[moxygirl]

So I just bought a mattress pad that said on the outside of the package that it was made of "100% cotton", but there was also a tag that said the batting was polyester. Okay, I figured that and though I'd rather have REAL 100% cotton mattress pads, we can't shell out $50 for one right now. I get it home, remove it from the package, and lo and behold, it has a vinyl backing, smelling as stinky as vinyl does. Ugh!<br><br>
Vinyl is bad right?

 

[daisymommy]

Yes, sorry, PVC is very bad <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/greensad.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="greensad"> It will always continue to break down and off gas.<br><br>
Target has phased out a lot of PVC from their products, and IKEA doesn't use it AT ALL--so I would try there. Also, IKEA doesn't use the worst of the flame retardant chemicals (not sure how many times mattress pads are treated, but at least you know if they were, that the ones from IKEA would be safer).

 

[DahliaRW]

I Ikea makes a nice PUL mattress protector. LOVE mine. And it was something like $30.

 

[moxygirl]

Thanks so much! Yeah I've convinced my husband to return the vinyl one. Now to try to convince him to spend $30 on the Ikea one when the one we just bought was only $9.99, lol.

 

[St. Margaret]

I adore Ikea for their reduction of toxic materials in their products. Not bad at all for a mainstream big box store!<br><br>
$20 is TOTALLY worth it to not have the off gassing, esp for where babies sleep, IMO. We got a $50 organic one <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/lol.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="lol"> That was before we knew about for before Ikea had its stuff.

 

[janeshep]

Vinyl is the last thing you want next to your baby. Here's an excerpt from an article I wrote on vinyl/PVC and other toxins in mattresses and beding:<br><br>
Most crib mattresses have a vinyl covering for waterproofing purposes. Vinyl (polyvinyl chloride or PVC) is considered to be one of the most toxic and environmentally unfriendly plastics used. Since PVC is a hard plastic, chemical plasticizers must be added to make it into a soft and flexible covering. These plasticizers (the most commonly used are phthalates) make up 30%-40% of the weight of the vinyl surface of a crib mattress. They are not bound to the vinyl and can leach out or off-gas into the surrounding air. Health effects associated with chemical plasticizers include reproductive harm, asthma, early onset of puberty, cancer, and kidney and liver damage.<br><br>
It's important to know that although certain phthalates have been banned in the US, alternatives (including legal phthalate variants) are not tested and might be just as toxic. No one really knows what level of additives in vinyl is safe for babies. So when you see a product description with "non-toxic vinyl" or "phthalate-free vinyl", you need to understand that it's probably far from non-toxic.<br><br>
Consider a new car smell. That's the plasticizers off-gassing from the vinyl seats. You get a similar smell from a vinyl shower curtain. These fumes should always be avoided since they are highly toxic. When these fumes are coming from crib mattresses, babies are breathing and absorbing them into their tiny developing bodies 10 - 14 hours a day.<br><br>
It's a long article and you can find the rest of the article here:<br><a href="http://www.healthychild.com/toxic-baby-crib-mattress/safe-non-toxic-organic-crib-mattresses/" target="_blank">http://www.healthychild.com/toxic-ba...ib-mattresses/</a><br><br>
Jane