5 Eco-Friendly Tweaks to a Greener Bedroom
We spend about a third of our lives sleeping, which amounts to nearly 27 years if you live to 80! Since sleep is essential for good health, creating a comfortable and serene sleep environment is key. Your bedroom should be a peaceful retreat where you can relax, meditate, and rest well. But beyond creating a cosy space for yourself, your bedroom can also become a more eco-friendly zone that positively impacts the environment.
Your bedroom is the perfect starting point for a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle. By making eco-conscious changes, you can create a safer, healthier place for yourself and for the planet.
How to Make a Bedroom Sustainable?
Terms like “sustainable” and “eco-friendly” can sometimes feel unclear due to vague definitions or a lack of regulation. In this article, we’ll define these terms as actions that reduce your bedroom’s environmental impact.
You may not realise it, but your bedroom could be contributing to environmental harm. From energy waste to pollutants in fabrics and furniture, the choices you make can affect both your health and the planet. While nations work towards reducing pollution and discovering greener energy sources, individuals can make small but impactful changes to their daily routines. And since our interior spaces have a significant influence on our lives, the bedroom is a great place to start. Here are five ways to make your bedroom a more sustainable and eco-friendly space.
1. Buy Furniture Made from Sustainable Materials
Investing in modern bedroom furniture made of sustainable materials is a great way to reduce your environmental footprint. The safest way to achieve that is to shop from businesses that use eco-friendly materials and mindfully support sustainable manufacturing processes.
Besides generating less pollution and waste, the most sustainable furniture materials guarantee lifespan and durability, making them an excellent investment for any business or homeowner. These include recycled materials, such as upcycled mixed hardwood from decommissioned fishing vessels and teak, reclaimed from old buildings and structures or discards from a government-managed teak forest.
Opt for buying from companies that sell products certified by the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council). The FSC seal of approval ensures that furniture is made under guidelines for managing plantations and sustainable forests. Solid wood is active and spontaneously adjusts to its surroundings. Because of this, the material is strong and long-lasting.
The quantity of chemicals used to make sustainable and modern bedroom furniture is an important consideration. Any material, including fabrics, construction materials, and furniture, has the potential to emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which can have negative short- and long-term health consequences such as migraines, allergies, and asthma.
Choosing sustainable furniture means a safer house for our kids and ourselves, as it releases fewer volatile organic compounds (VOCs) than linear furniture. For example, European white oak not only has a beautiful light colour for a minimalist and Scandi-looking bedroom but also needs water-based sealant applied without a top coat.
Buying locally is another significant factor in purchasing “green furniture” because it reduces trash and fuel consumption. Purchasing bedroom modern furniture near the manufacturing location contributes to a cleaner earth.
2. Opt for an Eco-friendly Mattress, Pillow and Bedding
A safer, healthier mattress is the second step towards safe, healthy sleep. Select products from suppliers who maintain their environmental commitment by offering GOTS-certified organic mattresses that are longer-lasting than traditional mattresses and don’t include hazardous flame retardants, encouraging you to eat less and use fewer resources. To finish the setup, pair it with bedding, cushions, and protectors that are certified organic.
When businesses use greenwashing techniques to trick customers into thinking their products are more sustainable than they are, it can be challenging to consume wisely. Select companies that maintain their commitment to organic products and the transparency that escorts them, holding themselves responsible for keeping their word to you and the environment.
3. Save Electricity
For most of us, conserving power is among the earliest lessons in sustainability. Decreased greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere from less power help counteract global warming. You might not even be aware that the way your bedroom is currently set up is squandering electricity.
Here’s an inspiration: energy-efficient light bulbs. Although compact fluorescent light bulbs are slightly more expensive than regular light bulbs, they’ll save you money and power over time because they use 75% less energy and last far longer.
When you’re not using electric appliances, do you disconnect them? It doesn’t follow that they aren’t using your electricity just because you aren’t using them. When not in use, disconnect electronics like your bedside lamp, oil diffuser, and phone charger to save money and the environment.
4. Consider DIY Cleaning Supplies
Cleaning is someone we always do, remodelling or not. The effectiveness of DIY air fresheners, all-purpose cleaners, and other products should not be underestimated. You can quickly make a cleaning solution that employs natural ingredients, minimises wasteful packaging, and is safer overall—for the environment and your health—with common household products like lemon and white vinegar.
5. Adopt a Houseplant
Consider including a few houseplants in your bedroom’s decor as they purify the air and promote calmness by releasing oxygen into the atmosphere and absorbing carbon dioxide. They look fantastic and will help you breathe easier because the decor is inspired by nature, creating a more natural bedroom.
Adding plants to your bedroom gives green vibes, improves its beauty, and fosters a healthy interior atmosphere, whether a vivid flowering plant or a lush green fern, gives a touch of nature. Consider snake plants, pothos, and spider plants.