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Although carpet has traditionally been a popular baby nursery flooring, research is showing that it may not be the best for your baby.

Carpet behaves somewhat like a sponge, absorbing allergens and toxins at an alarming rate. To make things worse, these pollutants are off-gassed back into the air.

Examples of allergens harbored in the average carpet include:

• Dust and dust mites (shown to contribute towards, and worsen asthma and eczema.)
• Mold and bacteria from spilt milk and various types of baby messes. (Read baby spit-up, poo and wee!)
• Chemicals from cleaning products, and
• Chemicals introduced during the manufacturing process.
  
  VOC = Volatile Organic Compound
  
  These can include VOC's such as: benzene (a known carcinogen); toluene and xylene (both neurotoxic substances); styrene and formaldehyde - not good.

The best way to avoid these pollutants is to avoid or remove wall-to-wall carpeting completely. Cork and natural linoleum are cushioned and resilient, and offer a healthier alternative to carpet. Or, if you really want carpet in your baby nursery, one made with natural organic fibers can negate some of these issues.

Read more about this and other healthier nursery flooring options here.

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Removal of your household carpeting is not always practical, however, or necessarily desirable. If your baby is due within the next four months or so, removing your current baby nursery flooring may not be a good idea.

Removing old carpets kicks up all sorts of pollutants into the air of the home.

The baby nursery will need to be isolated from the rest of the home during the removal process. Mom should be nowhere in sight due to the danger of inhaling dangerous chemicals, and the nursery will need several weeks of airing and cleaning in order for these pollutants to settle.

Clearly, if baby is due soon, and you still need to decorate the baby nursery, quarantining the room is hardly going to be practical.

So what do you do?



If you decide to keep your nursery carpet, either by choice or necessity, check out these tips to keep your nursery floor healthier and safer for your baby.

• Your first defense against the dust, dust mites and toxins that have taken up residence on your nursery floor, is a good size, washable nursery rug.
  
  Buy one made from natural fibers to minimize your toxin problem. And wash it often and at high temperatures to get rid of those pesky mites.
  
  A washable nursery rug also prevents spills on the nursery carpet, which can lead to mold and bacterial growth if not properly cleaned.



Click here for a list of the best places to find nursery rugs for your baby's special space!


• To keep the dust mites in the baby room carpet under control, vacuum at least twice a week using a strong suction machine.
  
  
  

  
  

  Avoid anti-dust mite carpet sprays or powders that contain tannic acid or benzyl benzoate. Both of these are skin and respiratory irritants.
  
  
  This also gets rid of surface dirt on carpets before it has a chance to get ground in, in turn reducing the dust mite breeding ground.
  
  Take care to vacuum thoroughly along walls and carpet edges where dirt and dust accumulates.



• Do not expose synthetic carpets to direct sunlight or temperatures above 80 degrees F. The hotter the nursery room carpet becomes, the more toxins it emits.
• Place doormats at all entrances and encourage family members to wipe their feet, or remove their shoes before entering the home. Pesticides, pollutants and dirt come indoors on shoes and are tracked onto carpets.
• Clean up spills on carpets immediately to prevent stains. Clean the spill area with mild soap and water, then dab dry.

• Use household ingredients rather than chemical stain removers to clean stains on the nursery carpet.
  Mix 1/3 cup vinegar with 2/3 cup warm water and apply to the stain. Then blot with a clean towel and repeat until the stain comes clean.
• Use baking soda instead of carpet fresheners to remove odor from the baby room carpet. Just sprinkle baking soda over the surface of the carpet. Let it stand for 15 minutes. Then vacuum. Keep baby away to prevent him from inhaling the baking soda.
• Steam clean the nursery carpet with plain hot water. The hot water will remove a considerable amount of dirt, even without detergent. Alternatively, use a mixture of 1 cup of white vinegar and 2-1/2 gallons of water. This is also an effective way to remove shampoo residues from earlier cleaning attempts.
• To decrease drying time and prevent mold growth, keep windows open and use fans. Avoid carpet cleaning on humid or damp days.
• Keep your baby and other children out of the house for at least four hours after the nursery carpet has been cleaned.

If you're having trouble getting started with your baby room, don't miss my FREE Step by Step Nursery Design eCourse. One at a time I'll take you through all the decisions you need to make in order to arrive at the best baby room design for you.





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