Nursery air quality

air quality in the nursery 1

Your baby’s nursery should be a haven of peace but have you considered the nursery air quality inside it? We show you why you should.

As we head towards warmer weather, it’s easy to open some windows to let in
the fresh air. But there are all sorts of pollutants that might affect the air quality inside. Here’s our guide to a clean, peaceful and irritant free nursey.

When decorating the nursery, consider how to minimise pollution, as the paint you choose and even some furniture can give off chemicals. If you live near a busy road or an industrial area, or perhaps near a farm, have you thought about the pollution or pollen that might affect your baby’s little lungs?

Read about asthma and hayfever in babies and children

Ban the chemicals

When choosing paint, look for those with low volatile organic compounds (VOCs), chemicals in paint that are dispersed when it dries. Generally, gloss has more VOCs and emulsions fewer; also look for natural paints that have few or no VOCs.

You should keep household cleaning chemicals to a minimum in the nursery and look for natural alternatives.

Damp walls can cause mould and mildew, which can irritate baby’s lungs, so keep rooms well aired.

New furniture and baby products such as car seats and pushchairs are treated with fire retardant chemicals such as formaldehyde. Whilst that’s reassuring in the event of a fire, It means your baby breathes that in. Remove new furniture, carpets and equipment from packaging well before your baby’s birth. It’s worth remembering to keep all packaging however, plus receipts, in case there’s a problem when you come to use the equipment.

Pets and plants

Pets’ loose hair and skin (known as dander) can be an irritant in conditions such as asthma. Pollen can also cause hayfever in some unlucky babies. Keep pets out of the nursery if possible and if your child seems affected by hayfever, look for a good quality air purifier.

For better air quality, try these tips:

  • Open the windows and let the fresh air in
  • Don’t always put on the air conditioning, as this can dry the air out and lead to breathing and skin problems in young babies
  • Look for a good air puri er like the Dyson Pure Hot+Cool Link TM. It cleanses the air and can also be used to heat or cool the room, keeping it at the right temperature for you or your baby.

Can you improve air quality?

There are some products that will help improve air quality. Look for a good quality air purifier.

You can also use low VOC paints

annie sloan chalk paintAnnie Sloan Chalk Paint

A versatile paint that offers good intensity of colour, it can be used for a number of techniques.

It has low VOCs and there is a good range of colours from pastels to brights.

ecover cleaning rangeEcover cleaning range

With no harsh chemicals, the Ecover range keeps your home sparkling and clean using all natural ingredients.