From a person who was too proud to accept or even hear out other people’s tips, I’ve turned into one who highly appreciates any kind of tip as long as it makes things easier with motherhood. Yes, motherhood changes you in all the good ways you never even imagined! One example would be becoming more prudent with indoor air pollution and making the right choices in terms of fabrics, materials and cleaning supplies.

Sweet Dreams are Made of… Natural Fibres?

I always enjoy time spent with Eliza because she’s full of experience in different areas when it comes to parenting, as is the case with sustainability for instance. In one of our latest talks we discussed eco-friendliness which is how the importance of carefully choosing a child’s pyjamas came about.

As a mum, I do whatever is in my might to provide Matthew with the best, and I didn’t think about the differences between synthetic and organic clothing, let alone pyjamas, before I became a mum.

I hadn’t thought of it, but I certainly do now: buying the suitable pair of pjs means buying your restful night’s sleep because natural fibres are great for warding off allergies, helping out with thermoregulation, preventing sweating thanks to breathability and of course keeping toxic chemicals  away from the body and the indoor air.

It all started with getting a pair of bamboo pjs for him from Eliza, but I wanted to give up the synthetics once and for all and find as many alternatives as I could, so I acquired cotton kids sleepwear also. Since he’s now in a phase where he loves everything about the space, I found the perfect cotton pair with a starry night and planets design so no wonder they immediately became his favourite pair.

I no longer have to worry whether or not sleepwear is affecting his sleep, whether he’s too hot or too cold, tossing and turning, because I know he’s safe and snug in bed. Speaking of which, I also pay attention to the bedding.

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What’s in Your Bedding?

We think we know everything when it comes to taking care of our health and well-being by eating right and exercising yet the question is are we really doing the best we can unless we know what’s in our bedding, the very one we spend day in and day out on.

Same as with kids sleepwear, it’s important to choose fabrics that are made for a night of good sleep, which again is the case with natural options like cotton and bamboo. Have you noticed how using synthetic bedding is either making you feel too hot in summer and too cool in winter?

Well, that’s because synthetic materials aren’t breathable and the worst part is the toxins present on them due to the various processes they go through during production don’t have much difficulty to make their way through our bodies through the skin and breathing; this is reason enough for me to take the choice of bedding seriously, especially for Matthew.

Overprotective Mum Award

Some might call you cuckoo for being too cautious with the furniture and all the items you choose for the kids’ bedroom, along with the kids sleepwear and bedding, so my advice is to just let them; it’s best to have your peace of mind knowing you did everything you could to protect your baby from indoor air pollution than letting others’ opinions stop you and end up thinking “what if” afterwards.  

Pollution isn’t only to be found outside, it’s much more subtle of an enemy inside and many of us are unaware of the dangers lurking in our very homes. Some toxic chemicals that badly affect a child’s health like the VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) should be kept out of home.

This is why I pay attention to everything I buy, including the mattress, bed frame, rugs, as well as the rest of the furniture and the paint on the walls plus the paint on toys and all the other items around. Furthermore, unlike years ago when I preferred a sparkly clean home using whatever got to my hands in terms of cleaning supplies, I’d now rather have a home with muddy floors than use products full of chemicals.

This isn’t to say I stopped cleaning, though, just to be clear! Nowadays, it’s easy to find plant-based eco-friendly products, however, it’s equally likely to come across greenwashing so it’s important to be prudent with the green-labelled items.

Besides, if you ever feel in doubt, you can always resort to creating your own cleaning supplies from what you already have at home, from the simple soap and mild water mixture to vinegar, olive oil, baking soda, lemons and some essential oils as in the example of peppermint.

To all the Coke fans who want to cut down on this classic drink, grab a can from the fridge and place it in the cleaning drawer because this baby’s got some cleaning power in it too. It might sound far-fetched but you’d be able to have a clean home while cutting down on waste, costs as well as chemicals.