healthy decor

There are only a few companies that have gone the extra mile to fully disclose what is in their rugs.

These are the top companies making healthy area rugs safe for those avoiding toxins in the home, as well as safe for nurseries with crawling babies, and sensitive pets.

Those avoiding chemicals should avoid area rugs with synthetic latex backing, glues, synthetic moth treatment which is a pesticide – usually permethrin, and other topical treatments such as stain guard treatments.

For those very sensitive to chemicals, you may even want to avoid rugs treated with detergents, bleach, or dyes (possibly even the eco dyes).

Non-toxic healthy closet, storage, and organization systems should be made of materials that do not offgas VOCs or are extremely low in VOCs.

The following options can be considered for the chemically sensitive or those avoiding toxins for health reasons.

For safe, non-toxic carpet, both natural and synthetic fiber options can be a healthy choice.

The post outlines my top picks in the zero and low-VOC categories for residential and commercial use. This includes a look at the carpet fiber, backing, products used during installation, and padding (underlay).

Even folks who are chemically sensitive can do well with carpet in the home.

This is a complete list of eco-friendly non-toxic sofa brands.

I start with the best of the best non-toxic sofas, digging into what’s really in them, this is followed by a “next best” list, and then a look at some simpler and more affordable options.

Non-Toxic Sofas and Couches – What to Look For:

• Natural cushion fill such as natural latex, cotton, down, and wool.
• No chemical/formaldehyde treatments on the fabric (such as stain and water-resistant coatings, especially PFAS).
• Eco Leather – Conventional leather is made with toxic dyes and treatments. Some folks may prefer leather due to the ability to wipe it down. Brands that use safer leather are covered in a dedicated post.
• Solid wood construction, not formaldehyde filled pressed wood products.
• Zero or low-VOC glues, stains, and varnishes
• Flame retardant free (my post on flame retardants goes into detail on which ones we want to avoid) but the picks here are all FR free.
• Polyurethane does offgas at low levels, but I don’t rule it out completely. Make sure it is flame retardant free (“Soy Foam” is still polyurethane with some soy). I avoid memory foam which is higher in offgassing. Almost all foam can meet CertiPUR certification VOC levels, but the certification does help weed out abnormalities.
• GOTS Certified fabrics and GOLS certified latex are best – which are explained in this post on certifications. (GreenGuard Gold is not needed, every sofa can probably meet that level of offgassing; it’s more important than the foams and fabrics are certified).

In a healthy home, I personally would not consider shelf and drawer liners made of PVC, including fabric backed with PVC, or paper coated in PVC, rubber (which is high in VOCs), or cork (which is pressed together with a polyurethane adhesive which offgasses as well).

I consider EVA, polyethylene, and polypropylene to be safe eco-friendly plastics, especially for this application.

Other non-toxic or natural options include paper, fabric, acrylic coated wallpaper, and wood veneer.

The following options are made for shelves, drawers (kitchen and other rooms), dressers, and wire carts. Some can be used in the refrigerator.