When transitioning to non-toxic living we tend to focus on body products and diet but there’s one place we spend a lot of time in that can easily be overlooked – our beds.
Now, you may be thinking, do we really have chemicals in our sheets too?! And the answer unfortunately is YES. Thankfully for us however, there are much safer options available now – one being a brand I recently discovered called DOPLNOK. But before I share why I love them, let’s dive into what makes conventional sheets toxic and how they may be affecting you daily.
Popular fabrics and their harmful effects
When shopping for sheets at your local store, there are a few common fabric choices we tend to stumble upon. The two cheapest and most popular being polyester and non-organic cotton. It’s easy to want to reach for these as they are usually priced low but there’s a few reasons for why that is.
Polyester: This synthetic “fabric” is made from a blend of chemical materials that include coal, petroleum – (yes, you read that correctly) water and air. The name itself comes from poly meaning many, and ester – a basic chemical compound with ethylene being the principle ingredient (petroleum derived). The polyester fibers in your sheets are formed by a chemical reaction between this petroleum by-product, a carboxyl acid and alcohol in a process called polymerization. In short, polyester is basically a cocktail of toxic plastic material.
Negative effects: Polyester contains thermoplastic chemicals that are outgassed or “released” when heated up. This means when you wash and dry your sheets you are literally releasing them into your home. Your body heat also has the potential to release these chemicals when lying in bed making you susceptible to not only breathing them in, but absorbing them into your skin as well. This can lead to a slew of problems that include: respiratory issues, skin conditions (eczema, dermatitis, rashes etc) weakened immune systems (especially in young children/babies), poor sleep and even cancer if exposure is constant over time.
Non-organic cotton: Cotton is responsible for about half the world’s fiber consumption but the modern farming of this fiber is far from natural. Today there are more pesticides used on cotton than any other crop in the world. Conventional cotton is sprayed with tons of pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and is genetically modified. Not only is this terrible for our bodies once we come in contact with it, but it’s also bad news for our air, soil, water and ultimately food.
Negative effects: Some of the worst chemicals included in the list are glyphosate (Round Up and proven human carcinogen) and Formaldehyde (used to prevent stains and color preservation). Formaldehyde alone has been linked to cases of asthma, skin irritations, chronic headaches and cancer. Though it may not be as obvious, supporting conventional cotton goes well beyond sheets too. Though it is most often thought of as only a fabric material, cotton seed is also used in many food oils and even fed to cattle which are in turn used for meat.
Why I choose DOPLNOK as a much safer option
DOPLNOK is a company dedicated to providing their customers with ethically produced and sustainably sourced sheets. The name itself means “extension” or “supplement” in the Slovak language. They are 100% fair trade, use certified organic cotton, are dye/heavy metal/ chemical free and proudly support better working conditions for farmers and community welfare projects.
On their site, they currently offer three collections: PRIME Percale (pronounced PER-KALE), PEARL Sateen and PRECIOUS Crib Sheets. What separates Percale and Sateen sheets is the detailed weaving pattern of the threads in the sheets. Percale patterns create a light, crisp and airy matte finish while Sateen (not to be confused with Satin) is silky and softer to the touch.
Because I’m ALWAYS hot (and living in Florida doesn’t help) I went with the Percale collection in Marshmallow white.
DOPLNOK’s sets include: 1 fitted sheet, 1 flat sheet and two pillow cases that are delivered in a beautiful reusable box (pictured above). Their sheet sizes begin at Full size and go all the way up to California King (unless ordering the crib sheet). Though I would argue this is an important investment for anyone, it’s especially important to consider if you have little ones! I just love that they also offer crib sheets (which come in a standard size). They offer 4 beautiful colors that are as I mentioned earlier, free from dyes and any harsh chemicals. Since I’ve been in a very “bright and light” decor mood lately the stunning white was the obvious choice for me.
My first impression of my sheets was a genuine appreciation for their attention to detail in their lovely packaging. Before putting the sheets on my mattress I did wash them once and I was happy to see they rinsed/dried with no issue, shrinkage or change in material/color.
The material is superrrrr light weight and slightly thin. Not in a cheap way at all, just very airy and breathable which I personally love. I found that I wasn’t as hot sleeping on them and my husband even noticed he got a better nights rest since I’ve put them on the bed. The flat sheet does tend to wrinkle a bit but this doesn’t bother me at all since it’s under my comforter anyway. I really just love how soft and crisp they are!
Beyond the comfort and feel, I find the most peace of mind knowing there is absolutely nothing harmful in them. They feel better on my skin and have truly made a difference in how well I sleep. Knowing that I am not inviting chemicals into my sacred place has really shifted the energy in my room. It’s incredible how we don’t notice the things that effect us until we find something better. This is a true case of you get what you pay for.
Want to give these sheets a try for yourself? Shop my affiliate link below with my code “CHOOSELOVE10” for 10% off + FREE domestic U.S shipping AND a 30 day return policy if you don’t love them (which I know you will 😉)
Stay healthy friends!
Til next time,
~ Chantel
hi , I’m curious, Doplnok doesn’t appear in the GOTS certification database – so how are these organic certified? Also, they claim transparency, but I can’t find their factory or other disclosures that are an elementary component of transparency. A bit skeptical that this isn’t just another train-jumper buying product from Paramount, RCM or other turn key factory and not actually standing behind their claims.
Hi Mike! Thanks so much for your comment and commitment to digging deep into brands – we need more of that! Here is a direct reply from the company who also encourages you to reach out at: hello@doplnok.com if you have any more concerns regarding their certifications:
“In order to get certified by GOTS, the entire end-to-end process needs to go through an extensive and yearly audit to meet strict requirements set by the standard. GOTS guidelines also require the GOTS certificate number to be explicitly and clearly printed on product labels, and if you look at the sheets that you received, you will see our certificate number ‘856868’ listed on our GOTS label. Every brand/business that sells GOTS certified products needs to strictly follow this labeling directive. The same number can be entered into GOTS public database which can be accessed using this link (or you can access the public database link directly at https://www.global-standard.org/public-database/search/database/search.html). If you key in our certificate number, you will see our company’s details listed on the website.
As I was mentioning earlier, before issuing GOTS certificate to any business, both the factory and the brand have to be GOTS compliant, and our certification status is evidence in itself that our manufacturing factory as well as our business are both fully compliant with the standard.”