Choosing a paint that is safe for a baby is a different task than choosing a paint for chemically sensitive folks, despite a lot of overlap. Babies can’t tell us if they are reacting to a paint or not.
It’s natural to feel worried about which paints are safe for a baby and how long they need to cure before your little one can occupy the room. (Especially since so many companies have been dishonest in the past).
My approach is to start with the best paints out there, these are zero-VOC when possible, some are natural and emit no synthetic chemical emissions. They have all been vetted by chemically sensitive folks and tested by me. I then talked to the companies to ask them how long you should wait before your baby sleeps in the room, and if known, when does it stop offgassing.
A paint doesn’t need to be at zero emissions necessarily for someone to occupy the room, since the background air both indoor and outdoor is never at zero-VOC, but it’s ideal (and simpler) if it is.
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Non-Toxic Wall Paint for Nurseries
1. ECOS Paint
ECOS Paint is my top pick for wall paint for a nursery. The favorite brand among the chemically sensitive, this zero-VOC 100% acrylic paint, is high quality and comes in curated colors (the Lullaby line, pictured above) or you can color match to major brands.
When is it Zero-VOC?
This is fast to reach negligible levels of VOCs and one rep said over the phone that it is zero-VOC at 2-4 hours when it’s dry, but for a baby’s room she recommended to wait 24-48 hours for full drying (partly because if the paint is not fully dry and they put wet hands on the wall it could damage it).
However, officially the VOC testing was done at 11 days (per the CDPH 01350 test methodology), and that is when the zero-VOC measurement was taken. Emma Pugliares, Marketing Director, says, it hasn’t officially been tested before that.
This is more straightforward than other brands, especially since we have a clear time at which it was tested at zero-VOC.
Chalkboard Paint
They also offer a line of zero-VOC chalkboard paints which would be fun to use in a nursery or kids’ room!
Zero-VOC Primers
ECOS Paints also makes a range of zero-VOC primers. They have the largest selection of zero-VOC primers that I have seen.
Buy ECOS Paints Online!
Other 0-VOC Acrylic Paints
You can go with other zero-VOC acrylic lines like those from Benjamin Moore, Behr, etc. Most reps will say the paint needs 24 hours before your baby can occupy the room. That doesn’t mean that is when it has been tested to be zero-VOC. Also check to see if they have a zero-VOC primer for your needs, most brands are very limited in zero-VOC primer selection.
Non-Acrylic Wall Paints
1. Kiem Mineral Wall Paint
This mineral wall paint has just a tad of acrylic, the main binder is a silicate mineral which is very benign (and odorless) making this paint lower in fumes when wet compared to 100% acrylic paints.
There is no off-gassing after the paint has dried – in approximately 2 hours at 77 degrees and 50% relative humidity, explains Roy Suttles a rep for the company. He advises waiting 2-4 hours after painting to be sure the paint is completely dried-through before you or your baby occupy the room.
This doesn’t require a primer in most situations.
Buy Kiem Mineral Wall Paint through their website.
2. Farrow and Ball Estate Emulsion (non-acrylic latex)
Farrow and Ball Estate Emulsion is another non-acrylic paint, which uses a VAE binder instead. Like Kiem, it’s also lower in fumes when wet compared to acrylics. (These two paints are certainly friendlier to the painter).
The VOCs when wet are only 4 g/l and at 28 days the emissions are 47 µg/m3. In terms of when a baby can occupy the room, the company rep suggested waiting overnight. The offgassing can be assisted by opening doors and windows during drying.
For reference, GreenGuard Gold allows – 220 μg/m3 total VOCs. The average house has a total VOC level of about 200 μg/m3, and the outdoor or “background level” is about 1/10th of that (20 μg/m3).
Estate Emulsion is not super durable to sticky hands or to being wiped down, however! The Estate Eggshell is another subline that is acrylic-free.
Buy Farrow and Ball through their website or in-store.
Painting While Pregnant?
The American Pregnancy Association says that “Unfortunately, there are no studies that document the effects of household painting on pregnancy and the developing baby…. Ideally, you should get someone else to do the job for you.”
They also give some precautions for painting while pregnant if you do choose to paint.
Two additional ways to decrease your exposure to VOCs while painting are to choose one of these three non-acrylic paints and to wear a half-face respirator with multi-gas filter for any synthetic paint.
3. Milk Paint
Milk Paint is all-natural and safe to use even for pregnant women or if babies are in the room (though be very cautious with the dust when mixing it).
However, it’s both difficult to apply to drywall and should have a sealer on top of it. If you do want to use this on walls, use the SafePaint formula which is made for this purpose. I have tried SafePaint and regular Milk Paint and the former certainly worked better.
Sealers for over top include clear synthetic options and natural oils, they are listed here.
Non-Toxic Trim & Door Paint for Nurseries
A tougher finish is needed for trim and doors. You can also use these options on wainscoting and other wall detailing.
1. ECOS Semi-Gloss
You can use ECOS or another 100% acrylic paint on trim and doors in a semi-gloss sheen. This is the least durable option for these areas, but not an uncommon one, especially amongst those avoiding toxins.
All of their primers are also zero-VOC so you can prime over wood, MDF, or most previous paint jobs with no issues. (Most brands don’t have all zero-VOC primers).
Buy ECOS online here.
2. Natural Linseed Oil Paint
Natural Linseed Oil Paint is a durable option for trim and doors. This all-natural paint is made with only linseed oil and natural pigments. There is no solvent here and all the odorants are natural.
The only downside of this paint, at least for some people, is that it’s very flat. You also need to make sure your humidity and temperature are within a tighter range than needed for regular paint, or this just won’t cure.
This can go over any type of finish you already have on your trim and doors (except waxes).
Allback and Earth+Flax are two brands available in North America through their websites.
3. Water-Based Alkyd Paints
Benjamin Moore Advance (48 g/l when wet) is a durable water-based alkyd paint. Water-based alkyds are a relatively new type of paint that can replace much more toxic oil-based (solvent-based) paints while still providing that same durability. Alkyd paints are the conventional choice for trim and doors.
A rep for Benjamin Moore said on the phone that it takes 2-3 weeks for a full cure and to finish offgassing. It also says on the website that depending on the temperature and humidity, it could take up to 30 days to reach optimum hardness and final sheen.
Another water-based alkyd paint is Sherwin-Williams ProClassic Interior Waterbased Acrylic-Alkyd. This comes in at 14 g/l VOC. Give it 2-4 weeks for a full cure, which is when it’s offgassed, they say on the phone.
Buy Benjamin Moore and Sherwin-Williams paints through their stores.
Non-Toxic Paint for Wooden Cribs and Furniture
1. Milk Paint
Milk Paint is an exceptionally beautiful finish on raw wood. This is the application for which it works best. This all-natural paint is a safe option as it doesn’t offgas any VOCs even when wet since it’s only minerals, clay (in one brand), and casein.
It does need a sealer over top like hemp oil (which darkens the colors a little), or a synthetic clear coat (those are outlined here).
Only some colors are Toy Safe (by European regulation) so if this is being used on an object that kids could chew on (including cribs), be sure to use the Toy Safe colors. (I like to use the European Toy Safe standard EN-17 because it is more stringent than the American one).
The following colors by Old Fashioned Milk Paint are certified Toy Safe (EN-17): Scarlett (pure red), Marigold Yellow, Mustard, Pumpkin, Salem Red, Barn Red, Bayberry Green, Tavern Green, Lexington (dark green), and Pitch Black.
The Real Milk Paint brand contains no clay but it does contain Titanium Dioxide and iron oxides. The green colors contain Chromium (III) which might not leave it Toy Safe by European standards. (Their paints are not tested against European Toy Safe standards). They are certified Toy Safe in the US by ASTM F963-17 – Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Toy Safety.
If your crib is solid wood, Old Fashioned Milk Paint would be the top choice for paint.
Buy Old Fashioned Milk Paint on their website and on Amazon.
Also Consider:
2. ECOS Paint Semi-Gloss or Gloss
ECOS Paint in Semi-Gloss or Gloss can be used on furniture and this is a zero-VOC option (zero-VOC at 11 days officially). The only downside is this is not quite as durable as oil-based paint or alkyd paint.
It is certified Toy Safe by European standards so it’s great for a crib and any other furniture pieces that aren’t super high wear surfaces (like a table). I would use the semi-gloss on cribs, cots, dressers and shelving.
They have a number of zero-VOC primers that can transition from raw wood and previously painted or factory painted surfaces.
Buy ECOS online here.
3. Linseed Oil Paint
Natural Linseed Oil Paint is durable enough for furniture. This all-natural paint is made with only linseed oil and natural pigments. There is no solvent here and all the odorants are natural. The finish is very flat.
You need to make sure your humidity and temperature are well within a normal range or this just won’t cure.
It would (probably) not be considered Toy Safe by European stands due to the manganese drier, so it would not be suitable for a crib that might get chewed on. For other types of furniture, including tables and desks, this is a great option since it’s all-natural and durable.
It can go over just about any existing finish.
Allback and Earth+Flax are two brands available in North America, you can purchase them through their websites.
4. Benjamin Moore Advance
This water-based alkyd paint is the conventional choice for furniture because it’s a lot more durable than water-based acrylic (latex) paints but it’s way healthier than conventional oil-based paints (the ones with solvents).
Ben Moore doesn’t make any paints for cribs, the reps said over the phone. Furniture, yes, but not cribs, because it’s not Toy Safe if chewed on.
Benjamin Moore Advance is 48 g/l when wet and takes 2-3 weeks to fully cure and to finish offgassing, a rep said on the phone. Documents also say it could take up to 30 days to reach optimum hardness and final sheen.
Buy Benjamin Moore paints through their stores.
Officially, Sherwin-Williams paints are also not considered Toy Safe or Food Safe, so they are not for cribs, if the cribs can be chewed on.
Non-Toxic Paint for Melamine Furniture (And Other Tough Factory Finishes)
Melamine is one of the trickiest surfaces to paint over but there are three options of paints that can stick to this plastic. All three will also work on other factory finishes. (Though they can’t go over a natural oil finish that isn’t cured yet or a wax finish).
1. Chalk Paint
Annie Sloan Chalk Paint is a super low-odor, non-toxic option for painting any type of furniture. It sticks to melamine and other factory finishes. (There is hardly anything it won’t stick to).
It is certified Toy Safe by European standards so you can use this on a crib, toys, and other furniture in a baby’s room.
The reps recommend ventilating the room while painting and for a few days afterwards before your baby occupies the room.
It does require a sealer on top, and you can use a natural wax – I would use the non-toxic versions from Real Milk Paint (not the solvent-filled wax from Annie Sloan, personally) or you can use a synthetic clear coat. Annie Sloan’s clear Lacquer needs 14 days to cure before your baby occupies the room/uses the furniture, the reps said in an email.
The wax coatings are actually very durable despite being natural, though it does make painting over in the future much more complicated.
Buy Chalk Paint through their website or through their stockists.
2. Linseed Oil Paint
Linseed Oil Paint, mentioned above, can easily go over melamine furniture and any other factory finish. You can buy Allback and Earth+Flax brands through their respective websites.
3. BIN Shellac Primer
This is a more conventional route but it is also non-toxic once cured.
BIN Advanced Shellac-Based Primer (water-based) and BIN Shellac-Based Primer (alcohol-based) can both bridge between a plastic coating (like melamine) or an oil-based paint (and really just about any factory coating), and your regular latex paint of choice.
The alcohol-based version is high in VOCs but that is because of the ethanol. Alcohol is very volatile and so it offgasses very fast. It only needs 3 days for full cure, the reps said on the phone, when using this in a baby’s room.
The BIN Advanced, which is water-based, needs 7-10 days for a full cure. (And it starts at 96 g/l which is fairly high for a water-based paint/primer).
These not only prime difficult to paint surfaces but they block odors and offgassing from below (like formaldehyde, fragrance, etc).
Have you considered?
Sealing in the formaldehyde from particleboard, MDF, or HDF? This post goes over how to do that.
Wallpaper is also a good option for a baby’s room. I would go with non-PVC peel-and-stick or a non-toxic paper-based wallpaper, both types and brands are outlined here.
Painting a floor in a baby’s room? You can use Milk Paint with a durable oil sealer on top, ECOS Floor Paint or AFM Concrete Floor Paint. More details in this post.
Painting toys? Use a certified Toy Safe Paint to make sure it’s not leaching metals. Some colors of Milk Paint with a natural oil sealer work well, ECOS Paint is Toy Safe, and there are more options here.
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Corinne Segura is a Building Biologist Practitioner with 8 years of experience helping others create healthy homes.
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