Why choose organic bedding?

If you have gone organic in parts of your life, but never thought about organic bedding, read on as to why it makes sense. It’s not just about chemicals and Fairtrade, but about making the eight hours we spend in bed (if you can get it) a happy experience. Available statistics on chemical use in conventional cotton highlight the fact that conventional cotton producers consume $2.6 billion worth of pesticides; more than 25% of the world’s pesticides on 2.5% of farmed land. As for the happy sleeping experience, organic bedding is wonderfully soft and comfortable for sensitive skins because of its long fibres and is completely toxic-free. This means the bedding is guaranteed to have used no allergy inducing chemicals which can irritate delicate skin or children and grownups who suffer from eczema. As organic cotton bedding uses long fibres, which outlast shorter fibres, so it keeps its look wash after wash. Organic bedding is available in luxury thread counts for exceptional quality and in designs to style any baby, child or grownup bedroom. Not only you and your family benefit from luxuriously soft and lasting bedding, but also the environment and farm workers as organic production is sustainable, traceable and affords protection to the environment and farmers from chemical sprays.

What is organic bedding?

Certified 100% organic cotton bedding starts with natural cotton fibres which have been grown without the use of chemicals, synthetic fertilizers or pesticides. Only cotton from verified, organically cultivated, sustainable sources can be used, a process which takes a farmer three years to attain. The natural fibre must then be treated and finished using only natural and biodegradable means such as non-toxic bleaching or eco-dyes to arrive at the finished article versus conventional cotton which can be treated with a series of chemicals from the field to the finished product. Certification gives assurance at every stage of the cotton’s journey from field to the finished product on quality, absence of toxic chemicals and the payment and working conditions of producers. In the UK, the leading certification body is the UK Soil Association, who adhere to the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS). Certifications by bodies such as the UK Soil Association not only offer the consumer assurance on the organic integrity and quality of the bed linen but also guarantee no irritating nasties.

Why choose organic bedding?

 
Choosing organic cotton isn’t just a change in bed linen, but a change in attitude and one which is about value, not just in ethics, but also lasting comfort and value for money. Not to mention the apparent relief it gives to allergy sufferers and reducing carcinogenic chemicals.  

The wider benefits of certified organic cotton are much quoted: decreased chemical exposure due to the absence of pesticides, chemical fertilisers or toxins which affect growers’ health and income, allergy sufferers and the environment. As well as being considerate to the environment and the people involved in growing and processing the cotton, certified organic cotton bedding collections also offer the consumer original design and natural, lasting quality for different budgets and for classic or contemporary interiors. Given we spend around eight hours in bed; choosing organic, chemical-free bedding offers the comfort of a great night’s sleep and is often the bed linen of choice for those with sensitive skins; with the added benefit that the product you are buying is from fair and sustainable cotton sources.  

Author:

Stephanie McIntosh is a UK -based designer and director of etailer. She spent a year out on an MSc in Product Design & Development, studying organic cotton supply chain models from a retailer perspective following an international retail career. Fou Furnishings is a Soil Association-certified (GOTS) company specialising in organic bed linen. All the company’s linens are certified by either the UK Soil Association or Oeko-Tex and have been specified and independently tested for performance against the company’s own and external standards including colourfastness, shrinkage, pilling and allergy inducing dyestuffs.