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A Healthy Room for Baby

Moving to the baby's room, Bob continues to talk with Bernadette Upton of Eco-Decor about the materials used in an ideal room for baby. Although the room is designed for infants, Upton reviews safety procedures to put in place when the baby becomes a toddler, such as removing tablecloths, anchoring furniture, removing climbable furniture, and safeguarding electrical outlets. Upton reviews Treatment-free fabrics used in the window treatments, including washable cotton and solid wood to avoid the glues and formaldehyde found in pressed woods and particle board. The exposed edges and surfaces of particle board and pressboard should be completely sealed with a non-toxic sealer to stop off-gassing. The sofa is an eight-way hand-tie, which can only be constructed using solid, formaldehyde-free, wood. Upton recommends using wallpaper over vinyl, using a minimal amount of it, and airing it befor hanging. When selecting a crib, Upton recommends selecting one from after 1991 because the crib bars are a safe distance apart from one another and harmful chemicals were banned from the manufacture of children's furniture after that date. The baby's mattress is an organic, chemical-free mattress. The house has natural wood floors with throw rugs. The Baby's Breath brochure is available from the American Lung Association.
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A Healthy Room for Baby

  computer-generated transcript - may not be 100% accurate

" This is probably the most elegant baby's room I've ever seen thank you."

" And the theme continues with the circus tent yes it does this is our big top and we're coming into -- room which is a healthy baby's room and we wanted to feature the baby's breath program by the American lung association. That is available to all expectant parents and it's about bringing the baby home to a healthy room."

" Now it's it's awfully. Elegant and elaborate for a baby what happens when you have a toddler well."

" This isn't this room is designed for an infant for mom coming home with the baby in this is the erroneous special world so mom's included in payload -- included in the that. This equation yeah however when baby becomes toddler the first thing we want to start looking at is removing tablecloths the drop cloths to the floor. Anchoring furniture which is very important even that table if it's is freestanding should be anchored to the wall yeah. We actually covering up the receptacles and electrical plugs all of that absolutely for toddlers removing furniture that's flammable furniture that could get near windows that would have to be brought forward so you've done this really for."

" Mother and child returning that's right and it's being person after the last that's why it's so elegant yeah big hitting home. Coming home from the hospital in terms of healthy air don't have to worry a lot about the stuff that. It makes up window treatments. "

" Absolutely a lot of fabrics today have sizing and has a lot of formaldehyde and other chemicals in it and so therefore this is all washable cotton. And actually see the big -- as we see it. Is made up of all washable cotton again and the frame underneath is all solid wood there is no particle boards and therefore we have no formaldehyde emissions and that's one of the key things is to use natural would not manmade lumber products absolutely in a -- unless you are using if you're starting from scratch there isn't and the MDF medium density fiberboard right I would and there are even some particle boards. That are made without formaldehyde so that's what you look for formaldehyde free so if -- do it yourselfer in your planning on building baby furniture and stuff that's what you want to look for absolutely and if for some reason you are hard pressed and you use regular particleboard that does have formaldehyde. When you're building closets or shelves or whatever you must seal off every part of the particle -- that can be seen. What that's where the emission could come out and you seal it with a nontoxic sealer right now this looks like it's an antique sofa."

" It's an it's an -- self with the recycled sofa and it happens to be and this is a big clue an eight way hand tie which means the springs distance frame construction. Is all eight way hand tie you mean the springs down here yes the springs down there and what does that indicate that indicates that eight way hand tie can only be constructed. On solid a solid wood frame -- you know again we're not getting a particleboard frame because the particleboard could never hold an. An eight way hand tie construct -- getting solid wood once again we know him when not getting formaldehyde. What what about the is it again a mural painted or what actually this is not a mural people think it is because the color was matched so well to the background. This is a wallpaper. And I recommend wallpaper over vinyl. Particularly in a baby's room -- final that had doesn't have to breathe ability especially in hot humid climate break but even when you have something. Keep your wallpaper to a minimum I've only selected one wall. Or borders are great yet we actually off gas we unrolled this wallpaper for two and a half days. And it had absolutely no odors whatsoever before you install fully installed -- we used and not have to think he's a wall so right now is the crib an antique. The -- is it the recycled it's not necessarily antique however. Even with using older or recycled this Crimsley want to be using something preferably from 1991. Because we want to stay according to the codes. That much with in two and three eighths inches from him we don't want it any larger the openings between the bars cannot be greater than that is correct and cribs a lot of because -- before 1991 may. Have chemicals in the paint that are very undesirable about the actual mattress."

" The actual mattress is an organic mattress him and it can look at. Go right ahead -- ego that's an organic mattress and it had means its rubber. Well now organic it is. It yes it means its rubber but it could also be a cotton insulated sell this particular mattress. Is real rubber foam on the inside insulated with loan which is naturally inherently flame retardant so there's no chemicals textiles. And then the organic cotton that surrounds it."

" Okay."

" So everything is natural as much natural product as you possibly can get near the baby absolutely because most mattresses or homes will have what's known as he BE DEU. -- broke Drummond David died you know -- which means PV CDs and that's an off gassing. A toxic off gassing that comes from phones from the flame retardant some more natural -- better more naturally better and of course we're in 1920s house so we've got things like this beautiful hardwood floor. Absolutely each other every cycle this is the ultimate we are sitting on something that is at is old as the house -- my point is that you want to avoid wall to wall carpeting right. -- if if you can I would if you don't use -- wall to wall carpeting. The first thing is. I even use a synthetic but even these quality that he is a natural wool -- you won't have the problems. The -- cycle tech's main engine before PCs that off gas but you're better off with a scatter rug like this at washable you're asking about any can take it out to be clean bright -- wall to wall carpeting has to be cleaned in a room and that is not for fair and."

" You've done such a great job and you can get the baby's breath brochure from the American lung association yes. Bernadette thank you so much congratulations thank you -- abuse."

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