Mattress Wraps For Toxic Fumes

[phoenix]

Hi JannyGoats,

I think the safest direction for you to consider would be an organic cotton futon. I have briefly looked into them, just make sure that they have a wool covering in the construction so that they legally don’t have to use brominated flame retardants.

Just for clarity … Brominated fire retardants are not normally used in mattresses and most of them were phased out long ago. Most mattresses use either an inherent fire retardant fabric (viscose /silica is one example), boric acid which is added to fibers such as cotton, or wool to pass the fire regulations. I would also be aware that the presence of wool doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s the only material used to pass the fire regulations. The other issue with cotton futons is that they are quite firm and many people with fibromyalgia may find them too firm to sleep on.

I am in the midst of my latex mattress trial period right now and let me tell you there is a chemical smell associated with this. I aired my pieces out for 2 weeks before I used them and it was OK once I got it in the cotton/wool zippered case. In my search to find the right layer combination Phoenix suggested that I remove the mattress pad and cover and sleep directly on the latex. Let me tell you, the smell is still very much there and if that’s what it comes down to, it’s going back.

I’m not sure which of your layers you are sensitive to (Talalay and Dunlop have a different smell … see post #2 here) but at least both of them are Oeko-Tex certified so you have some assurance that the smell isn’t harmful. The smell of latex will gradually dissipate over the course of a few weeks to levels that most people don’t notice although some people who are more sensitive may still smell it at very low levels, especially if they are close to it (such as if it’s uncovered) for much longer.

Phoenix