Organic Mattress Prices Going Up 1st Feb!!

Whilst things have been pretty bad out there, at buyOrganics we have tried to keep our prices of organic mattresses, organic pillows and bedding the same for as long as possible and absorb the rising costs ourselves.

From 1st Feb however we will have to charge VAT again, and although the UK VAT rate is currently 20% we won't be increasing all our prices by this amount, we will still try to absorb this cost as much as possible where possible. Some of our products may have to go up by this amount, but others will be only between 5- 10%. Unfortunately its unavoidable, but we'll try our best to keep the rise to a minimum.

What to do about mattresses dumped on the side of the road?

As a natural lover of a nice clean environment and an organic mattress specialist, I'm exasperated at the amount of mattresses I seem to see ending up on the side of the road. Everywhere I look these days I see them propped up against fences, folded at the end of driveways, or sitting on the kerb! What's worse is that we supposedly live in a nice area!!

It obviously costs much too much for people to take it to the local dump, so they sit with their bright greens and reds and odd patterns on the side of the road, generally growing mould and fungi. It's been 2 months now and I've seen 4 on a daily basis that aren't getting picked up. Phone call to the council is due...

One london borough claimed 9,000 mattresses a year to be collected and recycled. If you need to get rid of your own mattress, contact your council and see if they have a mattress recycling service. Its a much better option than it ending up on a dump site, someone maybe able to use it before it gets soiled outside.

If you imagine 9,000 mattresses per borough per year ending up in a landfill it should put into perspective how important it is that your mattress be recyclable. Most mattresses contain chemicals and materials which will never biodegrade and instead cause toxic pollution. more on that later, but for now!!! RECYCLE!!!!

How to clean your fruit and veg properly and why you should bother!

When our organic mattress shoppers are not sleeping, they are no doubt cooking healthy food. Although by eating fruit and veg, you may think you are being healthy, but your washing regime maybe letting you down! Tests commissioned by Government food watchdogs show that washing non organic fruit and vegetables does not remove chemical pesticide residues. Pesticides are used in farming to get rid of insects, fungus attacks and to stop some developing blemishes. By washing them properly you can cut down on a lot of the chemicals you are ingesting.

For example apples and potatoes, despite being washed before eating / peeling and cooking respectively, still contained one chemical with links to cancer, birth defects and infertility in recent studies. Washing poorly can mean exposure to chemicals which inflame stomach lining, as well as increase cancer risks.

Although the Food Standards Agency says that residues on fresh produce in the UK are so low that there is no need to wash them. Many parents still like to take precautions, because the amount of pesticides children are exposed to in relation to their body weight can be more than that of adults. Green campaigners also insist that there is a ‘cocktail effect’ of food crop chemicals on human health, even at low levels.

Campaigner Nick Mole, of Pesticide Action Network UK, said: ‘Repeated exposure to low doses and mixtures can have a deleterious effect on health, especially amongst the more vulnerable groups such as children.

The FSA’s advice is that people wash fresh produce to ensure they are clean and free from germs, rather than because there is a need to remove residues.

A spokesman insisted the public should not be concerned by the findings.

However, if you add up all the fruit and veg you eat over a lifetime and how much we try and feed the kids to keep them ‘healthy’ it feels like a bit of a self defeating battle. Even if you buy organic fruit and veg, its still a good idea to clean them thoroughly to get rid of germs and bacteria, so here’s our top tips on washing fruit and veg to get rid of pesticides and waxes

1.    You can use a soapy solution containing water and standard non anti bacterial washing up liquid, this works really well at lifting off chemicals on the surface of the fruit and veg but you must make sure you rinse the soapy solution off completely before cooking and eating.

2.    Mix one part vinegar to 2 parts water in a spray bottle, spray on fruit and veg and then wash under clean water. This method can remove up to 98% of bacteria from the surface. If you have longer, soak for 10 mins in the vinegar solution, then wash and eat or cook as normal.

3.    Purchase a commercial fruit and veg cleaning spray that contains no ammonia. This will remove waxes, pesticides, and bacteria naturally

4.   Make your own fruit and veg cleaning spray-

Method 1
1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of baking soda, 1 cup (250ml) of water. Put the mixture in a spray-topped bottle. Spray the fruit or vegetables, leave to sit for 5--10 minutes, then rinse well.

Method 2

1 tablespoon lemon juice, 2 tablespoons white vinegar (distilled works best), 1 cup (250ml) water in a spray-topped bottle. Spray the fruit or vegetables, wipe and eat.

For particularly waxy fruit or vegetables, try this mixture:

Method 3

1 cup (250ml) water, half a cup (115ml) vinegar, 1 tablespoon baking soda and dash of grapefruit seed extract. Spray this onto the produce and leave for an hour before rinsing and eating.

5.         After washing as described above, peel or discard outer layers where possible to get rid of most of the pesticides that remain on the outside.

Only clean fruit and veg this way just before you eat or cook them, otherwise they degrade more quickly.

References:

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2112767/How-pesticides-persist-wash-fruit-veg.html#ixzz2AhNq5D9r

http://suite101.com/article/how-to-wash-pesticides-off-fruit-vegetables-a174074

www.buyorganics.co.uk

Are Pesticides Killing Our Ecosystem?

Lovers of Organic mattresses are known for their love also of the environment and healthy living and their love of Bee's!!!!

Our bee population has been dwindling for many years , and bee experts as well as bee keepers and environmentalists have tried their best to keep bee numbers up, through cultivation of bee farms amongst other initiatives, none will be surprised by the latest research showing that pesticides are linked to bee decline!

Without Bee's our ecosystem hangs in the balance, and yet we have other researchers and economists telling us that organic farming is rubbish!! There has to pesticides and herbicides which act like the antibiotics of nature.. they kill everything, good or bad!

http://www.naturalnews.com/034678_honey_bees_colony_collapse_pesticides.html

10 Tips to Keep Your Bedroom in Optimal Condition

We spend approximately a third of our lives in our bedrooms, some even more than this so it’s not surprising that the state of this most precious space has a significant impact on your life. Your bedroom should be healthy, green as in environmentally so, and psychologically beneficial to your life. So we’ve put together a few pointers on how to really achieve a healthy bedroom. 1. Check for mould. Any dampness on the walls, windows or floors can lead to mould, even slight growth of different fungi that can trigger allergies such as wheezing, sneezing, eye complaints etc. Clean up any mould areas using a powerful cleaner such as bleach and ensure that the cause of dampness is removed. You may need to invest in a dehumidifier. 2. Get rid of dust mites. Mostly every bedroom has dust mites if you haven’t taken precautions to keep them out. Dust mites excrete a protein in their faeces that can trigger allergies such as sneezing and a runny nose, so it’s not very nice. In addition to this, the starling truth is that over a period of ten years your mattress will double in weight due to dust mite faeces, so you are literally just sleeping in bug poo! The ideal solution is to use hypoallergenic encasements on your mattresses. Natural solutions such as an organic wool mattress under sheet and over sheet are a good choice. Alternatively, you can use an organic cotton one that can be washed weekly on a 60 degrees wash. Wool naturally keeps dust mites out due to its high lanolin content, you can then air the wool in the sun to clean naturally, and washing cotton at 60 degrees kills dust mites also. Wash sheets weekly at 60 degrees and keep humidity low in rooms even through the winter. Use a HEPA filter hoover and clean with microfiber cloths that trap dust instead of launching it into the air. Keep humidity low in your bed, by folding the covers back every morning and leaving your bed to air. 3. Get Rid Of Light At Night. According to Samuel L. Krachman, D.O., director of the Sleep Disorders Center at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia. "Light interferes with the production of Melatonin, (a hormone that controls your sleep wake cycle and is secreted at night in response to darkness), therefore making it harder to fall into a deep, restful sleep." Two new studies suggest that exposure to light at night could affect not only your snooze quality but also your blood pressure, glucose levels, ability to regulate body temperature -- even cancer risk. 4. Reduce Sleep Disruptions. It’s not always possible to do this if you have to frequently get up to go to the loo, see to young children or have a snoring partner! Help snoring partners by encouraging them to get a special mouth guard from the dentist, this keeps their jaw aligned as they sleep thereby reducing snoring. Keep toilet visits brief and quick, try not to turn on lights but use night lights in the bathroom to keep you still in a restful state. 5. De Clutter. Things that don’t belong in the bedroom are things like cell phones and laptops. The rest of it is personal and certain things will trigger stress responses in you. I can deal with a little mess, but not a lot, my husband can’t deal with anything that’s not neatly folded or stacked nicely! 6. Get Rid Of Toxic Bedding. Memory Foam pillows and mattresses are the worst offender as they are made of a petroleum-based synthetic foam which can emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that can cause headaches, nausea, eye and throat irritation and may even contribute to asthma. A better choice would be natural latex pillows and mattresses made from rubber trees also sometimes known as organic mattresses 7. Cut Your Exposure to EMF’s. Or otherwise known as Electromagnetic Fields! Avoid metal in your bed or mattress and move TV’s cordless phone bases, mobile phones, electric alarm clocks etc. out of your room. Some studies have linked EMF exposure to cancer. 8. Change the mood of your bedroom. If you’re a couple, then loose family pictures from the bedside table and replace with pictures of you as a couple. Switch cosy night clothes for sexier ones, and ensure you have locks on the door if you have kids. Dimmable lights and Soy candles which are VOC free in a safe place are all good ideas to re-light the passion! 9. Shoes Belong Outside. Don’t bring shoes in your bedroom; leave them in the porch as they carry germs and bacteria. 10. Loose The Decorative Pillows. Decorative pillows and soft toys can harbour dust mites, so go for a simple look instead. Otherwise air and wash them regularly at high temperatures. (Original article featured in the huffington post)

Are There Flame Retardants in Your Sandwiches?

Organic mattress shoppers will be interested to know the latest news by the Huffington Post that has highlighted a study finding flame retardant chemicals in consumer’s sandwiches in the USA. The idea of toxic chemicals in your lunchtime sandwiches is quite a scary one, the new study of testing popular products from grocery stores in Dallas, Texas, found that nearly half of the sampled peanut butter and cold cuts, as well as turkey, fish, beef and other fatty foods, contained traces of a flame retardant commonly used in the foam insulation of building walls. "This is not good news. Here's yet another toxic chemical that can be found in many of the foods we buy at our supermarkets," said Dr. Arnold Schecter of the University of Texas School of Public Health and an author of the study published on Thursday. "Food does not need to have flame retardants." The flame retardant found by Schecter's team was hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD), which is just the latest in a string of manmade chemicals that researchers are discovering in popular foods. Previous research has turned up DDT, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), mercury, dioxins and other flame retardants. And this is in addition to the chemicals purposefully added to products during processing, or that leach into food from packaging. These chemicals pose health concerns that range from diabetes to cancer. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, HBCD is "highly toxic" to marine life and may disrupt the proper function of human hormones and reproduction. Particularly worrying are the chemical's potentially damaging effects to a young child, even in the foetal stage of development. Sonya Lunder, a senior analyst with the Environmental Working Group (EWG), noted that the chemical has been discovered in umbilical cord blood. "The prenatal period is an incredibly sensitive time," she said, adding that breastfeeding and toddlers' penchant for putting their hands (and other objects) in their mouths is likely to add to a body's early burden of the chemical. "Exposure starts before birth and may continue on in the diet for their entire life." These are the flame retardants that are pumped into conventional mattresses, sofa’s, car seats, carpeting, and building materials all around us. The worst offending piece of furniture is our mattress as we sleep on it for half our lives. Investment in an organic mattress is an investment in your health. P.s : Make your sandwiches at home!! EWG article: http://www.ewg.org/news/huff-post-flame-retardants-your-sandwich Huffington post article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/31/fire-retardants-food-peanut-butter-meat_n_1559062.html?ref=green

10 Reasons Why Not to Buy a Conventional Mattress

Many people don’t really know the difference between an organic mattress and a conventional mattress, to the extent that some people even think it’s a scam. There are some very real and fundamental differences between a conventional mattress and an organic one. One thing it is definitely NOT is a scam! And it all has to do with the materials being used to make them. Get a quick snap shot here and do some independent research with reputable non-profits to get the full picture… 1. Conventional mattresses are mostly made of man-made materials that are not resistant to bed bugs, moulds, bacteria and fungi unless treated with some heavy chemical insecticides (which carry their own health problems). Over the years your conventional mattress can get infested, releasing spores and housing tonnes of dust mite faeces. Natural materials such as pure natural latex that has not been combined with synthetic additives has inherent anti-microbial and anti-bacterial properties that are resistant to bacteria and fungi; organic wool is inherently dust mite repellent due to its high lanolin content, so a natural mattress such as the ones sold by buyOrganics are a lot healthier for you without having to add chemicals 2. Conventional mattresses are pumped full of hazardous chemicals such as fire retardants, boric acid, antimony and formaldehyde, and heavy metals to name a few. Walter Bader author of Toxic Bedrooms found in his research that an independently tested memory foam mattress contains over 61 VOC’s chemicals. Chemicals such as these can cause skin irritations, respiratory problems, hormone disruption, and problems with oxygen absorption and are even carcinogenic. When you smell a conventional mattress, you know it’s not good for you! 3. Sleep is adversely affected by sleeping on a toxic mattress. Sleep is the time our body rejuvenates, cell regeneration occurs and our body rests. Toxic chemicals in our mattress interfere with this delicate bio-rhythmic balance. 4. Sleeping on a conventional mattress could harm your children and their children. Scientists have confirmed that chemical fire retardants, such as those used in conventional mattresses, have been measured in pregnant mothers and passed through the placenta to their unborn babies. The danger of these chemicals is that they build up and remain in fatty tissue for years, waiting to be shared with your growing baby. Even if you aren’t experiencing any symptoms, there’s no way to know how three generations of built-up toxic chemicals will affect your grandchildren. 5. Babies are more vulnerable and sensitive to their environment, and placing your baby on a mattress that has a lot of chemicals in it, is not good for their early years of brain and physical development. The chemicals can interfere with healthy cell development and can cause learning difficulties as well as being implicated in SIDS 6. Conventional mattresses are made from cheap materials that wear out quickly. But after they do wear out and become very uncomfortable to sleep on, they do not bio degrade, in fact they continue to pollute the planet in toxic landfills and never break down. Unlike organic mattresses that are built to last for years and maintain their comfort, they can also be refurbished by adding layers of wool or another layer of latex or by changing the cover. And when you have finally have had enough of it, it will natural bio degrade without causing an ounce of pollution! 7. The production and manufacture of conventional products such as polyurethane based foams, petrochemicals and plastic based fillers are harmful for the environment and also contribute towards global warming. Conventionally grown cotton, wreaks havoc with the environment through pesticide pollution, and GMO crops are destroying natural ecosystems. Compared to the plantation that supplies our pure rubber latex for our organic mattresses that removes 143 tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere year after year. The organic cotton we use is helping communities globally to live safer, more prosperous lives. A much sounder, sustainable choice. 8. Many conventional mattresses are built in third world countries using sweat shop labour that is exposed to unhealthy chemicals and poor working practices, poor pay and poor working conditions. 9. Conventional mattresses continue to off gas chemicals as they degrade over time, so you are constantly exposed to a stream of pollution as you sleep every night. A mattress you bought over 10 years ago would not even have had the current regulatory standards of present and may contain worse chemicals than currently allowed. 10. In a fire, a conventional mattress may not burn immediately, but it will start smoking and letting off toxic chemicals which will kill you even before the fire gets to you. So in a nutshell, be smart and invest in an organic mattress.

Top Tips for Creating a Healthy Bedroom

Organic mattress lovers will be interested in IBTimes UK’s top tips for making sure you have a healthy bedroom.

As they rightly point out you do spend half your life in your bedroom so making sure that it is ecologically good for your health is essential.
1. Pillows – IBTimes UK suggest that getting rid of artificial synthetic fabric pillows is essential such as petroleum based foam or polyester, as these emit VOC compounds that can cause headaches, nausea, eye, throat irritation and possibly asthma attacks. Choose natural products such as natural latex instead.

2. Mattress – Opt for a natural latex mattress or organic cotton mattress because normal mattresses contain over 71 chemicals. To begin with they contain fire retardants (polbrominated biphenyl ethers, or PBDE’s), they also contain stain and moisture resistant chemicals that are toxic to humans. They also contain Formaldehyde. PVC was also used in Baby mattresses but watch out when you buy a mattress that it is PVC free as it was banned in 2009. It’s also important to change your mattress every 10 years due to Dust mite faeces which can build up in an ordinary mattress. So if your mattress is aging, better change it soon. An organic mattress contains no VOC chemicals, PVC Phthalates or any of the other toxic chemicals present in normal mattresses.

3. Bed Linen – Buying normal cotton may sound like the healthiest option, next to synthetic materials, but cotton is considered the world’s dirtiest crop. 16% of the world’s pesticides and insecticides are used on growing cotton which is bad for human and animal health. Buying organic cotton is healthier for the whole plant and yourself. Organic cotton, sheets, or hemp ones are best, but make sure that ecological dies have been used otherwise it egates the point really!

4. Shoe free zone – Avoid wearing shoes in your bedroom as they bring toxins, germs and bacteria from the outside world into your room.

5. Electricals – Electronic devices in the bedroom can interfere with sleep, leave phones, laptops, ipads, and t.v’s out of there, or at least especially not near your bed>

6. Creating Ambience – Ambience is good, it gets you in the mood to relax and unwind, use Soy Candles instead of Paraffin wax which emits VOC’s!

For any help creating a greener bedroom contact us at www.buyorganics.co.uk. We have a complete range of bedding that will raise the health barometer in your bedroom instantaneously.

Men stop sharing your bed, oh and you too Ladies!

Organic matttress fans will be tickled to know that the latest research today suggests that men who share their bed with a partner do not get a good night sleep and their performance is reduced the next day. According to the study, women are not affected so much as they sleep more deeply at night.

At first I was scoffing in surprise but then realised that the study does acknowledge that both partners sleep poorly when sharing a bed, but men just fare worse off. Maybe it's a bit like man flu!

Getting a Good Nights Sleep

Organic Mattress lovers will be delighted to learn that their investment in getting a good nights sleep is well deserved as an article out today in a U.S newspaper warns us that lack of sleep can have serious side effects.

Getting the optimal level of sleep is essential to a persons mental and physical health. The ideal amount is 7 to 8 hours and not getting enough sleep can have serious effects to your health, your ability to concentrate, and minimize personal productivity due to fatigue. Resulting poor health may include signs of irritability, high blood pressure, cardiac arrhythmias, emotional mood swings, lack of concentration or hyperactivity.

If we followed our natural body clock, we would wake as the sun rises and sleep as it gets it darker in the evening, but our busy lifestyles mean that we sleep according to the tick tock clock our society follows instead.

Common ways to treat sleep disorders include sleep studies which help treat sleep aponea and snoring, whilst Mattresses and pillows play a big part in our sleep. If a mattress is too soft or too hard, a person will be unable to get comfortable.

Mattresses and linens need to allow body temperature to adjust. Having too many pillows can cause head position to obstruct a person's airway. Instead, pillows are a great way for assisting with propping of arms and legs to minimize body aches.

In this instance organic mattress lovers will appreciate how the natural pure fibres in an organic mattress will allow better temperature regulation than artificial fabrics.

Although mattresses and pillows are a source for allergens to hide, organic mattresses made with deep layers of organic wool will help repel allergens, as wool naturally repels dustmites. Treating the bed with a Neem spray can also help greatly. Bamboo and organic cotton sheets are also hypoallergenic without the need for chemically treated mattress covers.

Our U.S sleep expert also suggests parking your day before you go to bed by writing your worries and thoughts down before you go to bed, so that they're there for you to deal with in the morning rather than worry about all night!

Spring Offers on Natural Organic Mattresses!!

Is your mattress all worn out? Is it saggy, stained or ripped? Or is it a brand new toxic smelling beauty that you really aren’t sure about? Then read on..

Our bed is the one bit of essential respite we get everyday. It’s the place where kids crawl in to join us in the night, where we can rest our days worries away, let passionate sparks fly or treat ourselves to Sunday morning breakfast. Either way our bed is an essential part of our daily lifestyle! Not only that it has to contend with looking after our back, supporting our spine and making us feel just right, just the right temperature, just the right firmness, just the right amount of blissful sleep!

If your bed is more than 10 years old then it really is time to seriously consider changing it. Not only will it have sagged, the covering may have ripped exposing the fabrics underneath, dips from lack of turning won’t be providing your back the support it should have to keep your spine in optimal health at night, and lets face it, the amount of dust mites it will have picked up from sitting there so long could probably house a mites zoo! Also old mattresses have a lot more chemicals in. Antimony, flame retardants and petrochemicals are common place in many mattresses sitting in homes for many years, even new mattresses have them in, so investing in the best available mattress can only lead to an organic choice. These harmful chemicals contain heavy metals and other toxins that can be absorbed as we sleep affecting our health in many negative ways.

So if there’s one really special thing you can do for yourself or your children this March its treat yourself to a new pure, natural, organic mattress and restore amazing, restful, supportive, healthy sleep back into your life.

As it’s National Bed Month again. How time flies! It’s time for our annual organic mattress offer again. So if you want a really pure, really exquisite Soil Association Certified Organic Pocket Sprung Mattress, or a pure Natural Latex Mattress at an amazing price then pick up the phone and ring us now to find out about our unbeatable offers, or email us with your requirements and we’ll get straight back to you to help you through making this essential purchase.

Email us at mail@buyorganics.co.uk or call on 0208 952 1424 Monday- Friday 10am to 2pm, to find out what fantastic offers we have in store with no obligation to purchase what so ever!!! Offers only on until end of March so email us now!

Has the last year been a time of pain or a time of gain?

Christmas comes at a time when it’s just nice to get a break, a solid good few days away from work. It’s a time as well as we approach the new year that we look back on the last year and decide whether its been a good year, a bad year or a down right ugly year!

It’s been an odd year for me, I’ve had low’s, especially when one of my closest friends was diagnosed with cancer. It made me really see how fragile life is and how dear our loved ones are to us. It’s also been a time when I had new experiences in my personal life….I went on a holiday with my husband and kids for the first time in about 5 years. It was fantastic and awful all at the same time! Lost hotel bookings, lost tickets, upgrades, family arguments…argh!!! My husband lost his job with Lehman Brothers which was so stressful! But out of all these things that have happened there has been a silver lining to all of them. My friends cancer is nearly cured and the Chemo has been working, if it hadn’t have been caught in time she wouldn’t have been here now, my husband found another job, a better one! And as a family, the holiday made us closer and able to see our faults better.

This last year has been a closing for an old way of life, globally too. The false economy we’ve been living on has crashed! One of the biggest obstacles to doing something about climate change…George Bush, has been shifted. Barack Obama provides a new hope that has not been presented by any other for a long time. More and more people are buying eco friendly household products, green, organic and natural personal products, organic bedding and latex mattresses, despite the economic down turn, which shows an increasing commitment to what really matters. Hi fuel usage cars are not selling, but instead are being outsold by their green counterparts! This will force manufacturers to come up with viable alternatives or bite the dust.

So, this Christmas season seems different to me than most. I feel more contemplative, more hopeful and as if I’m on the verge of a whole new beginning.

Think of current painful situations as an opportunity for growth.

So if you have lost your job, like countless members of my family and friends, or business is tight, it will no doubt be a seriously worrying time. It may even be a sign that your old way of being was not right for you any more, and that however painfully its happening, its time to embrace something new. Whether it’s a new course, a new interest, a new career doing something that’s going to bring more into your life, than what you were stuck in previously, or re-evaluating how you do things currently.

Change is always painful, I know that, because I’ve been there, not once or twice, but many times, we are going through global changes, and personal changes all at the same time. I’m sure many of you have too. Even if you’ve not had a bad year, and have had a brilliant year, there it’s always good to re-evaluate your strategies and lifestyle. Is there another area of your life that could do with improvement, your friendships, love life, or health? James Ray Philosopher and Life Coach, likens this economic climate to winter, everything that is old and unwanted is dying. This is a time for contemplation so that when the new spring comes we are prepared to create a new spring in our own lives. Astrologically it is the end of the celestial Piscean age and the dawning of the Aquarian age, which is an age of greater spiritual awareness and growth. Whatever is created now will be deeper, more rewarding, richer and more fulfilling than ever before because it will come from a deeper level.

I wish you all the greatest happiness for the New Year

Sonia