How to arrange a child’s room perfectly? I do not mean the colors and style of the room arrangement. Today I want to take a look at the MATERIALS used to make finishing elements, furniture and accessories in a child’s room. To those friendly and to those I do not recommend.
Are you ready? Let’s start!
- Can curtains in a child’s room affect its development?
- What are Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)?
- What fabrics should you choose for your child’s room and your own bedroom?
WE ARE A GENERATION WHICH Spends 90% of its life indoors
The air in the house is usually several times more polluted than the air outside. Except for those days when when you open the window you can smell the “scent” of burning, which as a child reminded me of the smell of a winter evening and going on a sled, and quite recently I found out that it was smog and it was better to close the windows.
The reason for not having the best air in the house is the amount of plastic we buy and install ourselves in our homes. When arranging the interior, we have to make a lot of purchasing decisions. Floors, furniture, wall paints, wallpapers, curtains, carpets – each of these interior fittings can emit VOC, which is something that has a real and negative impact on the health and quality of our children’s future
We buy blankets and pillows as soft as possible. Install soft and cozy upholstered headboards and decorative panels on the walls. Curtains constitute a large and visible part of the furnishings of each room. The vast majority of us buy… plastic.
Do you know that the child spends 95% of his time indoors and the infant 98% of his time? Choosing baby curtains, rugs, furniture and accessories is therefore an extremely important topic.
WHAT TO PAY ATTENTION CHOOSING FABRICS FOR A CHILD’S ROOM?
What is VOCs?
What Volatile Organic Compounds are ? Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are carbon compounds that can evaporate (become gas) at room temperature (21 degrees C). They are used as raw materials for the production of certain plastics; adhesives and resins for products such as composite wood, insulation; they are widely used in paints, coatings and adhesives, and in the finishing of materials to make them waterproof or to increase stain resistance. The most harmful VOCs released from building materials are formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, toluene, isocyanates, xylene and benzene.
VOCs emissions from solid materials such as floors, fabrics, furniture and furnishings emit more slowly at first and keep emissions low for longer periods.
Why VOCs are the problem?
Scientists have reported and continue to report their concerns about VOCs, as many of them have direct health effects. Certain volatile organic compounds are associated with the short-term symptoms of acute disease syndrome. But also with other long-term chronic health effects.
Young children and pregnant women are particularly vulnerable to VOCs. And that is why what I am writing about is so important. Unfortunately I do not remember anybody mentioning the health effects of the solutions shown in any TV interior design program.
The knowledge I am presenting here comes from long-term scientific research conducted since the end of the 1970s by among others: World Health Organization, International Agency for Research on Cancer, Toxic Substances and Disease Registry Agency, US Department of Health and Human Services.
HOW TO CHOOSE FABRICS FOR A CHILD’S ROOM?
First of all we check the composition of fabrics when shopping. Instead of polyester fabrics, we choose natural fibers such as cotton, linen, hemp, bamboo, and wool. Linen is more durable than cotton. It lasts for years and even gains in appearance with time. And it’s virtually unbreakable.
Natural fabrics are antistatic which means they do not attract dust. The structure of the wool fibers prevents the accumulation of bacteria. On the other hand cotton and linen can be washed at high temperature which limits the growth of microorganisms on their surface. Cotton, linen, hemp and bamboo usually do not cause allergies. What can not be said about wool.
It is best if the fabric is certified by Global Organic Textiles Standard (GOTS) or Oeko Tex.
If we want to darken a child’s room – the best curtains will be two layers of tightly woven cotton with a heavier weight and one layer in a dark color. Airy cotton or heavier translucent linen will work as a day curtain. Such a set will effectively darken the room without endangering the toddler’s health.
How to choose curtains for a child?
We avoid polyester in the composition of rugs, upholstery fabrics, curtains and other textiles for a child’s room. Yes, I mean those cute, soft, delicate blankets and coats. Polyester is a product made of petroleum derivatives. It can emit harmful VOCs at higher temperatures and at the same time it becomes electrified, i.e. it attracts dust and is impermeable to air.
CONSIDER THE FABRICS ADVERTISED AS ANTIBACTERIAL AND ANTI-FUNGAL.
At home, we only use fabrics that do NOT contain any flame retardant additives.
These toxic chemicals are often added as the surface coating of mainly upholstery fabrics. They can be carcinogenic or disrupt the functioning of the endocrine system. These textiles are often marketed as “antimicrobial”, “waterproof” or “stain resistant”, “flame retardant”.
ATTENTION! Some antimicrobials are endocrine disruptors. It has also been shown to impair learning processes. Natural fabrics do not need such measures.
We look especially carefully and check the composition of the so-called blackout curtains. Yes, darkness in a room especially for an infant is desirable. PVC coatings (vinyl, PVC) are often used in such curtains. Textiles with PVC coatings can be dangerous and can expose residents to highly toxic chemicals such as dioxins and phthalates (What is vinyl, you can read here). Such curtains make themselves felt with an irritating smell in the bedroom, especially in summer, with heated windows. What I checked experimentally with my own nose.
We approach the description on artificial fabric with a distance: “sustainable development – the material is recyclable”. This mainly means that it can be ground into a finer plastic.
I absolutely do not recommend fabrics with the description: “contains recycled polyester”. This slogan means that we do not know what is inside. And it can be dyes and stabilizers with lead in the composition. I will write more about recycled fabrics soon.
WHAT ABOUT THE CHILDREN’S ROOM CARPET?
Which rug to choose for a child?
Here again natural materials bow. If the toddler is not allergic, a wool rug will be perfect. Perfectly insulates from a cold floor, regulates the humidity in the room; it is extremely durable.
An equally good (and cheaper solution) will be a cotton rug. Which is less durable than woolen, it dents faster than the weight of the furniture and does not provide such a strong protection against the cold – but it is allergy friendly. And this argument with children is of colossal importance. There are also a lot of nice viscose rugs in stores (they are chemically treated cellulose fibers), which are also non-allergenic, but completely resistant to spilled liquids, just like jute and eucalyptus rugs.
TIP – A CARPET FOR CHILDREN’S ROOM WE BUY FROM NATURAL FIBERS, WITHOUT ANY ADDITIVES TO FACILITATE CLEANING.
In the case of children who spend most of the day and sometimes the night on the carpet it is crucial for their health and well-being.
So many of my tips and observations for today. I know. I haven’t clarified many issues yet. What about children’s furniture? Toys? Walls in the children’s room? I promise to make up for it soon. In general, the rule is simple – the more natural, the healthier, the shorter the list of ingredients, the better!
We have higher and higher temperatures. It means that everything in the house gives off more volatile compounds. Including those harmful to health. I encourage you – replace the fabrics with natural ones – it is especially important in the summer in children’s rooms.