ahh SHOT!! you wouldnt have any ideas what i can use instead? ive got it over the door ways now were the carpet meets the floorboards as the carpet has detiriorated and we cant stop the nails thats ment to hold them down sticking the kids (and us).... going to have to brainstorm now i think...
What about going to Clarks Rubber maybe and get some bits there? Would their foam/rubber be ok to use with babies I wonder? I used my mat cos I was scared if DS fell on his head it wouldn't hurt so much if he fell on the lino. Also he used to spin really well on it and he loved the colours and chewing on the ends as he's teething and he preferred the foam to any other teething rings/toys I gave him
I don't know Mel, but I am not a happy camper right now. I just keep wondering what he swallowed off that stupid mat, the poor mite
He's got no teeth ATM, and although I worried that he could chew bits off it, I wasn't that worried for now as he's pretty toothless.
Hmmmm we have our whole playroom floor covered in these to protect DS from the tiles underneath - thats 6 sets!! Ours were from the reject shop. DS has put them in his mouth once or twice but doesn't these days.
Thanks so much for the heads up. OurS has been out away this morning until the tests results are released in Australia. Such a shame cause we really like it in our play area!!
wow...was thinking a while ago about getting some for DD, our whole house is floorboards so would have been nice to have a 'soft' place for her to play on. Definitely won't be getting any now though!
In late 2010, Belgium and France passed laws banning the sale of the soft foam puzzle-piece play mats following tests revealing the presence of formamide, a reproductive and developmental toxin.
The International Food Packaging Association Beijing Office (IFPA) said the mats sold domestically also contain this toxin and are harmful to children.
Formamide can damage children’s skin, mucosa and eyes. It can also damage their livers and kidneys, as well as digestive and nervous systems. Long-term effects include weakened immunity, said Xu Ronghua, a doctor at Beijing Children Hospital.
She said children younger than 3 are very sensitive to the external environment, as their skin is thin and tender. Contact with chemicals is one of the most common causes of childhood skin diseases.
“Don’t allow toddlers to be exposed to plastics for too long. Stick to wool and cotton blankets. If you have wood floors, there is no reason to put down a plastic mat,” Xu said.
Soft foam mats are seen in homes, kindergartens, rec centers and restaurant play areas. “We sell more than 400 to 600 pieces per month in our store alone,” said Liu Min, a shop assistant at a local Tiankelong Supermarket.
To prevent children injury, many parents and school administrators choose to pad their floors with puzzle-piece mats. “The marble floor is cold and hard, so I think it is safer and more comfortable for the children if we put down some kind of mat,” said Yang Lihong, a young mother.
Although many young mothers consider eco-friendliness, few can tell which mats or brands are actually environmentally friendly. “All we have to go on is the retailer’s advice,” Yang said.
Play mats are made of ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) and poly ethylene (PE), normally safe and tasteless chemicals. However, to make the mats extra soft many manufacturers add formamide, a common swelling agent. “When too much is added, the mats take on an odd odor,” said Dong Jinshi, the secretary general of IFPA.
However, there is no law regulating acceptable formamide levels in plastic mats and no product description to warn what levels could be dangerous.
“If you choose to put down soft foam puzzle-piece mats for your children, be sure to smell the product. The stronger its odor, the more formaide it contains,” Dong said. “And don’t use mats immediately after you take them home, Put them in a well-ventilated place for at least one to two months to make sure the harmful substances dissipate as much as possible.”
Last edited by emc2; February 20th, 2011 at 01:17 PM.
I can't afford a lot of new things, but the benefit is by buying second hand items, a lot of chemicals have supposedly gassed off the items by the time I get them.
Thanks emc2, I just sniffed my mat and it doesn't seem to smell that much really, but it's been on that floor for 2 months so the smell would have disappeared!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OMG.
Whoops Formamide - Formaldehyde, my bad Forgive my scanning, and ignore my previous post obviously LOL. Or don't but just don't connect it to foam mats lol.
Ours is outside on our decking. We put it there because we have a bubble machine, it would go on and the bubbles would splash on the deck, making it slippery and the kids would fall over. The mat has been perfect for that because it's non slip. She doesn't chew on it.
We also have the black ones that you buy in camping shops that we have put on the base of our tent. We've upgraded to a camper, but we're going to use the mats for the bottom of the annex, but guess we're going to ditch them now too. And these ones weren't cheap.
There was a massive pile of them at Reject shop this morning.. $15....Ad and I opened one up.. the smell is VILE!!!! I dont use chemicals, so it nearly knocked us out!!! It was mainly pink edges, with the alphabet on them...
I have never had any.. which is odd with all these kids...
Holly Molly, so glad I saw this thread, just today I looked up in the cupboard and saw the 2nd hand mats we were given years ago and I thought it myself "I might put those out soon" I wont be now though!
Last edited by Cherished; February 20th, 2011 at 12:57 PM.
Registered User
Formamide - Formaldehyde, my bad
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks