I’m curious about how often people choose organic cotton as a mattress component, and why. Is this simply a way to be, promoting and supporting organic farming and materials in general? Or is there a better reason?
It sounds like an important and meaningful choice, and exactly the kid of choice I would make. I eat many organic foods, and am for a pesticide free earth. However, much of my clothing is cotton, and I don’t believe any of it is organic. My sheets are mostly cotton, and I think at this point none are organic. This stuff contacts me for many more hours than the time I will be near my mattress.
It’s very easy to jump on a kind of snowball of important needs in this mattress buying process, aiming for 100% natural and organic components and processes all the way.
And as I was weighing this sudden deep need I began to feel for choosing organic cotton on my mattress, I realized it would likely be such a small factor in the purity and naturalness of my wardrobe and home environment that it probably had a very slim chance, by itself, of making any kind of a meaningful improvement in the health of this environment.
Also, I am considering buying a latex mattress, and as I understand it, there are “natural” processes available for processing the tree sap into latex foam, but no actual organic processes from tree to bed when it comes to latex.
So I am curious on others’ thoughts, and any deeper information that may be available, about choosing organic cotton.
Cotton is one of the most heavily sprayed crops on earth and there are many people who wish to avoid pesticides or other potentially harmful substances or residues in their mattress (or their food and clothing) or who for personal reasons prefer to use materials that are a little more “earth friendly”.
The materials in your mattress (and your pillow) are also closer to your face and mouth and the air you breathe than the clothing you wear or other household furniture so some people are more concerned with the materials in their mattress than anything else in their home environment.
Post #2 here and the more detailed posts and information it links to have more information about safe, natural, organic, “chemical free”, and “green” mattresses and mattress materials that can help you sort through some of the marketing information and terminology that you will encounter in the industry and can help you differentiate between them and answer “how safe is safe enough for me” or “how green is green enough for me” or even “how organic is organic enough for me” so you can decide on the types of materials you are most comfortable having in your mattress. These types of issues are complex and are generally specific to each person and their individual sensitivities, circumstances, criteria, beliefs, and lifestyle choices.
There is certainly organic Dunlop latex available that is made with latex that is grown on certified organic plantations and that use organic methods to manufacture the latex. There is more about organic latex (GOLS certified) and organic certifications in general in post #2 here and the other posts it links to.
The basic reasons to buy organic fabric certified by the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) are as follows:
Buying GOTS fabric
*contributes to less pesticides in the air by growing crops consciously.
*creates does not create arid soil by the pesticide pollution.
*contributes to fairly paid workers and working conditions.
*keeps the process of the dying, cleaning done with non toxic chemicals.
*keeps allergens like formaldehyde not used in its processing.
*regulates how the waste materials are discarded.
[li]*gives foreign businesses a chance to compete in market perhaps not available in their own country.[\li]
I think the best reason to support GOTS organic fabric
*is that it empowers us, the consumers, with knowledge.
Now we have a resource with which to judge the fabric. Now we have someone who can give us a report about the fabric. Being on the consumer end, the only criteria we can use to judge the fabric is factors like durability, longevity, flexibility, but those criteria evaluate only the finished result. Here we are given a chance to take part in the process of fabric making.
This knowledge helps us reach around the globe and impact more land and people than just the United States. While my fabric is spun and woven here in the US, it is grown in India. I cannot be confident that I am supplying quality fibers if I don’t have someone or something else help me observe from afar.
Of course all this information is really just that, information. If we choose to trust the standard’s criteria as being sound, then we have a resource. Personally, I appreciate the transparency of the GOTS.
If we don’t use our choices, we lose them.
Did you know, each GOTS roll of fabric is linked with the farm that grew it. Sure, the manufacturer probably won’t want to dig around to find that information for you, but if you had a persuasive reason, you could visit the farm your mattress ticking was made from.
I’m always impressed with the quality of the information you post and I just wanted to thank you once again and let you know that I certainly appreciate your many contributions to the forum.
I think that knowledge is power and that information is free for the asking.
I think you and I share the same goal of empowering people to make confident decisions. I trust that each and everyone of us is able to make a good decision for themselves. In fact most people agree with me, when it comes to mattresses at least, and they need information to filter to make their choice. So we share what we know.
Here’s to lending a hand to stimulating brain cells!
However, much of my clothing is cotton, and I don't believe any of it is organic. My sheets are mostly cotton, and I think at this point none are organic. This stuff contacts me for many more hours than the time I will be near my mattress.
And as I was weighing this sudden deep need I began to feel for choosing organic cotton on my mattress, I realized it would likely be such a small factor in the purity and naturalness of my wardrobe and home environment that it probably had a very slim chance, by itself, of making any kind of a meaningful improvement in the health of this environment.
An important detail to remember is that your mattress doesn't get washed regularly, unlike your clothing and even your bed sheets. So all the chemicals left over in cotton (pesticides, bleaching agents, formaldehyde etc) will stay there for you to inhale all night long.
