GOTS
Global Organic Textile Standard. Organic fibre, with strict limits on dyes and chemicals all the way through processing.
Look for it on: Clothing, bedding, cloth toys
A gentle home for little ones
What touches your baby matters.
Baby Wants Organic is a journal about the clothes, cribs, toys and everyday things that fill a home with little children, and how to choose them with care: natural fibres, honest materials and fewer chemicals, without ever losing sight of safety.
Why little ones need more care
Small bodies, close to everything
Thinner skin
A baby’s skin is thinner than an adult’s and takes in more of what it touches, for its size.
Close to the floor
Crawling babies live where household dust settles, and dust carries what sheds from furniture, finishes and fabrics.
Everything to the mouth
Toys, crib rails and clothing are chewed and sucked, so what they are made of and coated with matters.
More air for their size
For their weight, children breathe more air and eat and drink more than adults, so the same exposure means more to them.
Our principles
Twelve principles for a healthy nursery
Simple, steady habits that keep a little one’s world as clean, natural and safe as it can be.
Safety always comes first
Natural is never a reason to skip a safety standard. A certified crib, a firm flat mattress and an empty sleep space matter more than any fabric. Choose organic within what is proven safe, never instead of it.
Wash before first wear
Wash new clothing, bedding and cloth toys before use. Washing removes much of the finishing chemicals, excess dye and residue left from manufacture.
Natural fibres next to the skin
Choose organic cotton, wool, linen or hemp for clothing, sheets and swaddles. The GOTS label covers both the fibre and how it was processed.
Snug sleepwear, no chemical shortcuts
Children’s sleepwear must be flame resistant or snug-fitting. Snug-fitting cotton pyjamas meet the rule without added flame-retardant treatments.
A clean, simple sleep space
A firm, flat crib mattress with a fitted sheet, and nothing else: no bumpers, pillows, quilts or soft toys. Look for a mattress certified for low emissions, such as GREENGUARD Gold.
Honest furniture
Choose solid wood with water-based or low-VOC finishes, and cribs certified to current safety standards. Air out new furniture before the baby arrives. Never use drop-side or very old cribs.
Toys from simple materials
Favour plain or water-based-finished wood, natural rubber, organic cloth and food-grade silicone. Avoid soft vinyl (PVC) toys and old painted toys that may contain lead.
Keep heat away from plastic
Warm milk and food in glass or stainless steel, not plastic, and keep plastic bottles, cups and containers out of the microwave and dishwasher.
Fresh air and clean floors
Open the windows when you can, dust with a damp cloth, vacuum with a HEPA filter and leave shoes at the door. Less dust means less of what dust carries.
Fragrance-free and gentle
Use fragrance-free detergents and cleaners, and skip fabric softener and dryer sheets for baby things. Plain soap and water cleans most of a nursery.
Trust labels, not words
“Natural”, “eco” and “non-toxic” have no legal meaning. Independent certifications such as GOTS, OEKO-TEX Standard 100, GREENGUARD Gold and MADE SAFE tell you far more.
Fewer, better things
A few well-made things in natural materials are calmer, safer and kinder to the planet than a room full of plastic. Hand-me-downs are a fine choice, provided they meet today’s safety standards.
Reading the label
Certifications worth looking for
Each one checks something different. None replaces a product safety standard.
OEKO-TEX Standard 100
Every part of a textile tested for harmful substances; class I is set aside for babies’ items. Not an organic label.
Look for it on: Clothing, bedding, towels
GREENGUARD Gold
Low chemical emissions into indoor air, with limits set with children in mind.
Look for it on: Mattresses, furniture, paint
MADE SAFE
Products screened against a list of known harmful chemicals.
Look for it on: Personal care, cleaning, bedding, toys
CertiPUR-US
Foam tested for certain harmful substances and emissions. Applies to the foam only.
Look for it on: Foam mattresses and cushions
JPMA certified
Juvenile product safety certification. It covers safety, not materials, and belongs alongside the others.
Look for it on: Cribs, high chairs, strollers