How to Make Your Bedroom Non-Toxic for a Healthy Night’s Sleep

Learn how to create a non-toxic bedroom by purifying the air and buying safer products.

Why It Matters

There are a lot of sneaky ways chemicals get into our bedrooms. They may be off-gassing from our mattress, or from the carpet or furniture in our bedrooms. Chemicals may be sprayed into the air from cleaning products or air fresheners. Toxins also end up in dust that hangs around longer than we would like to admit.

Keep in mind, this applies to kids bedrooms and baby nurseries as well as our own. In fact, the impact of chemical exposure on babies and kids is even worse than for adults, given their developing bodies and immature immune systems.

Non-Toxic Bedroom Checklist

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I know all this can sound a bit scary – but I don’t want you to worry. You can significantly reduce your exposure to chemicals and create a healthy bedroom environment by working your way through this checklist. Don’t worry about doing everything immediately – start with the small stuff and eventually make the more expensive changes when it makes sense for you.

Purified Air

Because of all the ways toxins get into our homes, it’s no surprise that indoor air can get pretty polluted with chemicals. Pollutants like VOCs, dust mites, pet dander, mold, pollen and smoke can all have serious health effects from respiratory issues to cancer. Using an air purifier is one solution but there are other ways to keep indoor air fresh as well.

Some things you can do to purify the air in your bedroom:

• Open windows  – getting polluted air out is part of the solution
• House plants – certain plants are known for to filter air including English Ivy, Spider Plants and Peace Lily
• Salt lamps – Salt purifies air by attracting water vapor that may contain mold or other allergens. I have a small night light salt lamp in my bedroom but tabletop salt lamps are popular too
• Use an air purifier with a HEPA filter
• Air filters for your furnace/air conditioner – Get one that is rated MERV 10 or higher (MERV rates a filter’s ability to capture particles)
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• Essential oil diffuser – a great alternative to commercial air fresheners. Many essential oils are anti-bacterial.

If you want to get into the nitty gritty about mattresses – head over to my post about how to find the best natural, organic and non-toxic mattress brands. Meanwhile, I’ll tell you that I sleep on a firm Naturepedic mattress every night and love it. My oldest son has a Happsy mattress and it is super comfy and I love that it is one of the more affordable organic mattresses! My youngest son has a Zen Haven mattress and it is probably the most comfy and luxurious mattress I’ve ever tried! He uses the soft side but you can flip the mattress to the firm side if that’s what you prefer.

Some things to look for in a non-toxic mattress:

• GOTS certified organic cotton & wool, and GOLS certified organic latex
• Latex should be natural latex rubber, not synthetic latex
• No chemical flame retardants added
• For accident protection, look for safe mattress covers made from polyurethane laminate (PUL) fabric or polyethylene instead of PVC or vinyl

Tip: If a new mattress is not in your future, consider a natural wool, latex or cotton mattress topper instead.

RELATED: Affordable Non-Toxic Mattresses

Natural Fiber Bedding

Since we’re spending one-third of our lives in bed, we should make sure the bedding we are sleeping in is not only cozy, but safe. Conventional bed-sheets often contain chemical residues – either from pesticides sprayed on cotton or from plastics used in polyester. Some sheets are also treated with chemicals to make them stain or wrinkle resistant. Pillows are often synthetic and are sometimes treated with chemical flame retardants.

Here are some better bedding alternatives:

• Organic cotton sheets – I’ve purchased organic sheet sets at Target. There are some high quality brands like Under the Canopy sheets available on Amazon and if you want super nice sheets, check out Coyuchi.
• Bamboo fiber sheets – Renewable bamboo is naturally temperature regulating (Target has an affordable bamboo rayon sheet set).
• Wool & organic cotton pillows – We love our natural wool pillows from Moss Envy (made in Minnesota!)! The cover is organic cotton.
• Latex & Kapok pillows – We also love our Green Pillows from Avocado. They are a mix of GOLS organic certified latex and GOTS organic certified Kapok fill, wrapped in a GOTS organic certified cotton cover. Super plush!

Read my Guide to Natural & Organic Bedding here!

Tip: If your regular sheets are well-worn and frequently washed, they don’t necessarily need to be replaced. When it comes time for a new sheet set, consider going organic. 

Use these safe cleaning products in your bedroom:

• Clean surfaces with non-toxic cleaning agents – here are some of my favorite all purpose cleaning sprays
• Dust windowsills and wood furniture with non-toxic furniture polish
• Use a vacuum with a HEPA filter to trap harmful particles like dust mites, pet dander and pollen
• Wash bedding with non-toxic laundry products including eco-friendly laundry detergent and laundry fresheners
• Clean windows using natural window cleaners that don’t contain ammonia or artificial fragrances
• Skip the toxic dryer sheets and use these safer dryer sheet alternatives instead

Tip: To freshen up sheets I spray them with Eco Breeze from Earth Friendly Products. It smells wonderfully fresh but is eco-friendly and non-toxic!

Non-Toxic Furnishings

Sadly, upholstered furniture and carpet are other ways that toxic chemicals sneak into our bedrooms.

Furniture: Most upholstered furniture and cushions are made with toxic flame retardant chemicals, and many also contain stain or water repellents.  These chemicals off-gas and accumulate in dust in your home. Also avoid furniture made from plywood or particle board, which can emit formaldehyde fumes.

Look for:

• Furniture made using natural latex foam or low-VOC certified foam (CertiPUR-US)
• Label reading “The upholstery materials in this product contain NO added flame retardant chemicals.”
• Solid wood that is FSC-certified

Look for:

• Wool carpet – a natural, renewable fiber that is biodegradable and long-lasting
• Greenguard or Green Label Plus certified carpet – lower VOCs than traditional carpet
• Low-VOC adhesives

Some resources for non-toxic home and bedroom furnishings:

Note: You’ll still need to ask a lot of questions – but these companies are known for having some non-toxic, eco-friendly offerings.

• Room & Board
• Crate & Barrel
• Arhaus
• West Elm / Pottery Barn
• Ikea
• Flor carpet tiles
• Earth Weave carpet

What have you done so far to create a non-toxic environment in your bedroom? What are you still working on?

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