Everything But The Weed

Approved by:
Linda Maze, a Wedding photography Gainesville FL in Gainesville Florida

Every now and then, ethical media will go into a frenzy about the risk associated with formaldehyde use in baby clothing manufacture and how the presence of formaldehyde on cotton fabric will soon destroy all life as we know it… children first.

The question is: how much of this hysteria about formaldehyde is just overblown hyperbole? Should all mothers be very afraid about clothing their baby from their first day in traditional cotton baby singlets? Or even ubiquitous baby t-shirts and rompers? Let’s see if we can separate fact from fiction regarding the “F” word, as they say in the rag-trade, and what risk – if any – it may pose to baby’s wellness and well-being.

We do need to agree, it’s true that formaldehyde is a nasty substance. Just the word itself sounds like something you really wouldn’t want to have anywhere near your baby. Isn’t it used for preserving lab rats? Well generally-speaking, but formaldehyde is also one of a range of substances that are used in fabric factory production. But do the benefits justify the means? Or is the worry exaggerated altogether?

There are typically two kinds of formulations for fabric which are based on formaldehyde. One kind washes out readily and the other is designed to adhere forever to material, performing efficiently and giving off its gases over time. Yes, it’s those modern-miracle ‘no iron’ and ‘crease-free’ treatments which fit this bill. These manufacturing processes contain formaldehyde-bearing resins that will remain bonded with the fabric over its lifespan. It’s elementary to test for formaldehyde. For as long as the ‘permanent press’ treatment is working on the fabric, the formaldehyde is gassing-off its toxicity in detectable amounts.

Luckily for babies all over the globe, most baby clothing is made from plant-based cotton fabric. During the manufacture, cotton fabric is treated with a solution which contains formaldehyde. This formula makes the cotton fabric shinier on the surface and therefore resistant to creasing. The greater lustre on the surface also makes the cotton more slippery, so it can be cut from the pattern and sewn together more quickly in the factory. This crease-resistance helps the whole way through to the retail stores, where clothes can be hung straight out of the shipping box without re-ironing.

There would be little argument about the fact that the new baby rompers you bring home from the store carry a measurable formaldehyde load. But every shopper who has bought a nice t-shirt, worn it once and put it through the laundry cycle will know that “shinyness”, “newness”, “smoothness”… these generally desirable qualities will not survive the first wash.

For mums and dads who are giving themselves grief about the idea of formaldehyde in baby clothesgarments and blankets), the answer is cheap and easy:

1. Launder all new cotton baby singlets, t-shirts, etc, AT LEAST ONCE before dressing baby in them.

2. Avoid buying, giving or receiving baby clothes that claim to be “wrinkle-free” or “no ironing needed”.

Following these very straightforward rules will mean that little ones can enjoy all the breathability and practicality of cotton baby wear, without this ever-popular decision bearing too severely on the hearts of their carers.