting innerspring mattresses with an organic cotton fabric cover. Wool is naturally fire retardant and meets all US fire codes.

2. A Natural latex mattress, whose foam is made from the latex sap of the rubber tree and which require no fire retardants because natural rubber does not burn well.

3. Luxury organic mattresses which use combination of all three materials, organic cotton, wool, and latex, to produce maximum comfort mattresses that rival any non-organic mattresses.

4. All organic cotton mattresses. Although cotton does not burn well, it requires a doctor’s prescription because cotton does not meet US fire resistance codes.

Organic mattresses also have comfort advantages over traditional petroleum-based foam mattresses. They wick away moisture from the body much more thoroughly than clammy polyester and man-made foam, stopping night sweating and cutting down on problems like athlete’s foot and jock itch. Wool also regulates body temperature very well, which is important for a restful sleep. Natural latex foam and wool are resistant to dust mites, which cause allergies in many people, and organic cotton and latex foam are both hypoallergenic materials. Organic mattresses are also considered a must for people with chemical sensitivities.

Major North American manufacturers of organic mattresses include Vivetique/Crown City Mattress, located in South El Monte, California, Royal Pedic, headquartered in Beverly Hills, California, and Obasan, located in Ottawa, Canada. Retailers of organic mattresses include a variety of local mattress stores who carry products from these manufacturers, and nationwide web retailers, like Dax Stores, which often have the best prices for these mattresses.

Take time to consider the points presented above. What you learn may help you overcome your hesitation to take action.

What is an Organic Mattress?

When most people think of organic mattress, what comes to mind is usually basic information that's not particularly interesting or beneficial. But there's a lot more to organic mattress than just the basics.



Truthfully, the only difference between you and organic mattress experts is time. If you'll invest a little more time in reading, you'll be that much nearer to expert status when it comes to organic mattress.

An organic mattress is simply a mattress that is made from organic materials. They are popular due to the fact that no pesticides, dioxins, formaldehyde, fire retardant foams, or any other petrochemicals are used in their production.

Organic Mattress Materials

While many different mattress manufacturers use a variety of materials, there are some materials that are more frequently used by manufacturers of organic mattresses. The wool that is utilized to make an organic mattress is sheared from lambs both in New Zealand and France. Once removed, the wool is cleaned using a chemical free, non-toxic soap solution. Natural latex rubber is also used in conjunction with organic wool and cotton to make some mattresses, and this type of mattress is comparable to a regular mattress that utilizes memory foam or polyurethane foam. However, both the memory foam and polyurethane foam can be toxic and result in health complications, while natural latex rubber is completely safe, environmentally friendly, and provides a wonderful nights rest.

Who Buys Organic Mattresses?

While the organic mattress has quite a following, those with back and other orthopedic ailments, allergy sufferers, and those individuals who wish to use only eco-friendly items normally purchase it. It is also well known that lanolin, which is a component of sheep's wool, is a natural dust mite repellent, making an organic mattress attractive to persons simply interested in a healthier sleeping surface.

Other Organic Items to Complement Your Mattress

There are a myriad of organic items that can be purchased and utilized along with an organic mattress. Some of these items include organic and pure wool comforters, organic cotton sheets, organic cotton blankets, organic latex mattress pads, organic wool pillows and pillow cases, as well as organically grown and made wool mattress toppers.

Chemicals to Avoid

When looking for an organic mattress, be sure to fully investigate what the mattress is made of before making a purchase. Just because a particular mattress is advertised as organic doesn't mean that it actually is organic. Avoid purchasing any mattress that contains a chemical fire retardant, formaldehyde, synthetic or chemical foams, or any mattress that has been treated with a chemical odor reducer. Glues, plastics, and polyester materials should also be avoided.

An organic mattress will make not only a wise investment, but will also be a healthy choice when it comes to sleeping in a safe environment free of toxic chemicals and pollutants.

You can't predict when knowing something extra about organic mattress will come in handy. If you learned anything new about &keyword% in this article, you should file the article where you can find it again.