Question from Dianne
Is it really worth buying expensive organic beddings? I know they are good for environment, but I have to balance my budget.
How about buying regular high thread count bedding and washing them before using? Will it get rid of chemical treatments? How many times do I need to wash to get them really clean? Thanks so much.
Debra’s Answer
I think only you can answer what something is worth to you.
I understand about the need to buy things within your budget.
What organic is worth is primarily environmental–no pesticides, building healthy soil, no toxic fertilizer run-off that pollutes natural ecosystems.
If this is beyond your budget, get untreated cotton sheets (avoid the ones that say “easy care” or “permanent press” as they have a formaldehyde-based coating on them that cannot be removed). Flannel and knit sheets are untreated and some percale sheets also.
Then wash them several times before you use them to remove any fabric sizing.
I will share from my experience of people buying organic cotton bedding (disclosure: my company Syona Home, sells organic cotton bedding). 1) It makes economic sense to buy organic cotton bedding. Buy a better organic cotton bedding and that lasts longer. Buy a cheaper one, organic or not, and you spend money to replace it again. Overall, buying organic cotton bedding saves you money. 2) Not all organic cotton bedding are same. As some readers have mentioned, use only GOTS certified cotton bedding that has strict standard for non-toxic dyes used during processing. I just read in one organic manufacture’s website that it uses double bath of formaldehyde on organic cotton for making bedding. Thats no good if you want avoid all skin issues that added chemicals bring in. 3) Buy organic bedding because it is good for the environment and good for the farmers – less toxic waterways and less sick farmers – you sleep well knowing that your sheets are not made with child labor.
Sukanta
syonahome.com
I used to buy regular sheets and had to wash them 16 times to get them safe for me. I did buy Target organic sheets and washed only few times to get them safe for me.
If the bedding is certified by the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), then it has not been treated with any inappropriate chemicals. If it just says “organic”, then (a) it may or may not really be organic, i.e. grown without pesticides, herbicides, artificial fertilizers, etc.; and (b) there is certainly no guarantee that it wasn’t treated with various chemicals even if the fabric was made from organic fiber.
I totally agree with your answer Debra, only full GOTS certified fabrics are free from toxics. The whole process is checked for this…
Organic bed linen is anallergic and pesticide free. You then get a better sleep and a safer skin.
You can buy wide width fabric at our online fabric shop and easily sew your bed linen.
Our you can contact us to order handmade bed linen, made to measure if necessary. http://www.only-organic-fabric-shop.com
Maybe it is the purple dye
We have been buying organic sheet fabric and barrier cloth fabric from Janice’s (it’s on line, and no relation to me 🙂 ) for several years. We have been very pleased with their fabric and it has been a life-saver for my daughter with all her allergies. It’s easy to cut the fabric to the size you need. Tho’ it’s a financial investment, the sheets and barrier cloths last a LONG time.
I wrote this blog post, A Buyer’s Guide to Organic Sheets, to help consumers make sense of labels when shopping for “natural and organic” bed sheets. I hope it helps.
Also, when I can’t find certified organic cotton sheets within my budget I make them myself. You can buy extra wide certified organic cotton in percale or sateen at Organic Cotton Plus. http://organiccottonplus.com/collections/wovens-undyed . These are very well-made fabrics.
I buy enough length for my top sheet and bottom sheet. I wash and dry the fabric to pre-shrink it and then turn and stitch hems on all sides. I make the bottom sheet flat like the top sheet and just tuck the sides and ends under my mattress when I make my bed….European-style. No elastic needed! I can usually make a set for well under $100. If you have a sewing machine and can stitch a straight line you can do it!
Karen, what size bedding have you made? I’m wondering if you could share how much fabric you purchased for your project. You said the final cost was well under $100 and I’m having a hard time making that work. Please share your expertise !!
When you say knit sheets do you mean jersey knit? Also, you say to get untreated sheets, but how do you know they are untreated? How can I tell if percale is untreated? What brand do you use? Thanks
Yes I mean jersey knit.
“Untreated” sheets would be sheets that do not have permanent press finishes on them.
Percale is treated if the label says “permanent press,” “wrinkle free” or any similar words.
I don’t have a specific brand that I use. I generally buy flannel sheets when they go on sale after Christmas and look for sheets that do not have a “plastic” pattern on them, just regular dyes. Even though they are not organic, studies have shown that there are no pesticide residues on cotton fabrics, as they are removed during processing.
If you can afford it, the best sheets would be organic natural fibers.
I wouldn’t purchase organic sheets from Target. I bought some purple organic sheets. I washed them a zillion times because they had absorbed horrible toxic odors from the store. My entire body broke out with pimples and developed a rash. I had this problem for a month before my skin cleared up. The sheets themselves might be considered organic, but that awful purple dye bled out into the washing machine water. To me, they were very toxic sheets. Btw, I think that entire store us toxic. Just my humble opinion.
The very best sheets would be those that are made from GOTS certified organic fabric, which means the entire process of making the fabric meets organic standards.
How does one find out whether bedding has been treated or has pesticides etc? I want to buy an organic duvet cover. Also, can I trust Target products that say they are organic? Thanks
An organic duvet cover shouldn’t have pesticides on it, however, there is a difference between a fabric made from organic cotton and a GOTS certified organic fabric where every step of the process is without chemicals as well. Unless it says “GOTS certified organic fabric” they could be using organic fiber and toxic chemicals in processing. I know…but we are in a transition now and moving in the right direction.
You can trust Target products that say they are organic to be made with organic fiber, but I don’t know what else might have been used on them. Maybe nothing. I just don’t have enough information to make a definitive statement. Contact Target and ask and let me know what they say.
I believe the Target organic sheets I have gotten in the past did say GOTS on the label. Regarding the odors someone mentioned above, I have found that *everything* I buy at Target has that smell; the whole store is fragrant, so everything there has that scent. I don’t know if they are piping in some sort of “air freshener” or what it is exactly, but my clothes and hair smell very fragrant after going there, and everything purchased there has that scent. That being said, the sheets end up being okay after washing (may need to be washed a few times); but I’ve never had purple ones with bleeding dye.