Is Your Bed Toxic?

My daughter has just had a mega-room makeover, which gave me a chance to make sure that every single thing from the paint to the nightstand is non-toxic (yes particleboard nightstands can be toxic!). My main concern, however, was the mattress and pillows.
Given the fact that we spend half our lives in our beds, it only makes sense that we minimize our exposure to any dodgy chemicals. So what’s the problem with most mattresses? They contain fire-retardants, which can harm your health in a number of ways (memory/vision/hearing loss and thyroid malfunction). Most mattresses also contain a cocktail of many other chemicals, including formaldehyde-based adhesives.

Since a new mattress, especially a non-toxic/organic one is cost-prohibitive for most of us, the solution may well be to start with non-toxic pillows and a mattress topper. Through years of research I know that the best material to look for is organic wool – so I contacted one of the first companies in the U.S. to offer a full line of organic wool bed products, The Wool Bed Company. The owner, Susan L McCourt is a wealth of information about organic wool, and agreed to answer my burning questions as follows:

Why did you start your business?
I was retired from the corporate world   decided to move to the country.  Found this beautiful farm, while moving I watched “baby boom” and thought I could do something to provide an income in retirement.   I took a trip to Door County, WI  my first summer with my Mom   I have lots of relatives there and two cousins gave me 2 lambs to keep the pastures down. Well I liked the lambs on the hillside and purchased more, then came lambing, then came shearing then came “what to do with the wool? SO my Dad always said “if your not number one in your category change categories!  So all that was out there were yarn shops  I surely did want to knit or teach others to do this. I am not a sitter but a mover I am always on the go so one night my Mom and I were talking about my grandparents and Great Grandparents.My great Grandparents slept on a rope tied bed and had a “fleece bunk” on it for a mattress.  This was my idea.  Since then all roads led me to where the business is today I followed my spirit and when I said “ I need this to for the business” within about two weeks my angels would send it to me

You were one of the first companies to make bedding out of wool, why is wool so important for mattresses and bedding?
Wool is God’s gift to us ..It does everything it should and nothing it shouldn’t

I worry about the chemical flame- retardants and adhesives in regular mattresses, however, I don’t want my mattress going up in flames. Is wool really as flame resistant as they say?
Wool is naturally fire resistant. If you could design the perfect bedding material, it would be supportive yet soft, to ease your aches and pains. It would be warm yet breathable, staying at your body temperature, avoiding overheating and accumulation of moisture, mildew and mold. Your bedding would be organic, free from unhealthy chemicals, and totally sustainable. It would be custom made to your specifications and preferences. It would provide the best night’s rest you’ve ever had!

Fortunately, nature has already designed the perfect bedding material – WOOL, and Surround Ewe has already designed the perfect wool bedding in custom organic wool mattresses, wool mattress toppers, wool comforters, wool pillows and complete custom wool bedding sleep systems! Surround Ewe wool mattresses and wool mattress toppers are the ORIGINAL organic wool mattress – all the patents for these quality sleep systems are right here with The Wool Bed Company. Know that you are getting the ORIGINAL wool mattress or wool mattress topper, patented sleep system only from Surround Ewe!ever have because of their custom wool bedding sleep systems

What are some of the other advantages of sleeping in and around your wool?

• ECO-Pure Natural Organic Wool
• Encased in 100% natural ORGANIC cotton Fabric
• Chemical-Free organic bedding
• Naturally Fire-Resistant
• Hypo-allergenic bedding for allergy relief
• Available in all standard bed sizes
• Custom size requests are welcome
• 5X’s the loft of down
• Hand tufted and double-needle stitching for extra durability
• Materials are raised or grown in USA
• Hand made in the Wisconsin
• Healthy Benefits of All Natural Organic Product…
• Pain Relief…

Some vegans worry that the way in which the wool is sheared etc harms the sheep, what is your take on this?
Where companies raise sheep for meat in 20,000 – 100,000 sheep grazing in one place ( Australia or New Zealand,) what they do with the lambs is cut the top layer of skin off around the buttock. What this does: the fleece will no longer grow in that area, therefore keeping the buttock clean and easy to see if the sheep is sick.  The biggest problem with sheep is by the time you realize they are sick (because of the heavy fleece it is too late), and once a sheep is sick and down, very seldom do they recover.

What makes wool “organic”
Our sheep are raised on pastureland that is not sprayed with chemicals, they feed on the pastures so therefore the food they are is natural and fertilized with sheep manure. Then the wool is sheared, washed in with ‘ the an organic soap 3 times and then comes back to us and we have the mill that takes the wool and turns it into to batts or layer so we can make our wonderful products!

For those of us who cannot afford a new mattress, but who want to get away from the breathing in the toxic chemicals every night, what would you advise?
The best is to start with the mattress topper. We also have the system which gives you all the products but not everyone can just change their entire bed system because of cost. I recommend starting with the topper if you cannot buy the mattress first,  then the comforter and pillows and lastly the mattress. You must remember that when sleeping with the wool is different. It breathes, bringing your bedding around you to your body temperature. Your partner and you can have different thermostats and be comfortable in the same bed.  Also wool breathes naturally so when starting without the complete system you must beware of putting something doesn’t breathe on your bed because for example you put a down comforter over our topper —it would be like putting a tent over what breathes and it will trap the warmth in and you will overheat, so everything you put on your bed should breathe and not all “organic” breathes like silk. The best way to sleep in the Surround Ewe Sleep System is in the “buff” if you cannot then make sure that what you wear is 100% cotton and labeling is tricky  so if you get hot in our system if is because something you have on or something you have put on the bed does not breathe.  Like flannel sheets for example   they are so tightly woven then do not breathe

Is a pillow more important than a mattress to start with, since one’s face is closer to it?
Yes, also a good way to see how wonderful wool is!

How long do your products last, as compared to regular mattresses, toppers and pillows.
Our product line will last a lifetime, never again will you have to try to find the right pillow or shop for a new mattress.  We have a renewal program a test rest program for the pillows. So when life changes, your bed size changes, your pillows or toppers need to be renewal  – all of our ECO –Pure Wool product Line all you have to do is send them back and for ∏ price you can have new.

Finally, do you enjoy what you do and if so, why?

The Wool Bed Company is now entering its 16th year. IIt has grown , my job is to talk with my customer, helping them design the bed that will last a life time. There are millions of people who have been suffering from sleep deprivation for so long that they cannot remember when then slept the night thru.    So by helping my customers overcome this I am giving back for all that I have been given.

CHECK OUT THE OFFER IN THIS FRIDAY’S NEWSLETTER, AS SUSAN IS OFFERING 2 FREE-PILLOWS (valued up to $218.00) + a pack of dryer balls, with the purchase of a mattress topper!