The Top Things to Avoid When Furniture Shopping

Home, Unsafe, Home
The Top Things to Avoid When Furniture Shopping

You are what you lounge on.
By now, it should come as no surprise that there are just as many chemicals, pesticides and harmful pollutants in your furniture as there are in your food. Emily Kroll knows a thing or two about the matter. As the CEO and founder of EKLA Home, Emily has been manufacturing and designing furniture for interior designers, celebs and corporations for nearly two decades.
But, this gal is doing things a bit differently than your average neighborhood Ikea.
Emily was sick and tired of seeing furniture companies waste materials, upholster fabrics in toxic materials, and package and deliver nasty chemicals destined for our homes and clean air. So she decided it was time to change the way the furniture biz works and provide a safer environment for her employees and clients. Born in 2005, EKLA is a product of Emily’s determination, holding the environment and our health at its core.
Her designs use organic cotton and sustainable materials with no VOCs, chemical retardants or toxic dyes. As a testament to her vision, Emily lent her expertise to give HBD a few tips on what to look for next time you go furniture shopping.
#1: Polyurethane Foam.It is best to avoid any upholstered furniture that contains polyurethane foam, which is likely to contain flame retardants. The two major flame retardants used in furniture foam at high levels are chlorinated Tris (hydrocarbons) − the same chemical that was removed from children’s pajamas in the 70s for causing cancer −and Firemaster 550, a proprietary mixture of toxic and untested flame retardants.
Another reason polyurethane is a Debbie Downer? It is also a petroleum product. EKLA Home avoids it to reduce their carbon footprint and oil dependency.
#2: Pesticides. Pesticides are used in the growing of conventional textiles such as cotton. While pesticides are more closely regulated in the U.S., much of the cotton used in the textile industry is grown and milled offshore where regulatory practice is far less stringent. Textiles that are not certified organic, not only use pesticides in the growth cycle, but also dump back those chemicals into the water table during processing. As if we don’t have a clean water problem already …Look for certified-organic cotton to ensure your health is in the clear.
#3: Conventional Dyes. Dyes are not only toxic, but they are dangerous to the people working with them. It is estimated that less than 10-percent of the chemicals and dyes applied to cotton are accomplishing their tasks, the rest are absorbed into the plant, air, soil, water, and eventually, our bodies.
#4: VOCs and Formaldehyde. Plywood, glue and other fabric finishes used in conventional furnishings actually emit gases (VOCs) into the air of our homes. Formaldehyde is another dirty bird found in most foams, glues and fabric finishes. Now banned in California, it has been identified by the Environmental Protection Agency as a source of bronchitis, skin rashes, headaches, general fatigue, and a suspected human carcinogen.
#5: Planes, Trains and Automobiles. Many companies that tout eco-practices are obtaining their materials from Asia, South America or other locations outside the U.S. and then shipping to yet another location outside the country (i.e. wood from South America shipped to Asia for production and then shipped back to the U.S. for sale). So while they may be sustainable woods, the process-to-product is most definitely not.
Then you have companies like Ikea who break all the rules, procuring conventional wood from Russia, shipping to China to produce, and then sending back to the U.S. for sale.
 Making Your Home a Safe Haven
So what’s a bitch to do? Minimize furnishings that contain flame retardants, formaldehyde and synthetics. Also skip anything that can collect dust, such as drapes, carpets and rugs. Hemp fabric is generally more durable, and less environmentally taxing than conventional cotton or synthetics. You can also promote a more sustainable future by purchasing furnishings with organic and local ingredients that are made in the Red, White and Blue.
Any questions? There really is no place like home.
EKLA Home closely follows the work of the Green Science Policy Institute. For more information about the company and what they are doing to change the future for our planet, home and health, visit www.eklahome.com
– Jen Sall