Question from Tara
Hi Debra,
Do you know of a safe “no sew” option for fabrics. They make the no-sew fusing strips, but I don’t think they’re particularly non-toxic, though they would be convenient and work well. But perhaps there is a safe one I don’t know about? And there are fabric glues…but same question: are they non-toxic?
Debra’s Answer
I haven’t sewn in years. I’m looking online and see a lot of products for this purpose, but no ingredients.
If anyone uses these products, could you offer some advice?
If anyone wants to submit some specific products, and call the manufacturer to find out what the adhesive and materials are, I can help determine if they are toxic or not.
What about “thread heaven”, are their needles and/or thread ethically ecofriendly and non toxic as implied? Also I’m searching for non toxic home and personal supplies if you have any references please let me know. Thanks in advance.
Well, I went to their website and found a very interesting page that shows all the ways it was tested and found to be nontoxic: http://www.threadheaven.com/HealthSafetyInfo.html.
However, no documentation is posted to substantiate these claims.
I suggest writing to them and asking them for the substantiation.
A while back I sent in a question about no-sew hem tapes. I just tried to dig a little more to see if I could locate an MSDS, and here’s what I found: http://www.cleanersupply.com/products/products/files/INTF3535_20150609014337_1.pdf
Is it just me, or is it pretty unhelpful?? I see alot of safety data sheets like this, that don’t really say much at all. “Third party formulation… trade secret” — um, yeah, that’s helpful. It does say near the beginning “This chemical is not considered hazardous by the 2012 OSHA Hazard Communication Standard (29 CFR 1910.1200).” Is that sufficient to indicate it’s a reasonably safe product? A little farther down, it says, “100% of the mixture consists of ingredient(s) of unknown toxicity” — so first it’s not considered hazardous, but then we have completely unknown toxicity. ??? Then again, we probably use things all the time that don’t have data available about toxicity (because it has never been studied).
The same brand has a peel-n-stick product; I wonder if that would be better since there isn’t any ironing involved, and thus there wouldn’t be any heat-induced offgassing.
http://www.thermowebonline.com/p/fabric-fuse-5-8-x-20-tape/our-brands_peelnstick?pp=24
Here is another brand, called Stitch Witchery; their MSDS seems to have more info, which appears more toxic…but I’m wondering if it’s actually more “irritation” rather than major toxicity. There is acute oral toxicity (but I don’t plan to eat it), and acute inhalation toxicity — but is this in an occupational setting or a major inhalation, as opposed to using the product to bond fabric together with normal use? http://cdn.dick-blick.com/msds/DBH_SDS_63188XXXX.pdf
This liquid product, Aleene’s Fabric Fusion, seems safer, as it’s a water-based polyurethane that is labeled as non-toxic. I started out looking at their Fabric Fucion *tape* but haven’t found MSDS yet for that, but in the process found the liquid. I would prefer the tape option, though. https://www.enasco.com/pdfs/msds/3743a.pdf
One of the things I’m wanting to make is some no-sew bean bags for my child. So on the one hand, I want it to be safe because it’s for my child; on the other hand, I’m thinking that the least-toxic option is good enough, since being sedentary isn’t good for a child’s health either! So if a product encourages movement and fun, that’s healthy in its own way. I’d also like to have a product for simple things like curtains or other little projects, which would mean ongoing exposure (curtains hanging in our home), though perhaps it’s minimal.
OK. Let’s start with your questions about the MSDS, which, by the way, are now called Safety Data Sheets (SDS).
A Safety Data Sheet exists to tell workers—not consumers—what hazardous chemicals they might encounter while working.
So this SDS basically is saying that there are no hazardous chemicals in this product and therefore were not going to tell you our proprietary formula, just that it’s not toxic.
But the problem with this is that their opinion of what is not toxic may be different from mine and yours.
They say that isn’t not considered hazardous by the 2012 OSHA Hazard Communication Standard (29 CFR 1910.1200). Well what is that?
At the OSHA website it says that the standard has been updates to align with the UN Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS), Revision 3.
Hmm, OK
Here’s the OSHA guide to the GHS: https://www.osha.gov/dsg/hazcom/ghsguideoct05.pdf
Here’s the actual GHS (500+ pages): http://www.unece.org/trans/danger/publi/ghs/ghs_rev03/03files_e.html
Here’s Part 3 of the GHS regarding health hazards
http://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/trans/danger/publi/ghs/ghs_rev03/English/03e_part3.pdf
One of the things about deciding if something is hazardous or not hazardous is that determining that something is NOT something requires a comparison to something that IS something.
The GHS defines acute toxicity hazard categories for degrees of toxicity for various exposure routes, followed by detailed instructions for how to calculate things.
To make it simpler, it’s like saying all chemicals that are red are toxic. And you look at the chemical and ask “Is it red or not red?” And then you say it isn’t red so I don’t have to put it on the SDS.
But this is only ACUTE toxicity, which means you get sick immediately when you are exposed to the chemical. Like drinking gasoline.
It’s not for CHRONIC toxicity, which is the repeated day in and day out exposure that we all have to the chemicals in our homes or offices.
So it’s not hazardous if it doesn’t meet the guidelines that say it is hazardous.
The value of an SDS is that if it says it’s toxic, it probably is. If it says it isn’t, it may or may not be. Bodies are individual. Scientific studies are not.
Now…
You asked about several brand of no-saw tape.
The first one is peel-and-stick that requires no ironing. I don’t know anything about this adhesive and there is no information, but I do know that other peel-and-stick adhesives are pretty toxic. But maybe this isn’t. No data.
Stitch Witchery says acute inhalation 4, that’s very high.
It says “harmful if inhaled” and “avoid breathing fume/vapor.”
Those are pretty clear. I wouldn’t use this product.
I agree Aleene’s Fabric Fusion does look safer.
Personally, I would use a needle and thread, or sewing machine. If you can’t sew, find someone who can. There is just too much unknown here, particularly with kids. Make bean bags out of socks.
I just can’t say any of these products are something I would use.