Question from wen
in the market to buy some new sheets (btw, thank you for the great info re: white sales!) i was thinking of either buying organic sheets (btw, are they all basically the same thing? just a preference issue? (i.e. ‘simply organic’ vs. ‘coyuchi’ etc?) or is there something to look for to determine better quality etc?
secondly, i have some old cotton sheets that i LOVE. they’re high thread count and worn down and very soft. however, they were not organic. would the formaldehyde or toxicity be worn down over time and now be somewhat insignificant? or is it something that does NOT diminish..hence, even old non-organic sheets should still be considered toxic?
thank you very much.
Debra’s Answer
Organic cotton sheets are like any other sheets–they do vary in quality depending on how and where they are manufactured. I personally don’t have enough experience with the different brands to make a recommendation, except to say that Coyuchi has a reputation for being very high quality.
Go ahead and use your non-organic cotton sheets! As I’ve said before, the main benefit to organic cotton is environmental. Tests have shown there are no pesticide residues in cotton fabric (see Q&A : Conventional vs organic cotton clothing and Q&A : Pesticide residues in fabrics). The best thing for the environment is to use something for it’s full useful life before discarding it and needing to replace it by taking more resources from the environment.
The only cotton sheets to be concerned about are those with no-iron or permanent press finishes. These contain formaldehyde. Untreated non-organic cotton sheets are not toxic.
I did have one instance where I bought a set of printed cotton sheets and after I opened the package found the printing was a plastic-y kind of ink like on some t-shirts. That smelled and I had to just pass them along to a thrift store.
Also, from a quality standpoint, I’ve noticed some of the lower-priced cotton sheets are printed only on one side, where the more expensive ones have the pattern through-and-through. This has happened a few times buying sheet sets, and I don’t discover this until I get them home. You get what you pay for…
[See Debra’s List : Beds & Bedding for organic cotton sheets]
I appreciate this info you shared and yet it’s only partially true. Conventional cotton is processed with TONS of chemicals (there are over 8000 total that are used in the textile industry)- Conventional cotton may not contain any pesticides in the final product, but that is likely because one or many of the chemicals used to process it destroyed them. Conventional cotton is not something that should be touching our skin.
In terms of Organic cotton always look for the GOTS certification on the website, or if they don’t mention it, email the company to see if they have any certifications and ask to see certificates. GOTS inspects the product from start to finish- from the farming to the final product and even includes fair working conditions and doesn’t allow child labor. Also- ask the company if they have visited the factory where they’re getting their certified GOTS materials from as I have heard lots of things about certificates not actually being real OR that they paid off the inspector and are in fact using lots of chemicals. That information was provided to me by someone I know who works at GOTS.
OCS is another certification that someone might have, however, it only certifies how much Organic cotton is in the finial product but has nothing to do with production and chemicals used.
I agree with you. There are chemicals used to process and color textiles of all kinds. Unfortunately, synthetic fabrics are no better.
The untreated cotton like Ghandii used to wear is fine. This and odor free from india . I’m not a snob but look for Indian cotton even in Indian shops in preference to made in China. Cant be sure . Just a gut feeling and as Debra says -no finishes , dyes or the permapress no iron stuff
Does the formaldehyde on no-iron or permanent press sheets ever diminish? would it be bad to use them in veggie garden, fruit trees, for frost protection, if nothing else?
The formaldehyde emissions from the finish lessen over time, but it takes years. I wouldn’t use them in my garden until they are very old.