Do chemicals make fabric safer for children?

One of my bestselling, "mom loved" and kid adored products we made and marketed for years were our "Lounge-Around-the-Housewear". In the process, the Warm Biscuit Bedding Co. did our best to label these products as "NOT intended for sleepwear" as we did not treat them with the required fire retardant chemicals.


As a purist and a mother of 3 healthy boys, I am a firm believer in using natural, untreated products which include cotton fabrics. This is why so many moms (myself included) do NOT want to unnecessarily expose their children to chemically treated products. If you stop and think about it, any additive chemical that would STOP fire is incredibly powerful (or in my mind and in the opinion of many scientists, toxic).

In fact, this weeks Scientific American had this to say , "Also targeted are brominated flame retardants added to electronics and other goods; perfluorinated compounds used in manufacturing non-stick coatings and food packaging; some parafins, used in lubricants, and benzidine dyes and pigments. Many scientists say these chemicals can mimic hormones and obstruct development of fetuses and children, as well as possibly cause reproductive problems, cancer or other health effects."

We've since pulled our product and stop marketing them all together. However, in our product recall of thousands of pairs of "Lounge-around-the-Housewear", daily we get calls from previous buyers. And after our announcement, we got more letters from parents who were distressed that they could no longer buy them. In fact, we only had 3 returns and one return was from a mom who didn't fully understand what or why she was returning. Our untreated loungewear was safe. Because they were untreated, they did not comply with the federal guidelines for flammability.

So moms, I encourage you to question what is deemed safe for your children. And if you are like me, think about whether chemical additives are REALLY protecting your children.

Get involved in the political process if possible. Voice your opinion and continue to demand high quality products for your children!