The Truth About Mattress Fire Retardants

flame guard fire retardentThere are many rumors and much concern regarding fire retardant chemicals being used in manufacturing mattresses in America.  Historically, mattresses were made with natural fibers such as cotton and wool.  These fibers are not fire proof, though they are naturally somewhat slow to burn.  Since the 1960’s, mattresses have been increasingly manufactured with synthetic materials– many of which burn faster than natural fibers.

Developed in the 1960’s for use by astronauts, memory foam is a synthetic material made of polyurethane.  Many people who have refinished wood furniture are aware that polyurethane is highly flammable in most forms.  But memory foam is not the only highly flammable material used in mattress manufacturing.  Other foams and synthetic stuffing have also been shown to have particularly fast burn rates.  This means that the flammability problem with mattress materials is two-fold:  the rate of ignition is high, meaning they catch fire easily; and they burn very quickly.

This is cause for concern because many mattress fires involve sleeping persons.  Over the years, many people, including many children, have suffered injuries and deaths due to the high ignition and burn rates of mattresses.  This is why the state of California passed a law in 2005 regulating that all mattresses sold in California must pass a 30 minute ignition test.  Many mattress manufacturers began treating their goods with fire retardant chemicals to meet the California standards.  That is why it was easy for the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to pass regulation in 2007 that expanded the fire retardation standards to all mattresses sold in the United States. Since then, there has been much debate over the safety of sleeping on mattresses that are treated with fire retardant chemicals.  According to the Sleep Products Safety Council and the CPSC, the chemicals that are used to treat mattresses to hamper flammability are safe for extended exposure, both for the consumers and the workers who manufacturer mattresses.  However, many groups claim that regulation of these chemicals is lacking and so is transparency in manufacturing methods. This means that it is difficult for consumers to know for certain what chemicals may be in or on mattresses. Read more »

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Leather Beds – The Perfect Choice For Any Bedroom

leather bed When it comes to finding a bed for your home, that will provide you not only with a nice amount of comfort during your sleep but also one that adds a sense of style to the room and compliments the general design of the room, then double leather beds may just be the perfect choice. With a constantly increasing number of manufacturers from all over the world trying to create designs that are better than their previous ones and the competition’s, you can be sure that you will be able to find the best double leather beds if you are just willing to spend a few minutes. Apart from the classy look and high level of comfort provided by double leather beds, you should also know that leather beds in general are very durable as they are manufactured from high quality materials.

With more and more companies worldwide creating online representations of their product offers, you do not even have to go out of the house to find double leather beds. You just need to perform a search for distinct keywords such as “leather beds” or “double leather beds” and you are sure to find more results than you can handle. If you are not one to go for all natural leather beds you can also find a nice variety of synthetic double leather beds. Sure it’s not the same thing, but you will be the only one who knows it. With the large number of design options available for furnishing bedrooms and guest rooms, you also have to find double leather beds that fit with your existing design and compliment it, thus creating a room with a warm and welcoming atmosphere for you or your guests.

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Tips In Finding The Perfect Memory Foam Mattress For You

If you are contemplating on shifting from using the traditional coil spring bed to a memory foam mattress, then you are in for a big surprise. Yes, there are just so many benefits that people are not aware of as far as the memory foam mattress is concerned.

Here are some of the things you should consider when buying a memory foam mattress for your home. And since there are a multitude of choices available in the market, it would be wiser for you to first consider the following factors before getting one.
Choosing Between Dense or Thin
It will always depend on which type of mattress you normally feel comfortable with. But no need to worry, because the memory foam mattress has both choices of denseness and thinness for you. The denser foam mattresses are much more expensive and can cost up to about 5 pounds for every cubic foot. However, should you have softer and finer bone structures; you definitely will feel more comfortable lying down and sleeping in the thin memory foam mattress. You may choose from the range of 2.5 to 3.5 pounds for every cubic foot.

Layers
While for some people, the thicker their mattresses are, they feel they get more comfort with them. This is why if you are the type of person who prefers lying down and sleeping on several layers of foam, you will be surely delighted to discover that majority of the memory foam mattress are offered in multiples of layers with each layer having at least 5 inches as base; while the top range may be made thicker by one to two inches. Read more »

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Eliminate Bedroom Clutter for Good

bedroom organizersThe bedroom should be a serene retreat from the chaos of every day life. A place to unwind and rejuvenate. But if clutter is accumulating in your bedroom, it can be almost impossible to relax and get the rest you need to face the day.

For some reason, bedrooms seem especially prone to clutter. From books to clothing and little knick knacks, things can accumulate at a staggering pace. If your bedroom is starting to feel like that last place you’d ever want to relax, then it’s time to get organized. The longer you let things pile up, the harder the clean up assignment will be. So do not wait too long to get your bedroom back in shape. Before you roll up your sleeves and get started, take a look at this quick overview to get some organizational inspiration.

There are three basic types of storage: accessible storage, hideaway storage and decorative storage.

Accessible storage includes shelves and racks that provide quick and convenient access and help organize items. For example, special space saving hangers that can fit 6 pair of slacks, or other easy-to-use closet racks that allow you to store your items in the most efficient ways possible.

Hideaway storage makes use of items like plastic bins and plastic bags that can be compressed to free up more space. Rather than being prominently displayed, these storage devices are intended to be tucked away beneath the bed or in a basement or attic. It’s advised to use them for seasonal storage or seldom used items.

Decorative storage complements your bedroom furniture and can be integrated into your overall design scheme. You could use an extra dresser, an armoire or attractive baskets of all sizes placed on bookshelves.

Now that you have some understanding about the different types of storage units available for bedrooms it is time to choose the storage type that works best for your needs.

Ready or not, it’s time to get started with the bedroom organization process:

To get started, we will need to prepare all the supplies. You will need some boxes that will be clearly marked for items in your bedroom that require sorting. Here are a few labels that might be used: shoes, papers, clothes, books, and magazines. Read more »

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Duvet’s Evolution

duvetLet me tell you a short story about duvet. To start with, when my oldest son was in his 20’s, I had never heard of duvet. Being “Mr. fashionable”, he proudly announced to me that he wanted a duvet for Christmas. I shrugged with question marks floating around my head. Off we went to the local department store where we found huge zippered washable bags in dyed monochrome colors designed to prevent soiling your large investment in your new down comforter (which was priced at either the arm or the leg of the “arm and a leg”).

Fast forward to today. Comforters which are affordable and durable. And Duvet covers which are, well, in a word (thinking…… can’t come up with a word…) elegant, colorful, stylish, beautiful, classy, (may I say “sexy”?) and all of that. And add to that, affordable. Things have not only changed, Duvet has been re-defined. Companies such as Le Vele, Blancho, Arya, Dophia and a multitude of others have been marketing duvet ensembles which can take one’s breath away with their sheer beauty and elegance.

Of course when you are ready to purchase your duvet ensemble, there are a few practical points you need to look for. For one, if you are going to use your cover over an existing comforter, be sure you have one of the “thin” comforters as the thicker they are, the more this becomes problematic. You also want to have a cover which closes easily to keep the comforter secure without having to deal with getting it stuck in a clumsy zippered closure (like they had in my son’s day). And don’t be afraid of color. Look at what’s out there in terms of getting something out of the ordinary. The day of the bland bedroom are over. When you’ve checked out all the possibilities, you head will likely be spinning with ideas, so go for it! Get the one YOU felt was outstanding, and enjoy your new look in the room where you are spending about half your life! Read more »

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