In my previous blog, I talked about how mattress chemicals can hurt your pet’s health and a few suggestions of chemical-free mattresses to purchase. Today I will talk about why non-toxic bedding is healthier for you and your pets.

Every piece of your bed from the mattress to the sheets can pillows can release toxins that can affect the health of your pet even if they sleep on their own nontoxic cat bed or dog bed in your bedroom.

In this blog, I will go over a few options for sustainable bedding like Sustainable sheets, plant-based pillows {which can last up to 15 years}, Certified Organic comforter, bedding lifespan, and bedding hygiene tips. One tip that may shock you is your fabric softener and/or dryer sheets could be working against you!

These lyocell sheets are environmentally friendly sheets

After many hours of searching for chemical-free sheets, I came across a company’s website. Their website is so funny that I found myself laughing like I was watching funny videos. The funny nature of the website got my attention but more importantly, it answered questions I had about the manufacturing process.

These earth friendly sheets are made from the wood of the eucalyptus tree, not the leaves or oil which can be harmful to pets. Eucalyptus uses 96% less water than cotton and is grown with no pesticides. Unlike other manufacturing processes, this process only uses 1 chemical which was given a “B” rating by EWG and the manufacturer does not expose the environment to chemicals as they are recaptured in a closed-loop process.

You may have heard of these sheets referred to as Tencel sheets, which is actually a brand. I also like that this company plants a tree with each sale and provided me with a 15% discount code to share with my readers.

Lyocell sheet benefits: These Eucalyptus lyocell sheets are Oeko-Tex 100 Certified, they have deep pockets to fit up to a 20″ mattress, sheets are long making it easy to tuck your sheets, moisture-wicking, dust mite resistant, antimicrobial, no static, less prone to odor, have a tag saying left corner to help you put on your sheets easier, temperature regulating, and feel soft.

Safety of Eucalyptus for pets: For those of you who are worried about whether eucalyptus is safe or not for your dog or cat, my understanding is this may only become an issue if a pet eats eucalyptus leaves or when they’re exposed to eucalyptus oil. You will be happy to know these sheets do not smell like eucalyptus nor are made from the eucalyptus leaves or oil.

Discount code is happytrails for 15% off and free shipping. Get some Sheets!

Update: To read why I LOVE these sheets, I wrote a review after using them for a year. It also includes some other sustainable bedding this company makes such as duvet covers and a non toxic dog blanket.

The wrong pillow can cause neck pain

If you don’t want to spend $500+ trying to find the perfect pillow, then stick with me and we’ll go over a few things to help you pick the best pillow for you! Yes, it’s possible to spend that much buying multiple pillows or in my case, chiropractor visits and several pillows.

The first pillow I tried was a certiPUR shredded foam pillow. Unfortunately, I ran into a few pitfalls. My pillow did smell forcing me to air it out for a few days before I was able to use it. Weeks later I realized the pillow is sensitive to cold temperatures. Meaning if your home gets 65 degrees or below, the pillow will harden up.

Sleeping with this memory foam pillow left me with a stiff neck, and pain along my shoulder blade which later radiated down causing hand pain & numbness (carpal tunnel) which lasted for 8 months.

Plant-based pillows last longer than synthetic pillows

After weeks of neck pain, I was on the search again for a non-toxic pillow. I discovered a whole new world of pillows that I had not even been aware of. The best part is plant-based pillows can last up to 15 years making them a worthwhile investment!

You have your choice of plant-based pillow fillings and sizes from a standard pillow to a king pillow. Other options available are a body pillow that can be used as a pregnancy pillow and a travel pillow (also known as a toddler pillow). I didn’t go with a buckwheat pillow only because I didn’t know if it would be noisy but I have talked to people who love this type of pillow. Please note plant based pillows can weigh 4 to 12 lbs.

A vegan pillow that feels like a down pillow

I was searching for a cruelty-free alternative to feather pillows when I came across this pillow (left pillow, in the picture above). It is said to be the best alternative to a down pillow and it works well for me as a side sleeper.

I also bought a pillow that is like the above pillow but mixed with latex. This pillow naturally repels moisture, contains natural compounds that make it unattractive to dust mites, comes from a tree that can grow up to 200 feet tall, and may be an alternative for people who suffer from allergies.

As someone who is sensitive to smells, I tested the pillow by putting my face practically inside the pillowcase. My initial reaction was “that’s not bad,” meaning there was no offensive odor.

Out of these two pillows, the pillow with two fillings has been my favorite.

GOTS Organic comforter that you can wash at home

I had difficulty finding this because many websites stated they had organic comforters when they really had organic duvets which I found misleading. I was about to give up when I finally found this organic comforter to complete my bedroom detox. The comforter is made up of an organic outer shell and the inner fill is made from recycled polyester (certified to the Global Recycling Standard). This women-owned business is a leader in sustainable lifestyles and its products have several certifications such as Fair Trade and No Animal testing.

Bedding lifespan and bedding hygiene tips

Plant-based pillows can last up to 15+ years whereas synthetic pillows need to be replaced anywhere from a few months to 24 months. The reason is the structural integrity of pillows will break down and your pillow could be full of things like dust mites, sweat, drool, oils, and dead skin. Washing your pillow is generally suggested 2-3 x’s a year if you use pillow protectors. Pillowcases and pillow protectors should be removed and washed weekly. Note: Plant-based filling should not be washed. Instead, remove the outer pillowcase and wash the case only.

Mattress lifespan: Toxin free Mattresses can last up to 10 years before it needs to be replaced. One determining factor that might lead you to replace your mattress earlier is your health. As your health changes, your body may not tolerate pressure as well. Some mattress hygiene tips are: 1) air out your bed by pulling back the sheets and comforter each day to let it breathe and 2) vacuum your mattress using your vacuum attachments a minimum of several times a year. People with allergies or asthma may find this really helpful.

Comforters can last up to 15 years if cared for as they don’t support the bodyweight like pillows and mattresses. Comforters generally don’t need to be washed as frequently as they are the furthest from your skin, providing you use a top sheet and/or a blanket under the comforter.

General bedding hygiene tips:

1) Don’t wait months to wash your sheets. During my research, I read that people admitted to only washing them every few months or a few times a year. Yuck.

2) NIEH suggests freezing non-washable bedding overnight to kill dust mites.

3) Fabric softener and dryer sheets are not recommended for every wash as it reduces the fabric’s breathability and absorbency.

Furthermore, those are filled with chemicals that can hurt your health and your pets. Remember their nose is way more sensitive than your nose unless you are someone like me who has MCS (multiple chemical sensitivity). An alternative to fabric softener is vinegar and a dryer ball works as a good replacement for dryer sheets.

4) Keep the humidity level at or below 50%. Keeping the humidity level down is also helpful in preventing fleas.