Dorm Guide: Sleeping

(This is my room from freshman year. Though it may not look like it, this is my room in it's cleanest state)

Alrighty. This is the first in a series of posts about some of your options when it comes to living the green life at Wes. Whether you're arriving for the first time or the fourth, this should help you discover some alternative products and practices.

So, sleeping. Eco-friendly bedding is difficult to come by; you'll probably have to order it online. Also, it's expensive--not usually under $100. I've included mostly items that come in Twin XL (the size of the beds at school, which is 39x80 inches) with a couple of exceptions.

With that said, the Waste Not! Tag Sale is happening one week from today! You can get bedding there for super cheap. Otherwise, organic cotton and wool are good things to look for. Just so you know, modal, which is made from beech tree fibers, seems eco-friendly but is actually very chemically processed.

Sheets

• Hemstitch lace sheets from Lifekind
  
• ABC carpet and home (this place appears to stock organic sheets and such, but not online...the stores are in New York).
• Simply Organic sheets at Bed Bath and Beyond (not Twin XL, but cheaper)
  
• Organic Sheet set from Target (not Twin XL, but again, cheaper than most)
  
• Coyuchi Organic Percale Twin XL (there are also sateen, flannel, and lace percale styles available in Twin XL)
• Bamboo Twin XL sheets
  
• Clean Air Natural Twin XL sheet set (halfway down page; lots more stuff on this website).

Mattress pads

• Dax stores carries mattress pads made from wool and/or cotton.
  

Pillows

• Dax stores also has pillows (cotton, wool, buckwheat...doesn't a buckwheat pillow sound like fun?)
  

Blankets

• Dax stores carries a variety of organic cotton blankets.
  
• Heart of Vermont also stocks blankets and comforters made of organic wool and cotton.
  

Futons

• Heart of Vermont has an entire section devoted to futons.
  

DIY
Heart of Vermont has some DIY supplies (fabric, batting, pillow kits) so if you want to make your own bedding, you can!

• DIY bedding supplies

Here are some other guides to (relatively) earth-friendly fabrics you could use to make your own bedding:

• Green Guide's fabric breakdown
  
• Aurora Silk
• Near Sea Naturals
• Organic cotton at JoAnn Fabrics (there's one in Cromwell)
  

Links:
Dax Stores
The Green Guide (put out by National Geographic; this guide is indispensable)