All Wall Decals Are Not Created Equal- Are You Buying The Best AND Safest Decorative Wall Decals For Your Home?

Decorative wall decals (also referred to as decorative wall stickers or wall graphics) are one of the latest trends in home décor. They are becoming widely popular as an "instant home makeover" solution. Although wall decals come in a variety of shapes, sizes and themes, one of the more popular wall decal themes is wall decals for kids. Kids love them because they can decorate their rooms with their favorite colors, cartoon or comic characters. Parents love them for these same reasons and because kids wall decals offer parents a simple, affordable, easily changeable decorating solution for their child's room(s). While the features and benefits of decorating with wall decals are abundant, it is also important for consumers to be aware of the some important safety information they should consider prior to purchasing wall decals for their home.

When purchasing wall decals, it is important to check with the manufacturer or distributor to find out whether or not lead and/or cadmium is contained in the decals. On the U.S. Center for Disease Control's List of the 275 most hazardous substances, Cadmium ranks #7. Until recent years, there were few laws or regulations to restrict or ban cadmium in a variety of products, including children's toys. There are currently no federal regulations mandating that wall decals contain what they deem to be a safe level of cadmium. This means it is up to the manufacturer of the decals to decide whether or not to produce them with materials that contain this harmful substance.

Because the topic of toys containing lead and/or cadmium has been a "hot button" issue in the news in recent months, many toy and toy related manufacturers as well as retailers have updated their product labels and online web pages to include specific information relative to the amount of lead and/or cadmium in their products. It is not a requirement for wall decal manufacturers or retailers of this product niche to disclose lead or cadmium information on their product labels or websites. Luckily, however, it seems most of the top sites, and even some of the lesser known, wall decal manufacturers and retailers are conscious of the potential consumer safety issued they would be faced with if efforts are not taking to seek out higher quality products that contain little to no lead or cadmium.

Due to the regulations now mandated by law to protect consumers from purchasing potentially hazardous or harmful children's toys, many print and material manufacturers have taken notice of these new regulations and are taking action to become "greener." They are incorporating policies to ensure their products adhere to lead and cadmium level mandates. New print technologies now allow print manufacturers to manufacture and print VOC-free (Volatile Organic Compound), eco-friendly wall decals. Materials manufacturers have also stepped up to the plate to join the effort to offer "greener" materials that contain significantly lower amounts of lead and/or cadmium.

Wall Decals for Kids are a fun and easy decorating alternative. However, it is important for parents and consumer of wall decals to make sure the decals they choose are deemed non-hazardous and safe for continuous use. I urge readers to take notice next time you visit a site that sells decals -Check the FAQ section of the site before you checkout and make sure there is mention of how their decals are manufactured and more specifically what the decals are made of. Many online retailers (the good one's anyways) will always have a section or page on their store's website that discloses important product and safety information to potential consumers. If you see any or all of the words VOC-free, Phthalate free, lead-free or non-toxic, you should rest assured you have found a great, trustworthy site to use in making all of your kids wall decals and/or decorative wall decals purchases. Here's to happy AND healthy decorating!

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