Floor sanding and polishing - is it sfae during pregnancy?

[bub1]

Does anyone know?

We were looking at getting out floorboards sanded and polished i thought it would be ok if i moved out for 3 weeks anyone????

[AliBaby]

THe polish smellls is extremely strong!!! So you cant live there while it happens.

It might be okay after 3 weeks if someone can go round there everyday and leave windows, doors open.

I remember having it done about 5 yrs ago and the smell was still around for a month but not nearly as bad as what it was at first.

[PlonkeeMumma]

we got ours installed when i was 3 months preggy with Isla and that involved sanding and polishing - we only went away for 4 days and there wasn't any smell or anything when we got back, just lovely floorboards! I never thought about if it was ok or not, i presume the chemicals aren't that bad - isla's turned out fine! Sorry can't offer definitive answer - just my own experience!

Julie x

[mbear]

We got ours done 3 weeks ago - the entire house sanded and polished......i stayed out of the house for 2 days. I think maybe 3 weeks is excessive. Like with any empty house, its going to smell- floor boards polished or not. It wasnt until we started living - cooking, bathing etc that the smell deteriorated.....i also burnt my candles in the first few days.

[Lulu]

Maybe there are different floor polishes? We needed at least 2 weeks before we could bear to be inside the house, I kept DD at her grandads for 3.

[AliBaby]

I think you are right Lulu.

[Roryrory]

I think it is a matter of what you are comfortable with.

Manufacturers of floor polish will tell you it is 100% safe, while those who strive for a chemical-free lifestyle will tell you that any floor polish is toxic for humans, especially those in utero. But the same can be said for most household chemicals, plastics and food additives.

Personally I wouldn't have floors polished with a conventional polyurethane product while pregnant because I try to minimise chemical exposure, especially while pregnant (ie: I don't colour my hair, use nailpolish, drink caffeine or artificial sweeteners, paint, etc). When I was pregnant with Oliver, though, we had our floors done with a product called "Treatex" - a non-toxic natural product which, while not as hard wearing as the standard stuff, is very good and approved by alot of very hippy-ish European countries (Denmark, Sweden, etc).

So I think it is all matter of what you are personally comfortable with. I don't think there is a universal answer to this one.