Hey, future mom or dad! You’re back for another look into how to set up the best nursery for your little one. However, maybe you’re hesitant about the harmful chemicals you’ve heard regarding the production of nursery sets. We want to educate you by taking a deep dive into the dangers of toxic baby furniture.

The Most Common Toxins in Baby Furniture

When parents buy something new for their child, they aren’t always aware of the harmful chemicals that were used to produce the item. For example, the furniture pieces that seem to be the best choices are often made with fumes that can hurt the development of your little one and result in long-term neurological and physical issues. Furthermore, the toxins with which many people grew up in the late 20th century were once thought okay to have around, but they’re now proven to create negative effects in children down the road.

The most familiar toxins often found in baby furniture include:

• Flame retardants
• Parabens
• Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)
• Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)

How Toxic Finishes Harm the Baby

Many people know that lead paint is harmful, but it can pose a more severe risk to your developing child’s health and well-being. When a child comes into contact with toxic chemicals, their organs and metabolic systems can cease to function properly. Since their systems are in the beginning development stages, the child may develop neurological issues if exposed long enough, including reduced IQ, learning difficulties, and childhood cancers such as leukemia.

Even as we learn the potential dangers and risks, let’s explore the standard furniture that’s harmful to your child.

How To Shop for Nontoxic Baby Products

With every important piece of baby equipment, such as a changing pad or crib, how many chemicals a company uses to craft the item comes a question. Although some items have high levels of chemical content built into the construction, finding nontoxic pieces of equipment is still possible.

As more companies learn how to produce better-quality pieces for families and the environment, you can learn what to look for to ensure the company from which you purchase has sustainability and child safety at the forefront through every production process. Here’s a quick guide on what to do when you’re shopping:

• Avoid the TB117 label.
• Search for chemical-free flame-retardant filling.
• Buy toys with low to no levels of VOCs or PVC.
• Stay away from baby care products that contain talc.

How To Check for Nontoxic Furniture Manufacturers

You also need to know how to find children’s furniture brands that don’t know or tiny amounts of chemicals. Children’s equipment pieces come with many tags that may say “nontoxic,” but many people still wonder if a simple “nontoxic” label is enough to keep their kids safe. Here’s what to look for buying nontoxic baby fixtures and furniture sets.

Solid Wood

A baby nursery furniture set made from natural wood is what you want to use throughout your baby’s time in the nursery. Made with plenty of sustainability in mind, a solid wood crib or dresser will grow with your child.

Greenguard Certification

The Greenguard Gold Certification is a license that says the furniture will promote excellent indoor air quality, especially in a nursery. You can enjoy not fretting over whether a crib was made with lead-based paint when it has this certification.

The Greenguard Certification is something many people aren’t too familiar with; however, this accreditation gives parents insight into a company’s practices for making products. For a piece of equipment to receive this stamp of approval, it’s tested for more than 10,000 chemicals and over 360 VOCs. If the product you’re looking for doesn’t have this documentation, opt for a plywood or MDF (medium-density fiberboard) platform that has the Greenguard Certification.

Buying Local Goods

When it comes to buying manufactured products, many people opt for sellers that use large factories to make their products in other countries. Although this is a great strategy to save on production and shipping costs, it tends to create more issues, especially since different countries haven’t entirely banned certain chemicals. Therefore, when you’re able, always buy locally made products or ones made in Canada and European countries.

How To Create a Nontoxic Bedroom

As you explore different nursery themes and the best ways to make each one environmentally friendly, you want to guarantee that the equipment you pick is made from nontoxic materials. Here are some quick tips for creating the sustainable nursery of your dreams.

Go With Low- or No-VOC Paint

You know you need the most environmentally friendly baby sets, but you also need to cover the walls in eco-friendly paint that contains few to no VOCs. When you’re buying paint, aim for paints that have no odor. Paint odor actually comes from lead and other artificial ingredients. Because of the high levels of chemicals in paint, using scented paint in your home can be dangerous. So opt for a brand that lists no VOCs among its ingredients, including:

• Acetone
• Carbon disulfide
• Ethanol
• Formaldehyde

These chemicals are dangerous, and they also tend to hide in cleaning supplies marketed toward infants. So as you create your registry for the baby shower, read the labels before adding anything to your registry to ensure it doesn’t contain harmful ingredients that can hurt your family.

Choose Safe Flooring

The flooring is another thing you might not think twice about when creating a nursery. However, it’s best to use a flooring type that’s a safer substitute for traditional wood flooring. Opt for flooring such as bamboo—it’s eco friendly and water resistant. Other flooring types to consider include:

• A natural rug or carpet
• Cork floors

Benefits of Eco-Friendly Baby Products

You can relish in knowing you have eco-friendly products in your baby’s room. Here are a few benefits of going toxin free in your nursery:

• No harmful chemicals in plastic toys
• All products are made to be 100% antibacterial and fungal
• No vitamin deficiencies in your child

As you continue your deep dive into the dangers of toxic baby furniture, start jotting down ideas for what nontoxic furniture to buy and what chemicals to stay away from.

Many people find it hard to find suitable fixtures for their little ones. At Simply Nursery, we make it easy with our beautiful wooden baby nursery sets made from wood imported directly from Brazil. When crafting our nursery furniture sets, we take sustainability seriously and keep our customers’ needs and wants at heart.