Going green in your every day life isn’t as difficult as you may think. You can easily go the eco-friendly route by changing your habits and being a conscious consumer. With the green movement catching on, finding eco-friendly options for tons of products is becoming easier and easier.
Many people don’t realize that common household items can actually be very detrimental to the environment. For example, consider bed sheets. Common bed sheets can contain harsh chemical dyes, pesticides (from cotton plants), and more. If you pick up any set of sheets you may be shocked to know that their manufacturing can be horrible for the Earth. So the next time you go shopping for bed sheets, here are some things to take into account to help you find the most eco-friendly set.
The first thing you should always look for is what the sheets are made out of. Are they completely cotton? Are they a blend? Your best choice for a green option is always organic and free trade cotton. This means that no pesticides were used to grow the cotton the sheets are made from and fair trade means that they were made through ethical methods. Organic cotton sheets may be a bit pricier but they are well worth it.
Secondly, it’s important to look for sheets that haven’t been dyed using chemicals. The chemical dying process uses a lot of harsh substances and can release chemical fumes into the air. Instead of buying sheets that were dyed with harsh chemicals, look for sheets that were dyed with vegetable and soy based dyes. This will guarantee your sheets are eco-friendly and a green product.
Another thing you should look for is where the material came from. Egyptian cotton sheets are considered the crème de la crème of luxurious sheets. However, unless the cotton used in the sheets is fair trade, it’s best to avoid Egyptian cotton sheets. A good alternative to Egyptian cotton sheets is finding sheets that are made from US produced cotton. Generally cotton in US, especially organic cotton, is produced under stricter guidelines and need to in order to obtain the organic certification seal. If organic cotton sheets are out of your budget or you don’t like how they feel, there are some good green and eco-friendly alternatives. When I had to purchase twin XL sheets for my dorm room I wanted to find a good green option. After doing a little researching I found out you can purchase bamboo fiber sheets. I was a little skeptical first but I ordered some off Amazon. I was actually really pleased with the quality of the sheets. They were extremely comfortable and felt exactly like higher thread count cotton sheets. Bamboo is a great material because bamboo grows back extremely quickly and it is a very easy crop to cultivate.
Overall, make sure you take these tips into account before you purchase your next pair of bed sheets and you’ll definitely be able to find a good eco-friendly and green option.
