Bamboo Linens

We all have to do our part to save our planet. One big way to do that is to choose eco-friendly products. We also have to make sure that we do not waste anything and try to recycle whatever we can.

It is a good thing, then that many companies have started going green. The thing is though, even though a product is labeled as green, eco friendly, or environmentally friendly, you can never be sure if it is the real thing. One way to make sure that a product is eco friendly is to look at the components, whether they are made of chemicals or naturally occurring substances.  

I had never heard of bamboo fabric until recently. It makes me happy that so many manufacturers are coming up with all-natural products like bamboo linens and towels. These products are good for our bodies and the environment as well as being high-quality.

A couple months ago I purchased my first set of bamboo sheets, and they are softer than almost any other sheet I have encountered. I actually look forward to going to bed every night in order to feel the silky sheets against my freshly-showered skin. I like my new sheets so much that I bought another set in a different color. They are also quite affordable and easy to find.

The skin is the largest organ of the body and most people don’t realize that what they use on their skin is absorbed into the body. The type of moisturizing lotion, laundry detergent and make up you use can all negatively impact your body assuming they’re not all-natural products. Next time you get out of the shower and dry off you should take a minute to think about the towel you’re using.

First of all, did you launder the towel using a grocery-store brand of detergent? Next, has the fabric of the towel been treated with chemicals? If your answer is yes, then you’re making a bad decision for your body. Next time launder your towels in perfume and dye-free detergent and dry off with a bamboo towel. This way you will be sure to keep your skin chemical free.

Organic fabric is all the rage now. This kind of fabric is ideal for people who don’t want any part of the chemicals and pesticides used to grow the raw materials. It is also suited for people with sensitive or delicate skin.

This is one reason a lot of luxury hotels have made the switch to organic bath robes. They market these robes as their way of pledging support to the environment. The robes are also soft, comfortable, and safe for their guests who have sensitive skin.

The trend nowadays is going organic. Stores are now offering items from organic produce to organic textiles. Organic means that the materials used are chemical-free.

Organic textiles usually come from bamboo. These trees are eco-friendly and are grown without chemicals and pesticides. The textiles produced are thus recommended for people with sensitive skin or people who are environmentally conscious.

My husband has such sensitive skin on his face that he breaks out in to an itchy, bumpy, red rash every time he shaves. He has tried every thing from all-natural shaving lotions, to women’s moisturizing shavers, but nothing has worked to sooth his skin. I thought maybe he was allergic to the perfume in our laundry detergent, and I switched to a brand free of smells and dyes. But, even that didn’t work.

I was at my wits end, and my husband was miserable every time he shaved. And, he couldn’t stop shaving even if he wanted to. His job as a corporate accountant demanded a clean-shaven, conservative appearance. On a whim I bought some organic towels at the linen store. The next day my husband used one of the towels to dry his face after shaving and he had no reaction. The next day he used the same towel and his skin remained clear. I would have never guessed it was the towels we were using.

Flannel has been a common part of American culture for more than a hundred years. In the past flannel, also known as flannelette, was known to be mainly worn by farmers, lumberjacks and woodsmen. It has also been a fabric popular for making children’s pajamas, as well as pajama pants for adults. Flannel’s soft texture and ability to keep the body warm has made it a favored fabric among those who live and work in cold environments.

Due to its popularity in the Pacific Northwest, flannel has become associated with the grunge music movement of the early 1990s. Many grunge, metal and rock musicians wore flannel clothing. Gangsta rappers also donned flannel clothing during this time. Today, flannel clothing may not be as popular a fashion statement, but is always appreciated in the form of sheets and bedding. Organic flannel sheets, for example, are a good bedding alternative for allergy sufferers because they are made without the chemicals and pesticides.

There are products that you can think of for every single room in your house to strive toward sustainability.  You can walk through your house and think about how to improve your carbon footprint at every turn.  Ecological sustainability is not just a virtue it is a way of life. 

In the bedroom, you can start with organic sheets made from organic cotton.  Organic cotton does not use pesticides that leak into the earth and damage the microorganisms as well as soil content. 

The world is changing for the better and it is important that we change with it.  The days in which waste was a natural part of our lives is over with.  The Earth cannot withstand the onslaught of our over production and over consumption anymore.  Not only do we have to be less wasteful, but we also have to be aware of the products that we use and how they were made.

Eco-friendly products are made with the greatest of care to neutralize the harmful affects of production so that this planet can continue to sustain the living creatures on it.  There is a better way, and together we can help combat the affects of global warming for a better future.

Conventional farming endangers farm workers and their families. There are innumerable cases of serious pesticide-related health problems, including birth defects, long-term memory loss, paralysis and death. Unprotected storage, improper application methods and lack of proper handling is not uncommon, and often leads to tragic accidents.

As pests develop resistance, farmers desperate to keep up yields often resort to more and more applications of expensive pesticides. The chemical treadmill leaves them heavily in debt, and caught in a vicious circle. Facing barren, devastated fields and contaminated water, many small farmers have been forced to abandon their livelihood altogether.

Organic farming, on the other hand, is not only safer and healthier for farmers, but also encourages just economic systems in the supply chain. It provides an economically viable and socially acceptable alternative to large-scale farming and dependence on subsidies; in the process, we can also benefit from having eco-friendly products.