Question from Helen
Our kids’ school uses uniform items from Lands’ End. Today I learned that the only polos they sell now have Teflon finishes. Can heavy, hot laundering remove the Teflon?
Debra’s Answer
I don’t know what to make of this.
The DuPont Teflon Fabric Protector website says that it repels water and protects the fabric from stains and soil. And then it says
Compliant with OekoTex Standard 100. That’s the standard to meet for absence of toxic chemicals in textiles.
They must have changed the formula for what they call Teflon.
I don’t think it’s removable. Not even with heavy, hot laundering.
I don’t know the whole formula but I was able to find an MSDS for a different textile protection application that says it’s a plastic with added fluoride. It also says the toxic exposure is limited to the product in manufacture and not in use.
I ran into a similar problem with my child’s uniform so I just ended up buying similar polo in the same color from a different store (try Polo or The Gap or Old Navy maybe)
I ordered my boys organic cotton polo shirts from Hannah Andersson. Our elementary school shirts are printed on a Hanes 50/50 blend shirt so I purchased my own 100% cotton shirts and had them printed up. I learned from this website about the formaldehyde in the blend shirts and the 100% cotton shirts were only fifty cents more!