Can You Prevent Toxic Off-Gassing when You Can't Afford to Buy an Organic Mattress?
For those who can't readily afford to buy an organic mattress - is there a mattress wrap or cover that we recommend that will block the toxic off-gassing and allergens from a child or adult-size mattress? We are frequently asked this question and I wish we had a good answer. The short answer is no, but there are possible options that may at least partially solve the problem.
If you aren't familiar with why this question is even asked, here is a brief explanation:
In addition to baby and crib mattresses, typical child and adult mattresses (twin, full, queen, king) contain chemicals that are not healthy for anyone, but particularly not safe for babies and children. Most mattresses contain petroleum based chemicals, toxic foams, synthetic fabrics, and are treated with chemical fire retardants. These chemicals can create toxic off-gassing.
I'll answer the above question the best I can at this particular time.
First of all - yes to the allergen part of the question. There is an organic cotton dust mite barrier cover that we recommend for blocking dust mites and other allergens. It's a tightly woven, 100% organic cotton fabric that is completely chemical-free. See Organic Cotton Dust Mite Barrier Cover
However, the dust mite barrier cover will not block gases since it is a fabric. Organic cotton, wool, or latex barrier covers or synthetic mattress covers or pads may protect the mattress, but will most likely not protect you or your children from the toxic chemicals or gases coming from the mattress. And many of the synthetic or plastic covers will add more chemical exposure or off-gassing to the situation. Barrier cloths are great for blocking dust mites and other allergens, but not for toxic off-gassing.
The off-gassing part of the question is not so simple. Plastic, if it is the right thickness and formulation, will block toxic off-gassing. The plastic needs to be thick enough so the gasses won't penetrate and the type of plastic used needs to be non-toxic, so that the plastic itself does not off-gas. For instance, you wouldn't want to use a vinyl plastic covering since that adds more chemical exposure to the mix.
Polyethylene is considered the safest, most non-toxic plastic available. It has a simple molecular structure that does not require toxic chemical additives like phthalates. BabeSafe mattress covers (made in New Zealand) are made with a specially formulated polyethylene that has been tested and confirmed to block off-gassing and will not off-gas itself. These covers are safe for covering toxic baby and crib mattresses. Unfortunately, BabeSafe will not make the larger sizes in twin through king. I'm sorry to say that there is no one that we can recommend who makes tested mattress wraps for older child or adult beds.
Some people who co-sleep with their babies are buying sheets of polyethylene at a home improvement store to wrap their mattresses, but this can be risky since there are different grades of polyethylene and this plastic is not tested. You have to be really careful to get the correct thickness - at least 125 microns, or 5 mil, and it needs to be clear and not colored. And you will want to be sure you are actually getting pure polyethylene and not some other plastic or combination.
Some people have purchased several BabeSafe crib size mattress covers and taped them together to wrap an adult bed. This seems like it may be a good alternative since at least you know you're getting a safe polyethylene that does indeed block the toxins. You would need to overlap the seams, use a good strong tape and make sure that a child's head or body is nowhere near the taped seams.
Please note that I'm NOT recommending any of this as SIDS prevention advice - only sharing what others have done.
When you wrap your mattress in a sheet of thick polyethylene, you are sleeping on plastic that can be noisy and annoying - it's not the most comfortable bedding material and it's not breathable. An organic cotton pad on top is essential, and a thicker organic topper would be better. Please NOTE that it's not safe to use a thick mattress pad or topper if you will have an infant in your bed. Infants need a firm flat surface. But for an older child or adult bed you could use a topper.
Another possibility is to use a Naturepedic Organic Cotton Waterproof mattress pad. In this waterproof pad, there is a thin film of plastic in the middle between the organic cotton layers. This thin film may partially block some of the off-gassing from the top of the mattress, but there's no way of knowing how much and it will probably not completely block all the gases - it really depends on how toxic your mattress is to begin with. So we can't say this waterproof pad will protect you from off-gassing since we simply don't know, but we do know for a fact that it is a safe and non-toxic pad that has been tested and confirmed to not off-gas itself. Other plastic waterproof pads may also block some or even all of the gases, depending on how thick the plastic is and how much off-gassing there is in the first place, but other pads are not tested for off-gassing and are likely not safe.
This brings up another point. We really have no idea to what extent an individual mattress is off-gassing or if it is off-gassing at all. It really depends on what is in the mattress and this varies greatly between different types of mattresses materials and manufacturers. Sometimes it's obvious because you can actually smell the chemical odor. But a mattress can still off-gas even when it's 10 years old and there's no chemical smell.
What have I done for my family? As soon as I could, I purchased an organic mattress for my daughter - the Naturepedic Quilted Organic Cotton Deluxe mattress set. She's now 15 and this mattress works very well for her - she loves it. Naturepedic is the most affordable I have found for a completely non-toxic organic mattress.
But I need a very soft sleeping surface - I simply don't sleep well on a firm innerspring mattress. Since I've not yet been able to afford a softer organic latex mattress, I've compromised for myself. I bought a 4" organic natural latex topper and put that on top of my regular firm innerspring mattress. Then I have another 3" organic wool topper on top of the latex topper. It's very soft and comfortable (pure bliss, actually) and I'm sleeping about 7" above my old mattress (I assume this old mattress is probably toxic). What I learned is that toxic gases are heavier than air so they can hover only an inch or two above the mattress. I also have a very good air purifier in my room that works well with VOCs. Does this scenario guarantee I'm not being exposed? No, but we do the best we can and we have to let go of the worry. As soon as I can I will replace the toxic mattress.
Please note that my solution is not a solution if you're co-sleeping with an infant. Babies need a firm flat surface and the toppers that I have make it too soft for a baby.
15 years ago, long before I knew about toxic gases in mattresses, I co-slept with my baby in my bed, not knowing the mattress was an issue. I breastfed her frequently throughout the night and I was in tune with her natural breathing rhythm. And she wasn't vaccinated, which can really complicate the toxicity issue. At that time in my life, there was no way I could have afforded an organic mattress even if I knew the dangers. And there simply weren't that many options available 15 years ago. If I had a baby now, I would make it an absolute priority to purchase the organic cotton deluxe innerspring mattress to go under my soft toppers, purchase a co-sleeper bassinet, and put a Naturepedic bassinet mattress in that for my baby to sleep on right next to my bed. I'd bring her in bed with me to nurse frequently but put her back in the bassinet to sleep on the flat firm non-toxic mattress. And she would either nap in my sling or in the bassinet.
Another thing that's important to be aware of is if you are using a co-sleeper attached to your bed, will your baby's face be up against the side of your mattress? If so, that mattress needs to be non-toxic.
Obviously this is not a black and white issue, nor is it currently an easy one to solve. Since your family spends a lot of time sleeping on mattresses, it's important to protect your family from toxic mattress exposures. Do the best you can to make safe, non-toxic organic mattresses a priority in your budget. Then let go of the worry. Worry can be very toxic, too.
Read about Safe Co-Sleeping
Just because a mattress is organic does not mean it is non-toxic. This article outlines how to determine whether a mattress is organic and whether it is really non-toxic. This article is mostly about crib mattresses, but most of the information also pertains to child or adult mattresses.
http://www.healthychild.com/toxic-baby-crib-mattress/safe-non-toxic-organic-crib-mattresses/
IMPORTANT:
This information is purely for educational purposes and is NOT meant to be SIDS prevention advice. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Healthy Child does NOT make ANY claims that co-sleeping or using a non-toxic mattress will prevent SIDS since this has not been 100% scientifically proven, and there can be other factors involved in SIDS. None of the information or options presented here are considered to be SIDS prevention advice.
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If so, how would you recommend trying the comfort of a futon mattress before buying from you online?