Say No to harmful chemical treatments
Fire retardants are routinely added to a large number of consumer products including televisions and computers, upholstered furniture, carpets and mattresses. Mattresses can also contain pesticides and formaldehyde. When you consider that we spend a third of our life in bed it is hardly surprising that it is not only the chemically sensitive that are suffering the ill effects of such treatments. Animal studies have shown that the fire retardants PBDEs (polybrominated diphenyl ethers) have been “associated with cancer, endocrine disruption and impaired brain development in animal studies,...” explains Schecter. “There is no human data on their health effects but cancer, endocrine disruption, nervous system alterations, reproductive and developmental pathology, thyroid problems, especially with foetal exposure have all been observed in animals, similarly to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).” (Schecter, Intute, Spotlight).
Choosing a mattress
We offer a range of hand made mattresses to suit your various needs and pockets. They all comply with British fire retardancy regulations. Our organic mattresses are certified by the Soil Association and are naturally fire retardant. Our Healthy House mattresses are made specifically for us without the addition of chemical fire retardants on the fillings. The cotton cover conforms to British Standards fire regulations and has been inspected to Oeko-tex Standard 100, free from harmful substances. We offer a choice of filling on the sprung mattress and a polyester and cotton rebound filling on the pocket sprung. Small samples of the various materials used in our mattresses are available to test for tolerance (please see test for outgassing below) We advise testing for tolerance as all mattresses are made to order and we regret mattresses cannot be returned except for faulty workmanship or damage.
Sprung and unsprung mattresses
Sprung mattresses are made up of a set of springs, wrapped or covered with filling and then a cover. An open coil mattress is made up of a set of springs all joined together whilst a pocket sprung mattress is made up of individually pocketed springs. A pocket sprung mattress feels more dense than an open coil mattress and gives good even support over the whole mattress.
We offer an unsprung latex mattress in our organic range. Unsprung mattresses contain no springs or metal of any kind and are particularly suitable for people who are electrically sensitive. They tend to feel denser than a sprung mattress. The latex used in our mattresses is natural latex and has had no chemical treatments. The unsprung mattresses are a comfortable alternative to a sprung mattress.
Your new mattress must be unwrapped and put onto a sound and supportive even base. Slats should be placed no more than 4cm apart. Always remember to turn your mattress regularly and never bend it. Do not store in a plastic bag.
Chemical Sensitivity
Due to the UK government's strict fire retardancy regulations most mattresses produced in this country contain high levels of chemical fire retardants. Our mattresses are custom made to order and we stock the most natural and organic mattresses we can find that still comply with the government's fire retardancy regulations. They are free of harmful chemical fire retardants and are therefore more suitable for people with
chemical sensitivities.
Simple test for offgassing
1. Seal a sample of the material to be tested in a glass jar.
2. Keep it in a warm place for 24 - 48hrs then inhale deeply from the jar.
3. Notice:
a) the strength of the odour
b) any symptoms that result
NB. Symptoms may occur only in some chemically sensitive persons.
Taken from Environmental Medicine in Clinical Practice BSAENM Publications 1997.
