Question from Lauren
Hi Debra,
Thank you so much for your website. I have learned so much from it and I really appreciate the time you put into answering readers’ questions and conducting research.
I know from reading your site that clothes that are cotton/poly blends are treated with formaldehyde, and so I try to stick to 100% cotton clothing for myself and my family.
However, I realized that some of the clothing (like pajamas with “satin” trim) say 100% cotton exclusive of decoration. If the decoration, such as the embroidery, the trim, or in some clothing the drawstring made of ribbon, is polyester but the rest of the garment is cotton, would this item still be treated with formaldehyde?
Also, what about 100% cotton items that are sewn with polyester thread (and how do you know if something is sewn with polyester thread?) are they also treated?
Finally, I am also curious about buttons—we have lots of clothing with buttons and they are all plastic—-is the plastic in buttons harmful (like possibly containing BPA)?
Debra’s Answer
Cotton poly fabrics are treated with a formaldehyde resin to keep them wrinkle-free, however those “decorations” probably aren’t even if they are made from polyester. As far as I know, it’s only the fabric.
Polyester thread would not be treated with formaldehyde as far as I know. Most cotton clothing is sewn with polyester thread because cotton thread breaks too easily. But there are some manufacturers who sew with cotton thread. For myself, I don’t reject an item of clothing over polyester thread.
Buttons are made from many different types of plastic, but I’ve never seen a button I thought was toxic. You are exposed to more BPA handling cash register receipts than you are from buttons.
I wouldn’t be concerned about any of these items as being a source of toxic exposure. However, some people with MCS may react to them because they are made from petrochemicals.
I instantly know if a cotton item is sewn with polyester or other toxic thread because I’m super sensitive and it itches and scratches like crazy & I have to remove it. A year ago, I had to return Hanes.com long sleeve Tshirts as were sewn with thread so itchy it felt like fishing nylon! It’s insane that they do this to the cotton clothes. Then there’s polyester covered cotton thread, not much better. I’m not sure if this helps but if you are sensitive you will know right away because it burns the back of your neck and your sleeves seams. Fortunately many manuf still use cotton thread. I’ve bought from JCP and Kmart without problems.