Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Toxic Pajamas?


Busted--as much as I'm trying to avoid early mentions of Christmas, I was out shopping the other day. The kiddo has repeatedly asked her grandma for a bathrobe for Christmas. Since I don't allow the kiddo to wear clothes treated with flame retardant chemicals, my mom thought it would be easier to have me pick out the robe.

I was in store #5 and my eyes were filled with tears of frustration which were about to spill over and run down my cheeks. Every single bathrobe I found carried a tag that said "this garment complies with federal safety standards"--which means that it has been doused in nasty, potentially toxic chemicals. So, I went home and checked out kids' sleepwear on some of the better quality on-line retailers' sites, only to find the same notice. At that point, the tears did fall, because I found the most beautiful bathrobe and I know the kiddo would love it. Too bad, so sad. Some of the most beautiful things are also the deadliest.

In searching for some kind of soft, warm, fuzzy, pink girl's bathrobe, I did find a great article, 3 Ways to Get the Flame Retardant out of Your Kids' Fuzzy Pajamas. OK, each of the 3 ways is debunked in the comments, but it made me feel better to know that other moms are also leery of this unnecessary chemical overload. The author, Katie Kimball, has researched the use of flame retardants on sleepwear, and, even though there doesn't seem to be a surefire way to remove the chemicals from the clothing, I appreciated the information. In the course of my own investigating, I found out something else:

It is possible to find kids' robes without the toxic chemicals. They are labeled "terry cover-ups" or "spa robes", and buyers are warned that they do not comply with blah blah blah and should only be worn as pool or beach cover-ups. Unfortunately, they all come in solid colors, with no flowers or fairies or polka dots...but I have plenty of time before December 25 to get a robe cover-up and then fancy it up with help from JoAnne and her Fabrics.


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