How to Update Your Bedroom to Make it More Eco-Friendly

Now that the weather is warming up, it’s a lovely time of year to get jobs done around the home. One of the things that might be on your list is going room by room throughout your property and making spaces more eco-friendly. 

This not only reduces your carbon footprint, which you can feel good about but can help to reduce chemicals in your home and lower your energy consumption, too, for better health and finances. If you’re keen to update your bedroom soon, here are some ways to give it a sustainable makeover.

Pick a Sustainable Bed and Bedding

Start by ensuring you have a sustainable bed to sleep on. It pays to buy a base made from recycled materials, bamboo, or other more natural and less chemical-laden materials than usual. If you purchase a frame from a business that produces locally-made, small-run items instead of getting a mass-produced bed shipped from afar, this will also be more eco-friendly. 

You want a quality mattress, too. Choose a certified organic mattress or one made from a natural latex to feel better about how you spend your dollars. You can also find organic cotton mattress toppers, and lots of sustainable bed linen made from organic materials, bamboo, and the like. Another way to be more sustainable when it comes to your bedding is to follow the care instructions and take care of products well so they last longer, and you, therefore, don’t need to buy so many options over the years. 

Select Other Eco-Friendly Fixtures, Fittings, and Furnishings

When selecting other furnishings for your bedroom, you can also make better choices for the planet, and the same goes for fixtures and fittings in the space. Look for second-hand bedside tables, drawers, chairs, rugs, and the like for your room, or take advantage of any hand-me-downs you can accept from family members or friends. Another option is to pick up free or cheap well-loved items from garage sales and other places and see if you can refresh them by reupholstering or repairing things. 

You should be able to make eco-friendlier decisions regarding the flooring in your bedroom, too. Don’t replace what’s there until you have to, but once it’s time, consider opting for materials such as recycled wooden planks, natural bamboo or cork products, or other more sustainable designs. Don’t forget to change old, power-guzzling light globes for updated, energy-efficient ones, too.

Make Appropriate Paint Choices

Another critical way to update your bedroom in an eco-way is to think about paint choices. Start by removing any lead paint that could be in the room if your house is older. Lead paint got banned years ago (in the late 1970s) but hasn’t been removed from every property, so it’s possible it’s still somewhere in yours. Exposure to lead paint can cause numerous health problems and even death and affects humans and animals alike. 

If your property was built or renovated before the late 70s, it’s wise to get a swab test done on its paint, especially in your bedroom, where you spend so much time. If the paint is peeling, chipping, cracking, or otherwise deteriorating, don’t delay the testing, as this is when it can be most dangerous if lead is involved. 

Whether you need to repaint your bedroom or want to for decorative purchases, be sure also to choose non-toxic paint. Avoid products that contain toxic volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are still allowed but are seen as a potential issue due to all the chemicals in them that get released into the air we breathe in our homes. Instead, pick low- or no-VOC paints, which are available from most paint brands and are much more eco-friendly. 

Use Ceiling Fans and Windows 

If you want to reduce your carbon footprint and save money on power bills, avoiding using gas-guzzling HVAC where possible is wise. Instead, you can keep your bedroom more temperate and comfortable by opening windows and letting in the breeze or utilizing a nice chandelier ceiling fan or another elegant type that will help to move hot air around and keep you cooler. 

You can also block out the sunlight that streams through bedroom windows and makes the space hotter by installing quality drapes or black-out blinds. You may want to tint your bedroom windows, too, and replace them if you notice that they have ill-fitting or thin glass that lets air in or out of the room. 

Choose Natural Cleaning Goods

Lastly, pick out natural cleaning goods to keep your bedroom in tip-top shape instead of nastier chemical-based ones. For example, you might like to make your own cleaning aids from natural ingredients you already keep at home, such as vinegar, lemon juice, bicarb soda, essential oils, etc. 

There are also plenty of eco-friendly grocery store cleaning products these days, which are affordable, too. 

It might seem daunting at first to turn your bedroom into a calming place that’s better for the environment, and for you, but as you can see, it doesn’t have to be too challenging in this day and age. The sooner you make strategic decisions in this regard, the sooner you can sleep and relax in a sustainable space.