3 Ways to Get the Flame Retardant out of Your Kids’ Fuzzy Pajamas

by Katie on February 10, 2011

The following post is from Katie of Kitchen Stewardship:

source: Katie Kimball

It kills me that other moms are forking out bucks for chemicals to “redo” the diminished flame retardant quality in their kids’ year-old pajamas while I’m going to great lengths to avoid them and get the fire retardants out to protect my kids’ health.

Did You Know?

Did you know the federal government, via the Consumer Products Safety Commission, has mandated since 1972 that all children’s sleepwear through size 6X must be flame retardant?

This almost always comes to fruition through added chemicals, which may be offgassing toxic fumes around your children as they sleep. (In the late 90s the standards were updated to exempt tight-fitting pajamas and sleepwear for children under 9 months old.)

Even my husband, who doesn’t always think critically or environmentally about things with me, wrinkled his brow when I explained that it’s a law and said, “What credentials do the legislators have to decide what is safest for kids?

Why pajamas?

That doesn’t even make sense!” The flame retardant quality is not meant in any way to save lives in the case of a house fire, at which point smoke is generally the lethal force well before flames anyway.

The official language states that “fabrics…of children’s sleepwear garments must self-extinguish after exposure to a small open flame.” (source)

When my husband asked “Why?” I guessed that some statistic came out demonstrating that kids were more likely to suffer burn injuries while in their pajamas than in their day clothes.

A little research made me shake my head in greater dismay than I expected:

“From 1967 through January 1973, FFACTS obtained information about 434 cases involving burn injuries associated with sleepwear, 101 of which involved children younger than six years of age.” (source, emphasis mine)

And get this:

Over 5,000 children were treated for burn injuries related to clothing in the four years between 1991 and 1994, even though only ninety kids were wearing sleepwear when they got burned from 1980-1994, fourteen years! (source)

Why do pajamas remain such a target?

I’m sure the parents of those 101 kids feel like their kids’ experience was the worst possible thing to ever happen to them, but let’s be serious here: one-hundred kids are the cause of pages upon pages and hours upon hours of government legislation?

And now ALL our children have to be subjected to chemicals???

It’s yet another case where I get a little political, which I hate to do, and shake my fist at “the government” for taking the choice out of my hands.

Sure, we have the option of only buying the tight jammies now, but my kids really like fuzzy PJs, and with our house at 61F, it’s kind of important that they have some with feet!

What are the health risks?

Besides the relatively low incidence of burn injuries in pajamas, there are serious health hazards to flame retardant chemicals.

Tris, one of the first flame retardants used on sleepwear, was banned after a few years because it caused cancer.

PBDEs, a class of flame retardant chemicals used more in mattresses or foam furniture rather than clothing, nonetheless may cause problems with neurodevelopment and hormone regulation.

They have been banned in Europe and are slowly being 100% phased out in the states. (source)

Flame retardants have been found in household dust, human breastmilk, and even grocery store food. Can we really trust that whatever is in our children’s PJs is safe? I’d rather take a chance with a “small, open flame,” to be honest.

For those of you who share my concern, here are 3 ways you can battle the chemicals so your kids aren’t breathing in the fumes from their flame retardant sleepwear all night long.

1. Hang for a Year

Pardon the lack of source here, but back when I first started looking into this problem when my daughter was passing the 9-month mark, I found a source that said the chemicals should off-gas simply by hanging up the pajamas for an entire year. I’m always thrilled to buy secondhand for this reason, and I’ve asked the grandparents to buy any new fuzzy jams a size too large. [Note: some disagree in the comments, so I think I'll stick with no. 3 plus this one if I can.]

2. Wash in Soap

The CPSC standards state that the flame retardant quality must remain in effect for 50 washes in detergent, but if you read the tag on any sleepwear that isn’t tight-fitting, you notice a few things:

“Flame Resistant” – your cue you don’t want to buy it if you can help it.

“To retain flame resistance, wash in detergent only, do not use soap” – Eureka! I read that as instructions to beat the system, don’t you?

The first thing I did with this year’s Christmas gift pajamas was to soak them in castille soap and hot water. So there, flame retardant chemicals! (Note: Not everything that says “soap” is a soap. Charlie’s Soap is a natural laundry option that I’ve tried out, but it is actually a detergent.)

UPDATE: More good points in the comments, that the soap almost certainly diminishes the effect of the flame retardant chemicals, but most likely does not actually remove them from the fabric. Moving on to number three…

3. Soak in Acid

I was tweeting about my success with soap when another option popped up on my screen. The brilliant Lisa of Mama Says, whose husband has to wear flame retardant clothing for work, shared that any acid is also not supposed to come in contact with the fabric. She recommended soaking in Coca Cola, which apparently cuts industrial oil stains when added to the wash. (And I let my husband drink that stuff? Gah!)

I chose vinegar as a less expensive and clear acid and soaked all the evil PJs for about two days in a 50/50 solution with water. You could also use lemon juice in a ratio of 1 cup to a gallon of water. (source)

Onward with Warm Pajamas!

I’m sad that the fuzzy pajamas are almost always polyester, a plastic, which opens a whole new can of worms. But for now, let’s just be happy that we can, I think, fingers crossed, eradicate the flame retardant chemicals in the sleepwear we already have.

No need to snatch away your kids’ fuzzy or loose-fitting PJs that they receive for Christmas. Hopefully we can rest a little easier with one of these methods, even as we try our best to purchase organic cotton for the 50% of their time that our children spend sleeping.

What do your kids wear to sleep?

Katie Kimball is a mom of two who spends a ton of time in the kitchen making real food with whole ingredients and then blogs about her successes and failures at Kitchen Stewardship. She believes everything in life is a gift from God and should be taken care of wisely.

Tagged as: katie

http://unsophisticook.com Tara @ Unsophisticook

We definitely make gaming a family affair around here. Especially with the Wii and now the Xbox Kinect and PlayStation Move, it’s a great way to keep the kids more active in the winter too!

Anonymous

We always hear about the downsides of video games, but I think that’s a
great example of the benefits!

Michelle

I am really excited to read this article. Did you use only vinegar when you did the soak or did you add water too?

Heather

I am also wondering the same thing Michelle. . .

http://twitter.com/kitchenstew Katie Kimball

Heather and Michelle,
I used either only vinegar or mostly vinegar. You might as well go straight since it’s only a couple bucks. Sorry I wasn’t clear in the post about the ratio or lack thereof! Katie

Amy Kate

Thank you for some confirmation. I’ve always narrowed my eyes a bit at that “flame retardant” declaration. This past Christmas in an effort to be frugal and to avoid character couture {blech,} I sewed PJ pants and nightgowns out of polyester fleece. I blogged about it with the disclaimer that the fabric I used wasn’t flame retardant…feeling a bit guilty. This new info has lifted the guilt from my shoulders…keep on, keepin’ on! Thanks and blessings!

http://twitter.com/kitchenstew Katie Kimball

Amy Kate,
Love it! Happy to help lift some guilt – I think it’s fabulous that you made homemade PJs; what an amazing gift! Katie

Anonymous

Thanks for the post Katie! I may try to soak my kiddos footed pajamas, but since I already wash them in castille soap, Im not sure I need to. Here’s a link to a product I’ve found to keep babies safe from the chemicals in their mattresses. A friend told me about it when I was pregnant with my last baby and since the problem is worse when it’s an older mattress, we got one for our crib and one for our pack & play. http://www.babymattresscovers.com/

http://twitter.com/kitchenstew Katie Kimball

Sarah,
Aw, shoot. I just replied to a comment above saying that I hoped that since our crib mattress is older, it would have already done its off gassing. I never even thought about our pack-n-play, my goodness. Why is the problem worse on an older mattress? THANK YOU for this link!! Katie

Anonymous

Mattresses off gas at the beginning, then it decreases, and then it increases again as the material ages.
sarabauer

It’s the mold that is present in older mattresses offgassing and combining with the chemicals offgassing that turns it into a nerve gas which can paralyze then kill (thus, SIDS), which is super scary. My friend who told me about this, her husband is a chemist & has confirmed it himself.

sa

Thanks for the ideas Katie…a couple of questions.
Do ALL fleece two-piece or footie pjs have the chemicals, even if they don’t have the flame resistant labeling?
And secondly, if the chemicals should off gas in a year, is there any point in treating old pjs with the soap or acid treatment?

http://twitter.com/kitchenstew Katie Kimball

sa,
Hmmmm, anything flame retardant should have some labeling, but the gov’t is actually more stringent about the flammable stuff being labeled very clearly so parents know at what terrible risk they’re putting their children when they buy those PJs…sigh. From what I can tell, any sleepwear that is not tight to the skin must be flame retardant, but there could be some that don’t have chemicals, simply because polyester passes the fire test already (since it’s made of plastic and burns slowly), as does wool.

I never treated old PJs, just hoped they had already off gassed. Katie

Vhdunn

OK…This is probably a stupid question, but I have to ask. Since acid counteracts the chemicals, do you think urine would have this effect? I ask because we are still working on toilet training at night and I refuse to buy more pull up. So… my daughter has soaked each of her footie pajamas at least once, and they have then sat in the hamper for a full day at least before getting washed. DO you think that has helped counteract the chemicals? ALso, I only use vinegar as a fabric softener, so do you think that small amount in each load is doing anything? Thanks!!!!

http://twitter.com/kitchenstew Katie Kimball

Vhdunn,
Definitely no stupid questions here; I’m just barely figuring this out and guessing a lot as I go myself. No idea about the urine idea, but I do think the vinegar as fabric softener should make an impact over time. For myself, I’d still take the 5 minutes to give them an overnight soak in vinegar to knock it all out right away. Katie

Becky

this is great! Thank you for posting. Guess what will be on my to-do list?
Also, I’m glad I’m not the only one thinking about this. I have to say I have comforted myself with the knowledge that 99% of their clothes are used so I have felt better about the chemicals being worn off (but then of course I think about the poor kids b/f mine who wore them…) Anyways, I seriously had thought about writing a post about this…how it’s healthier for my kids to have used clothes! Again, yet another reason why living frugally is better for our health….http://www.purposefulhomemaking.com/search?q=what+motivates+me%3F
Anyways, thanks again for posting!

http://twitter.com/kitchenstew Katie Kimball

Becky,
Yes, yes! So often seeking “the good stuff” costs more money, and I’m always so thankful when there’s an easy way to strike the balance between taking care of the earth and my budget at the same time. Katie

Johanna

The MIL looked at me scornfully when years ago I ask for only flammable clothing (as if I intended to burn my kids?*!) Still, everything they send us has the flame retardant hang tag. We prefer hand-me downs or going to the local kid’s resell shop (the owner doesn’t accept polyester PJs for resell anyway). What do I do with the unacceptable clothes? We return to the store, even if it’s for a 90% off rate or store credit (like without a receipt). Atleast it’s out of our house and not passed onto other kids (Via Goodwill or Sally Ann). I now sew our own flannel PJs (making sure the label on the Joanns bolt says “flammable”), and prewashing anyway. I also found some online shops that sell organic cotton knits (though I have to say, it’s better to see and feel fabric in person. My recent purchases have felt thin and cheap).

Our Baby mattress is an EcoBaby with wool puddle pad and organic sheets, but the Ikea toddler mattress is not natural at all (just 11″ longer than a standard crib mattress, a custom organic version would run us another $700)… atleast it has a removable (albeit polyester) cover, so I washed that thing probably 5 times before I put on the bed (and aired out the foam/spring insert a week or so). I wanted to sew my own cover (with wool backing, cotton batting and quilted cotton duck top, even it none was organic), but I just don’t have the time. I may try one more soak with vinegar… a few boogers permeated my custom sewn organic sheets so it’s due for a washing. I can tell you that the initial washes of the mattress cover stank up the whole house! In fact I didn’t even bother drying it or taking out of the washer the first few times because the chemical smell was so strong… I didn’t want the evaporated stuff floating around the house (I apologize to our local stream for sending icky water down the drain. Hopefully our water treatment plant can handle those chemicals).
Thanks for the succinct article with all the important points! I will pass along to my pregnant friends.

http://twitter.com/kitchenstew Katie Kimball

Johanna,
You are amazing. Wow. Mattresses freak me out, but I cling to the hope that a hand-me-down mattress has done a whole ton of offgassing before my kids’ little heads rest there. ???

I was cracking up picturing you asking your MIL for “flammable clothing only”! And good for you to be tough and return…I just couldn’t get away with it with the Elmo fuzzies and my son’s reaction to his new sports jammies from his uncle. Sigh. If only the polyester monstrosities weren’t so cute and comfortable and loveable!

loveskilts

it’s not the off-gassing of a chemical per se. as i understand it, the off-gassing is the commmon household fungus emitting by-product as it consumes the mattress, more or less. my terminology is probably all wrong, apologies. according to dr. sprott’s site, “Why does the risk of cot death rise from one baby in a
family to the next? Many parents re-use cot mattresses from one baby to the next. If a mattress contains phosphorus, arsenic or
antimony and certain household fungi have become established in the mattress
during previous use by another baby, generation of toxic gas commences sooner
and in greater volume when the mattress is re-used for the next
baby.” i read somewhere else that the higher the bacterial content, also the worse. more people having used the bed means more bacteria. would have to google a bit to get back to it. btw… this is hands down the best page and discussion on the subject that i have run across to date. thank you!!! i’ll be back to this blog!! i’m having trouble admitting to myself that the fuzzy blanket sleepers seem to a no-win situation. i’m still holding on to the idea that i can find some that aren’t $50+ a pair. argh!!! so pricey

http://broadhorizonsschool.blogspot.com Sweetpeas

LOVE it!! Though I finally convinced my mom to make my girls flannel nightgowns every year for Christmas, they were SOOO excited the first year they got NIGHTGOWNS instead of snug fitting cotton jammies. And since mom makes them for us ,they can be cotton flannel instead of polyester, woo-hoo!! BUT I’m still thrilled to read these ideas . . . just in case the one year old ever decides that our 64 degree house is abit chilly for sleeping naked (and I keep it up that high because she DOES insist on sleeping naked, AND throwing the covers off, silly child!)

http://twitter.com/kitchenstew Katie Kimball

Sweetpeas,
Only a frugal eco-conscious sister would call 64 degrees “high”. Love it. I wish someone would make my kids homemade PJs, how lovely! Katie

http://impressyourkids.org lmilla

ARGH! So frustrating!!!! Another thing I’ve never even thought about… Thank you for sharing this info – I’ll go and soak the pjs now…

http://twitter.com/kitchenstew Katie Kimball

Imilla,
I hear you. So much to ponder and have to know about. I’m sorry to give you one more thing to do, but at least this one is easy, right? Katie

http://impressyourkids.org lmilla

Thanks, Katie! This is an easy one – you’re right! I’m just frustrated
that we even have to worry about these things! Mankind has dug such a big
hole that we have to work out way out of if we want our family to be healthy
and natural. WHY?!?

I do thank God that these things are revealed to us and that we can do
something about them.
- Leigh

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=658632745 Landon-Kathrine Wehrung

Thank you for sharing! I’ve always been bothered by that tag and usually choose secondhand but this is great for when the grandparents buy the kids pajamas! Thanks so much!

http://twitter.com/kitchenstew Katie Kimball

Kathrine,
LOVE secondhand PJs. Most of ours are that way, thankfully, but the kids got 4 pair of fuzzies between them this Christmas, so I was on a mission to learn about getting the chemicals out! Katie

Anastasia

That’s a great tip! Though I hate polyester and do not buy anything made from it, this is something I can pass on to some friends. I can’t stand the static from the polyester either and I can’t put it on my daughter, she gets all sweaty since it doesn’t let the skin breathe (even though it is 65 degrees in our house). Wish we could all afford merino wool sleepwear that’s naturally fuzzy and naturally flame retardant! No chemicals involved.

Amy Kate

I understand the aversion to the feel of polyester…static and all. {And here’s where I show my ignorance…} but why not buy any polyester fleece fabric, especially if it is made partially from recycled plastic? Is it the manufacturing process or the VOCs?
Amy Kate

I understand the aversion to the feel of polyester…static and all. {And here’s where I show my ignorance…} but why not buy any polyester fleece fabric, especially if it is made partially from recycled plastic? Is it the manufacturing process or the VOCs?

http://twitter.com/kitchenstew Katie Kimball

Amy Kate,
Yes, polyester has plenty of “green” issues beyond the flame retardants in pajamas. I’m not sure if I understand the question about manufacturing vs. VOCs, but wearing plastic is not ideal under any circumstances. If only I lived in an ideal world… Katie

http://twitter.com/kitchenstew Katie Kimball

Anastasia,
Good call on the wool! If you have little girls, you’ll also find that cotton nightgowns and anything loose fitting will be flame resistant, so even though I focused on the fuzzies, it’s a bigger issue than just polyester. Thanks for the recommendation! Katie

Heather

hi – did you soak in straight vinegar when you soaked the jammies?

http://twitter.com/kitchenstew Katie Kimball

Heather,
I used a lot of vinegar, much more than when I mix up a solution for cleaning purposes, so it was almost straight, or maybe 50/50 with water. If you have a big jug of vinegar, you might as well go straight – I figured a couple bucks to achieve less chemicals offgassing in my kids’ faces all night long was worth it. Katie

http://joyceandnorm.wordpress.com/ Joyce

Thanks for sharing the info. I never thought about that. We get mostly hand-me-downs, so yay for that.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1246554906 Patty Lacoss-Arnold

The polyester is naturally flame resistant without being treated however many companies then add flame retardant to the polyester. I know some don’t. You probably have to call the company. I don’t think the soap actually removes those chemicals, it just makes the fabric flammable again. The acid idea however just might work.

http://twitter.com/kitchenstew Katie Kimball

Patty,
It was definitely tricky trying to find hard information about whether these ideas would work or not. You’re right about the polyester being naturally flame resistant, but it seemed like so many sources were corroborating that chemicals are also woven in that I’d rather just treat them all as if they have chemicals. ??? It’s a tangled web! Katie
John

Polyester is not flame retardent. I was an instructor at a damage control school while in the Navy. why do you think they stuck with cotton for ship board use? A demonstration we used to do and is still done in the class room using an ordinary match book match was to put the flame to various materials. The ones that went poof and formed a nasty hot liquid mess polyester nylon and other sythetics. Most flame retardent without treatment natural fibers except silk. The chemicals put in fire retardent clothes are no longer used in the service as when they start to heat they give of gases that would probably be lethal to a small child. Aside from that it is not the fire that kills in most house fires but the smoke and gases given off by burning substances.

http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life…Your Way

Thanks for chiming in, John — appreciate your experience in this area. From
what I’ve read, polyester is slower to ignite, right? But still — the idea
of fabric melting on the skin on top of the burns themselves seems…well, I
can’t even put it into words…
http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life…Your Way

Thanks for chiming in, John — appreciate your experience in this area. From
what I’ve read, polyester is slower to ignite, right? But still — the idea
of fabric melting on the skin on top of the burns themselves seems…well, I
can’t even put it into words…
http://twitter.com/kitchenstew Katie Kimball

John,
My sources said that polyester was so to flame, so it passed the test for children’s PJs. True, it would be awful to have it burn, but apparently the children’s actual overall safety isn’t part of the guidelines, just the numerical test. ??? It’s such an annoying legislation that I don’t even know what to do with all this information! Thanks for adding to the conversation for sure, though – Katie

deena

I try to buy brands that never had flame retardant in them to start with – Hanna Anderson is one.
I can usually find Hanna Anderson PJs at yard sales, on Craigslist, or in resale shops for 4-5 dollars a pair.

http://twitter.com/kitchenstew Katie Kimball

Deena,
I’ve heard great things about that brand, too. But do they have the fuzzies? My kids are so in love with those… Katie

Barb

Hanna Anderssen’s PJ’s are great. No they do not seem to have fuzzies. I sure wish they did. I buy them by phone from an outlet when they have a big sale. They Fed X them to me.

Kellydawn913

I’ve been using homemade laundry soap for about a year and a half-Zote soap, borax and washing soda-with vinegar for fabric softener. Do you think that combo is enough to have removed the chemicals?

http://twitter.com/kitchenstew Katie Kimball

Kelly,
If you’ve had PJs for a year and a half, I would think/hope they would have off gassed by now anyway. Real soap is always a good start, but I do think many commenters make a good point about the acid maybe being a better option to actually get the chemicals OUT and not just deactivate them. Katie

http://wellnessmama.com Wellness Mama

Wow… I never even thought about the chemicals in pajamas before…sigh… the things we have to worry about these days! I make my own laundry soap with my own homemade actual soap, so hopefully that helps, and fortunately, all of our clothes have been hand me downs from the start. I still think I’ll soak all the footies for all the kids tomorrow, just in case. In the future, I might consider letting them just sleep in cotton sweat pants and socks. Since those aren’t technically PJs, they shouldn’t have the chemicals, right?
Thanks for the post!

http://twitter.com/kitchenstew Katie Kimball

Wellness Mama,
Exactly! Only clothes created for sleepwear have to be treated. In fact, some of the sources I was reading from the government almost spoke with disdain about “those parents” who got around the system by (gasp!) allowing their kids to sleep in thermal underwear or sweats. Such control they want over us! Katie

http://marcijo.blogspot.com/ Marci @ Rancho Relaxo

Lovely, thanks for the ideas on how to get rid of the chemicals.
http://marcijo.blogspot.com/ Marci @ Rancho Relaxo

Lovely, thanks for the ideas on how to get rid of the chemicals.
Shakeragsusan

The thing that irritates me so much about the poison pj mandate is that when my dad worked in a coal mine, he was REQUIRED to ONLY WEAR 100% cotton- outerwear and underwear. Why? Because the risk of fire and/or explosion. Cotton burns up. Polyester melts and melts into the skin causing much more severe burns! Buying cotton pj’s a couple of sizes too big doesn’t work well for us. Chubby arms and legs hate tight jammies. They are all made for skinny kids. Buying soft clothes for daywear and using as jammies has worked best. My daughter even has one “night gown” that is really a soft, 100% cotton dress. I’d love to be able to afford wool jammies!
Thanks for the article!

Britanie

When my mom was a kid she actually did get caught on fire while wearing polyester PJs and yep they melted and burned into her skin.

http://twitter.com/kitchenstew Katie Kimball

Oh, frightening! Maybe I need to reconsider the polyester PJs thing…. Katie
Lynncollver

It is so important to share ,thanks to those who speak truth,this has been needed for many many years !!
Me987456

I saw a demonstration put on by a fire department once with a guy wearing a cotton tshirt and one wearing a polyester sweatshirt. If you are ever in a fire wearing a sweatshirt you should really consider existing the building naked… that’s all I’m gonna say. It looked horrendous!

Anna

Thank you for this topic. If anyone was even questioning the necessity of removing flame retardants, I urge you DON’T! My 9 yr. old son had begun having tics last year after a year of some other issues. After visits to the OT and neurologist we landed at the Naturopathic Doctor, and I thank God every day for him. My son was diagnosed with heavy metal toxicity/nutritional deficiency. The toxins present in his system were depleting all of the good stuff we worked so hard to put into him. He was literally OFF THE CHARTS for antimony..which is found in flame retardant clothing. So much so that he is on a cleanse to remove this and other things from his system. I couldn’t understand why this level was so high, because at first he asked us if anyone smoked in our home, or if we had guns..uh..a big NO to both! To impart the gravity of the situation, high levels of antimony cause renal failure and death. I’m happy to report that my son is doing much better through an elimination diet, chiropractic adjustment and hopefully ridding him of these metals..he is tic free and shows no signs of the sensory integration issues he previously had. It is blogs such as these that have truly empowered me to help my son.

http://twitter.com/kitchenstew Katie Kimball

Anna,
What a moving story…I’m so thankful that you found a good Naturopath who could help you detox your son. Phew. I’m sure you don’t even consider purchasing polyester or flame retardant clothing – better safe than soaked and sorry! Thank you so much for sharing your experience here to remind the rest of us that we do need to be vigilant in our toxic world, even if ignorance is more fun for a while. Katie
Victoria

What were some changes that you had to make to the home environment? What does he sleep in?
Ahusted

My son too started experiencing tics at 9yrs. Was wondering what type of elimination diet you used and for how long? We did one for a couple months but some food kept reentering and never made it the whole time with no gluten/dairy/sugar. He didn’t have a nutritional deficiency and he had low fungus

Daisygirl714

Just wanted to let you know that after much research in the past years, Carter’s brand does NOT apply any flame retardants or fabric finishers (that’s something else to watch out for!)–to their pajamas–not at the fabric making level or the finished level (according to one their higher-ups at the company whom I contacted). This includes their polyester and cotton pajamas.

Heather B.

Really? I was just looking at some of ours yesterday after reading this,and they all said “flame resistant.” I wonder what that means then?

Thx for the info

http://twitter.com/kitchenstew Katie Kimball

Heather,
Because polyester naturally passes the flame resistance test, Carter’s wouldn’t have to add more chemicals necessarily. It’s a tough thing to figure out! Katie

http://www.facebook.com/monahanr Becky Monahan

Carters does treat their fleece footie jammies with flame retardants. I prewashed my girls new Christmas jammies, as I always do, to remove fabric sizers & finishers. My 3yo’s jammies apparently had an extra strong dose, and she had an allergic reaction on every inch of skin that came in contact with the jammies. I soaked the jammies in vinegar for several days & then washed multiple times. Now she can wear the jammies without issue. Soap does not remove the flame retardants, instead it leaves a residue over top of the retardants which reduces the effectiveness of the retardants.

Hope that helps a little!

Janetmakris

In 1979 with the birth of my first of four sons, I read about the flame retardants chemicals in pajamas and it basically drove me nuts. I swore off fleece pajamas; the boys always slept in and wore 100% cotton clothing. Not pajamas per se, but T shirts and some type of pants.
Good luck.
Me987456

I had a headache for six months straight a couple years back. The doctors prescribed all kinds of narcotics – none touched it. They kept telling me “it’s stress”. My stress load had not changed. I have always disapproved of fleece (if you teach your kids not to wrap themselves in trash bags… why would you buy them trash bags formed into clothing to wear????!). I cut the fleece out as well as all plastic eating/cooking/storage. My headache was gone withing three months. “Plastic” is not something that we should be so passive about. ESPECIALLY the kind that is recycled… over… and over… and over… It’s breaking down. It’s not healthy… I see articles that relate to this now and then but they are hard to come by. I wish I had a link to add right now… but if you’re curious and want to start digging I know that one of the big things that kept coming up were endocrine issues.

http://www.facebook.com/monahanr Becky Monahan

Carters does treat their fleece footie jammies with flame retardants. I prewashed my girls new Christmas jammies, as I always do, to remove fabric sizers & finishers. My 3yo’s jammies apparently had an extra strong dose, and she had an allergic reaction on every inch of skin that came in contact with the jammies. I soaked the jammies in vinegar for several days & then washed multiple times. Now she can wear the jammies without issue. Soap does not remove the flame retardants, instead it leaves a residue over top of the retardants which reduces the effectiveness of the retardants.

Hope that helps a little!
Anonymous

Katie – You seem to be confusing the sleepwear standard and the general flammability standard for clothing. Children’s sleepwear must either be snug fitting or pass the flammability testing. And, even if snug fitting, must still meet the requirements for flammability for clothing and for vinyl film.

http://twitter.com/kitchenstew Katie Kimball

I think I understand that – I was assuming that polyester PJs were not snug fitting and wondering how they weren’t treated…
Anonymous

Polyester pajamas are flame resistant – the difference on “treated” is that some fabrics have the flame retardant bonded to the fiber before the fabric is woven so they are not “chemically treated” but they still have flame retardants.

http://twitter.com/kitchenstew Katie Kimball

Daisy,
Thank you for this note – how did you find the information from Carter’s? Were you just seeking answers like me? Thanks! Katie
Janetmakris

As I am trying to purchase pajamas for my grandchildren, just today I was on the internet trying to gain some information on Carter’s pajamas. Some of the cotton pajamas make no mention of a flame retardant while the polyester one are marked flame retardant. This makes me as nuts as it did when i was having my 4 sons 30+ years ago. I just can’t imagine who and why these chemicals have been legislated into sleep wear. It is far more likely for a child to be burned during the day, one would assume. What is the source of your information, if only it is true. Are you sure? Thanks for your time.
Nikkih_7

Interesting….I have PJ’s in my daughter’s drawer that is Carter’s and says Flame Retardant.

http://lifeyourway.net Mandi @ Life…Your Way

LOL, just when we thought we figured it out. Thanks for letting us know!

loveskilts

finally found this. had to go googling for it… it’s an old mothering magazine article. this is an except:

“…”less than 1% of either polyester or cotton sleepwear garments are treated with flame retardant chemicals.” The key word here is “treated,” which, in this case, does not mean exactly what one might suppose.

Treated or not, most children’s sleep clothes made of synthetic fabrics will contain flame retardant chemicals in one way or another. In some cases, the material is treated after it is woven or after the garment is finished; in other cases, the flame retardant is actually bonded into the composition of the fabric. … However, “inherently” flame resistant polyester textiles are manufactured with built-in fire retardants. This is because the fire retardants can be chemically inserted into the polyester compound, becoming a part of its molecular composition.

The enhanced polymers are quite stable, so polyester sleepwear is unlikely to pose a health risk to your child, beyond the reduced breathability of the fabric, which can contribute to overheating and rashes.”

……..i’m sure this is meant to make me feel better, but it’s not working 100% :

Julie

Thanks for sharing! Now, how to get it out of mattresses?! We want to either wrap our mattresses or buy one w/o flame retardants. However, I hear wrapping them is extremely noisy and uncomfortable and the organic mattresses are more than 3x the price! What do you do?

http://twitter.com/kitchenstew Katie Kimball

Julie,
Mattresses are one thing, although it’s probably an extremely important step, that I haven’t even tackled. It’s the most expensive green change I can think of. I take some solace that my kids’ mattresses are both really old and just cross my fingers that they’ve off gassed everything. Even organic mattresses are flame retardant, unbelievably, unless you have a note from a doctor! This is a really tough area for me, to be sure. Sorry I’m not more help on that one –Kstie

http://healthhomehappy.com Cara

My daughter had a reaction to a crib mattress, so I’m really picky about them. My kids have natural mattresses (and they’ll be on crib sized mattresses until they’re like 7 LOL) and they’re flame retardant by using wool.
http://healthhomehappy.com Cara

My daughter had a reaction to a crib mattress, so I’m really picky about them. My kids have natural mattresses (and they’ll be on crib sized mattresses until they’re like 7 LOL) and they’re flame retardant by using wool.

loveskilts

for the record, we wrapped all of our mattresses with either babesafe/sprock or the adult version for the bigger beds (still 6 mil food grade polyethylene). it’s not the greatest, but it’s definitely the cheapest option (about $40 each) - plus the bags protect from all off-gassing and mites. we have a few layers of cotton or flannel blankets between us & the plastic to get rid of the plasticky feel. the noise never bothered us, but neither of us are light sleepers. i would love to be able to buy the latex mattresses, but until we save the money for those, the bags have been a terrific solution for us. plus, i really like being able to hot water wash all the bedding that we come in contact with, both sheets and underlayers. the wraps aren’t as miserable as you might imagine.

loveskilts

oop… sprott, not sprock

http://www.hybridrastamama.blogspot.com Jennifer

THANK you for this post! I dress my todder in wool at night but that can get pricey! Good to know that there are ways to beat the system and get those nasty chemicals out!
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http://edible-food.blogspot.com Diana

Thanks for the info! I had never even thought about chemicals in pj’s. My son is getting older and mostly wears sweats/t-shirts, but I am definitely going to be more aware for the next one!
A2JC4life

I’m with you on the icky chemicals, and mandating them for all children because of a relative few.

Plus, I figure that if my kids are close enough to an open flame to catch on fire, we have issues regardless of what they’re wearing!
A2JC4life

I’m with you on the icky chemicals, and mandating them for all children because of a relative few.

Plus, I figure that if my kids are close enough to an open flame to catch on fire, we have issues regardless of what they’re wearing!
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Rachel

“To retain flame resistance, wash in detergent only, do not use soap” – Eureka! I read that as instructions to beat the system, don’t you?

No, it’s just a disclaimer because the fat in soap *might* make the flame retardants less effective. The flame retardants are still going to be there, off-gassing away. I don’t think your “hang for a year” trick would work either. The flame retardants last through 50 washings with detergent, they’ll certainly last though airing for a year.

http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life…Your Way

I think this is a valid point, Rachel. So is your point that there’s *no* way to remove it or that we’re not sure if it can be removed? I’m not sure I have an opinion either way, but I think it’s an interesting question until someone does testing that can tell us conclusively!

Test

Test
http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life…Your Way

Thanks so much for sharing that link, Heidi!
Thebubbacat

I know this is an older post( I actually found this page by researching flame-retardant-free bed tents) but I like the ideas here, so I wanted to share. Like a lot of people, my little ones sleep in 2 sizes “too big” tight fitting or “play clothes”. I used vinegar and baking soda on my used bouncy seat and baby swing(my husband is in the navy so gone a lot, and I need a shower sometime:) I actually made avoiding flame retardants my number one priority so I have done countless hours of research and contacting companies. As far as bedding goes, a “build your own mattress” from “organicgrace” is the way to go as far as a written promise of no chemicals(they use wool for the fire testing) latex for the cushion and an organic cover(no prescription needed, maybe because you assemble it at home?)and I got a wool puddle pad because my little ones are 2 and 3 Also the price is the cheapest, and you can usually get 10 percent off and free shipping(still more than a regular mattress but I just got a full size so my 2 year old will use it a long time. As far as a changing pad ikea sells a blow up one(so no foam, but bad reviews) and “Colgate”not the toothpaste, a company that makes mattresses and changing pads will specially make one that is phthalate free and flame retardant free as long as you don’t live in California. As far as carseats go, that is the only place I let them through:) but healthystuff.org has a “safer list” so no bromine or chlorine as far as their testing goes(cool website to see cars and toys as well, and they just put out a flame retardant article about all baby things, even nursing pillows!) Also you can buy a wool cover for infant carseats that is still safe in a fire without chemicals. And why I got here…Bed tents-make your own:) Almost all bed tents and camping tents and play tents use flame retardants in them. Even the polyester ones weave(according to email from the bestselling kids tent company) brominated chemicals as thread, so you could never wash out, right?, in it to pass(I am not sure if this is the case for sleepwear or not, more research is needed) Haba is the only brand that I have spoken too that uses no flame retardants on their play tents. As far as mattresses go, the foam breaks down after awhile and tons of chemicals are released which is why it states to be really bad for you after7-10 years. They even say that pregnant women shouldn’t reupholster old furniture for this reason. Also body sweat and urine make a breeding ground for a particularly bad off gassing microorganism that in New Zealand has been linked to SIDS, so a used mattress might be a bad idea. Anyways, I know this is long, just wanted to share, and maybe get some answers on the sleepwear. Like I said before my little ones sleep in play clothes but i hat to return the “fuzzy” pajamas every Christmas. So basically what I have found is that from curtains and couches to tents and sleepwear anything that has that tag on it has chemicals. I am lucky enough to have a wood frame couch with a homemade cushion and cover from the 70′s that my grandmother in law made because she couldn’t afford a store bought couch. Little did she know that her great grand-kids would be sleeping on it(and not absorbing or inhaling chemicals!) 40 years later:)
Thebubbacat

I know this is an older post( I actually found this page by researching flame-retardant-free bed tents) but I like the ideas here, so I wanted to share. Like a lot of people, my little ones sleep in 2 sizes “too big” tight fitting or “play clothes”. I used vinegar and baking soda on my used bouncy seat and baby swing(my husband is in the navy so gone a lot, and I need a shower sometime:) I actually made avoiding flame retardants my number one priority so I have done countless hours of research and contacting companies. As far as bedding goes, a “build your own mattress” from “organicgrace” is the way to go as far as a written promise of no chemicals(they use wool for the fire testing) latex for the cushion and an organic cover(no prescription needed, maybe because you assemble it at home?)and I got a wool puddle pad because my little ones are 2 and 3 Also the price is the cheapest, and you can usually get 10 percent off and free shipping(still more than a regular mattress but I just got a full size so my 2 year old will use it a long time. As far as a changing pad ikea sells a blow up one(so no foam, but bad reviews) and “Colgate”not the toothpaste, a company that makes mattresses and changing pads will specially make one that is phthalate free and flame retardant free as long as you don’t live in California. As far as carseats go, that is the only place I let them through:) but healthystuff.org has a “safer list” so no bromine or chlorine as far as their testing goes(cool website to see cars and toys as well, and they just put out a flame retardant article about all baby things, even nursing pillows!) Also you can buy a wool cover for infant carseats that is still safe in a fire without chemicals. And why I got here…Bed tents-make your own:) Almost all bed tents and camping tents and play tents use flame retardants in them. Even the polyester ones weave(according to email from the bestselling kids tent company) brominated chemicals as thread, so you could never wash out, right?, in it to pass(I am not sure if this is the case for sleepwear or not, more research is needed) Haba is the only brand that I have spoken too that uses no flame retardants on their play tents. As far as mattresses go, the foam breaks down after awhile and tons of chemicals are released which is why it states to be really bad for you after7-10 years. They even say that pregnant women shouldn’t reupholster old furniture for this reason. Also body sweat and urine make a breeding ground for a particularly bad off gassing microorganism that in New Zealand has been linked to SIDS, so a used mattress might be a bad idea. Anyways, I know this is long, just wanted to share, and maybe get some answers on the sleepwear. Like I said before my little ones sleep in play clothes but i hat to return the “fuzzy” pajamas every Christmas. So basically what I have found is that from curtains and couches to tents and sleepwear anything that has that tag on it has chemicals. I am lucky enough to have a wood frame couch with a homemade cushion and cover from the 70′s that my grandmother in law made because she couldn’t afford a store bought couch. Little did she know that her great grand-kids would be sleeping on it(and not absorbing or inhaling chemicals!) 40 years later:)

http://twitter.com/kitchenstew Katie Kimball

Thank you so much for all this info! You should practically do a guest post here, your knowledge runs so deep on this important subject. I am definitely wondering about our crib mattress now, sigh. And when I am ready to buy real mattresses for our kids, I’m coming back here for the scoop!!! Katie

http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life…Your Way

Thank you so much for all of this wonderful information! You have really done your research, and I really appreciate you taking the time to chime in!
http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life…Your Way

Thank you so much for all of this wonderful information! You have really done your research, and I really appreciate you taking the time to chime in!
Sarah Rank

I just buy Old Navy pajamas. I like that their tags say, “Buy form fitting, not flame resistant”.

I am glad I came across this blog post because our hospital gives out Halo sleep sacks, which I am pretty sure are flame resistant. I have 3 of them to vinegarize!!
http://twitter.com/kitchenstew Katie Kimball

Sarah,
I’m glad you googled, too! I have a 2-week-old and we’ve been LOVING the Halo sleep sack, so my heart jumped right into my throat when I read your first comment. I never thought to even read the tag for chemicals…phew.

I need to remember all this myself as we get closer to “fuzzy PJ” season again. Katie
Psalm119

I know this if off topic, and your children are out of diapers….but we just began researching disposable diapers…..OUCH! plz. if you are using disposable diapers, so some research..it is so very sad..no, it is scary ! no regulation as to what they put in to them ..

http://lifeyourway.net Mandi @ Life…Your Way

Another post for another day? Although our water makes cloth diapering very difficult, so we’re using disposables right now, so I’m not sure I really want to know!

Lori

I’ve been beating my head against a wall trying to find 100% cotton flannel pj sets here in the US for my boys. We’ve been in the UK for the past five years & they are just about everywhere (and inexpensive). They don’t like the stretchy kind but that seems all that’s available here. I agree that the whole fire retardant stuff is one of the stupidest things the gov’t has managed to come up with for kids. Poly burns, sticks & can’t be gotten off the skin. It’s much more dangerous than 100% cotton and adding the chemicals just makes it toxic. Finally just got a set off 100% cotton long johns (since they aren’t meant for sleeping they don’t have to have the same treatment).
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1308976548 Hannah Dalton Calvert

Well, I went a little crazy with the vinegar… I soaked his robe for maybe 3 or 4 days in vinegar, now I can’t get the vinegar smell out! Any ideas?

http://twitter.com/kitchenstew Katie Kimball

Hannah,
If a few repeated washes don’t do it, maybe a soak in baking soda water would do it, or some light mists with essential oils (like lemon?) diluted heavily with water. ?? I’m not really sure; vinegar is supposed to be one of those scents that just dissipates easily. Hope that helps! Katie
loveskilts

lol…………….. not laughing at you, but i can see myself doing exactly the same thing!!! i was thinking… hm… if soaking for a couple days is good… then maybe soaking for a couple weeks is better!!!!

Victoria

I see that this is an older post. I hope to get some replys. I actually read it months ago when I was trying to buy my kids’ mattresses. I bought mattresses (non organic) that claim to not be chemically treated. The mattress I ended up getting is foam, but not chemically treated in any way and the outershell is in no way treated or has pvc. I think I did a good job with this because I went around and around with their customer service asking about every chemical I found linked to mattresses. I thought I was thorough because found that some mattresses companies that “don’t put fire retardant chemicals in their mattresses” are still putting in arsenic. I read someone’s post below about foam mattresses, so I am guessing mine might not be an issue? If anyone wants the specifics, I can give them to you. I have all the information saved somewhere. Since then we have gotten rid of our couch and anything that has foam, toys, changing pads, whatever I could find that had foam in the house. However, I overlooked this pajama issue. While researching a couple months ago, I thought all fire retardent chemicals were outlawed. My kids’ tags caught my eye tonight and I was confused about what the label said and it lead me back to this post. I realize now that it was only tris that was banned. This is my question, are second hand polyester pajamas really safe?

The reason I ask this specifically is because
1. We only buy second hand pajamas
2. I have looked online and there is not much out there about second hand and chemicals
3. I feel like I need to either toss all these polyester pajamas or soak them in vinegar for days. Before I do either, I’d like some feedback.
4. If we are not sure about second hand pajamas is it a good idea to soak them? Can I feel secure that will be enough?

Lastly, I had been doing more research on the pajamas tonight and am seeing how it is not good to have then sleep in polyester. Does anyone have views on this?

http://twitter.com/kitchenstew Katie Kimball

Victoria,
I’ll do my best!

First, I’m with you in *hoping* that second hand PJs are safer in the flame retardant chemical arena, but I really don’t know either. A vinegar soak doesn’t hurt…

I think the very safest avenue is one of two choices:
1. buy tight-fitting PJs that are treated with chemicals
2. buy sweatpants and shirts, secondhand or not, and just wear non-PJs as pajamas. That’s what I’ve decided to put on our Christmas list this year: sweatpants for jammies.

I don’t have research on polyester, but it sure makes my kids sweat! That’s probably the first warning sign, that it just doesn’t breathe…best for sure to stick with natural fabrics, some would say all the time, but probably especially at night. I have a LONG way to go in this category of “green living” myself, but I’m slowly working on it.

And I’d love your info on safer mattresses… kitchenstew at gmail dot com

Thanks! Katie

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Guest

For those that have said they would like to use wool jammies, but can’t afford them: consider buying adult-sized wool sweaters at a secondhand store and using the arms to sew a simple pair of pants.
Speaking of secondhand stores: Buying jammies secondhand (they’re bound to have been washed 50+ times!) seems like the easiest way to get whatever style you’d like without the toxic chemicals.
BusyMama4

Thank you for this post! I have been trying to figure out what to do for my daughter’s pjs. My boys always used blankets, but she refuses to sleep with a blanket and gets cold…however I have been trying to avoid sleeper pajamas because of Thr flame retardants. I’m going to buy some…and a whole lot of vinegar!
guest

I never put my child in polyester. The exception is any athletic gear; i.e. swimsuit, snow pants, thermals(I guess that’s not exactly “never”). Other than that, I have always bought 100% cotton pj’s from Gap and Target. Are these treated with flame retardant too? You should wash absolutely everything before wearing too! Of course I’m putting my foot in my mouth again… there was this one time she peed in a children’s store, as I was eyeing some yoga pants and didn’t have a change of clothes on me or in the car, I quickly bought a pair + socks and changed her (sans washing) in the restroom!
M3vander

hi could you send me the source for the solution number three? The vinegar soak? Just found this and want to research more! My email is m3vander@gmail.com
Laura Marie

I know this is an older post…hoping to get a response still. I am wondering, if the polyester is NATURALLY flame resistant, which means they don’t add EXTRA chemicals, is it safe to say that using the vinegar solution in combination with buying them a size too big so they have some time to hang just in case, is a fairly safe option (even if not 100%)? I’m really just looking for the BEST option, as we can’t afford everything organic.

Of course, from now on, as our baby is skinnier, I will just buy the tight-fitting cotton and use “play/day” clothes as pj’s, but we still have quite a few of the fleecy polyester pj’s…and my son does love them. I will just be soaking them, and when winter comes around again, he will NOT be wearing them every night like he did previously. From the Carter’s website…”We design our children’s sleepwear with a combination of fabrics and fits that do not require treatment with harsh chemicals to prevent flammability.Carter’s polyester sleepwear is naturally flame resistant, while our 100% cotton sleepwear is tight fitting, and therefore does not require additional fabric treatment. All Carter’s sleepwear products are clearly labeled as “sleepwear.” Only garments labeled as such should be considered sleepwear.All of our sleepwear products are created with children’s safety, health, and comfort in mind, and meet Consumer Product Safety Commission requirements.”
Sylvia52172

Thank you for posting this. Gave me reason to investigate the chemicals. My husband works for NASA and his clothes must remain fire retardant, but my kids and grandson don’t have to wear that junk. I ran across this actually when I was looking for a spray fire retardant for fabric my daughter gave me that I was to make toddler clothing with. Plain old untreated cotton sounds safer!!!
FrugalGardener

Perhaps off topic but related…it’s about polyester stuffing and quilt batting. I’m looking to find a good wick for a system of container gardening and one blog suggested polyester batting (the commercial product is called Aquapads). The polyester batting that I have is labeled “Flame Retardant”. I’m concerned about leaching chemicals into the food I want to grow and found this page.

From what I read here and the comments, what would be your recommendation…do you think I’ll be able to soak the batting in vinegar before using it as a wick in a growth medium for edible plants and/or hydroponics to remove the chemical or does anyone know if “Poly-Fil” has the stuff embedded into it? I’ve tried using cotton as wicks but it quickly deteriorates and fails. My second option is to make hydroponic net cups and compact dirt in them but if I can use the Poly-Fil it would make it a much easier project. My third option is to just use good ol’ plain wool roving.

Also, in addition to PJs, a lot of children’s stuffed animals have this kind of filling so wanted to also mention that.
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