Fresh Finds

Under the Covers

Nearly everyone feels the effects of the daily grind: wake up, shower, go to work, come home, eat dinner, unwind, sleep and repeat. Add in a couple of meetings, some traffic and your daughter's softball game or son's school play and you've got yourself a full day. And it's hard to believe after going through all the motions of a day--every day--the average person still manages to spend approximately one third of her life in the bedroom, presumably sleeping.

Understandably, you want that third of your day to be spent in a healthy environment, best achieved with organic cotton sheets free of dyes and finishes that don't offgas formaldehyde. Unfortunately, that often means colorless sheets or muted neutrals that are a tad boring for those of us who yearn for color.

Enter West Elm's new line of 250-thread count organic cotton sateen sheet sets, starting at just $79 for a twin set and available in three colors. Both the cotton, which is grown in India, and they dyes are certified by Control Union (formerly known as SKAL International). The cotton, of course, must be grown without pesticides or synthetic fertilizers, and the dyes must be free of formaldehyde, heavy metals and potentially carcinogenic AZO. The sheets, which can be personalized, have a sateen weave and are free of other problematic finishes, like permanent-press or stain-repellant chemicals that can emit formaldehyde, making them softer to sleep on.

West Elm's sheet sets range from $79 to $119 and include both a flat and fitted sheet, along with two pillowcases (one for a twin size). Also worth looking into are 600-gram organic cotton bath towels ($6-19) available in 10 colors and bath mats ($19) available in six colors.

For more information, visit www.westelm.com or call 888-922-4119.

© The Green Guide, 2008

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