Fire Retardant Fiasco--have we discussed?

[zelda25]

I've been following this Chicago Tribune story all week and wondered if it was talked about here. I can remember a friend of mine talking to me several years ago about buying her son's bedding and furniture from Canadian and European vendors because she couldn't find anything in the states that wasn't loaded with these fire retardants, and I remember doing an internal eyeroll...I guess I deserve an "I told you so!"

Short story: tobacco companies managed to shift attention away from cigarettes as a huge fire hazard by convincing the government/EPA and the public that loading our furniture, electronics, and children's PJs with fire retardants would save country from going up in flames.

It's a long story (3-part series), but worth the read:
www.chicagotribune.com/flames

ETA: I should have included in my summary above that the fire retardant industry has grossly trumped up the benefits of their products and that it's likely that they do more harm than good--which has also been swept under the rug by the industry and the gubment.

[ringstrue]

www.chicagotribune.com/flames

[zelda25]

May 23, 2012 12:03:49 GMT -5 ringstrue said:

www.chicagotribune.com/flames/index.html

thank you!

[Daria Morgandorffer]

Oh lovely.

[pixy0stix]

I've always tried to buy things without the fire retardant. So many chemicals, and for what?

[ringstrue]

I learned in 4-H (holla!) that cotton is the best fabric to wear at night. If there is a fire and your clothing catches, cotton burns off and away from your skin since it's a plant - just like paper when it burns up.

Polyester is HORRIBLE for night time because when it burns, it melts back into a liquid/gel (since it's made from oil) and sits on your skin. So, you actually should have fire retardant on certain fabrics so they don't melt on you, but it really doesn't need to be on everything.

[meshaliuknits]

May 23, 2012 12:07:59 GMT -5 ringstrue said:

I learned in 4-H (holla!) that cotton is the best fabric to wear at night. If there is a fire and your clothing catches, cotton burns off and away from your skin since it's a plant - just like paper when it burns up.

Polyester is HORRIBLE for night time because when it burns, it melts back into a liquid/gel (since it's made from oil) and sits on your skin. So, you actually should have fire retardant on certain fabrics so they don't melt on you, but it really doesn't need to be on everything.

I always heard wool?

[Deleted]

May 23, 2012 12:07:59 GMT -5 ringstrue said:

I learned in 4-H (holla!) that cotton is the best fabric to wear at night. If there is a fire and your clothing catches, cotton burns off and away from your skin since it's a plant - just like paper when it burns up.

Polyester is HORRIBLE for night time because when it burns, it melts back into a liquid/gel (since it's made from oil) and sits on your skin. So, you actually should have fire retardant on certain fabrics so they don't melt on you, but it really doesn't need to be on everything.

Yep. There was a terrible accident in a chemistry lab a few years ago where an air-sensitive reagent ignited. The incident was made worse by the fact that she was wearing a polyester sweater, which allowed the burns to kill her, and no lab coat (these are made of cotton).

[AJL]

May 23, 2012 12:07:59 GMT -5 ringstrue said:

I learned in 4-H (holla!) that cotton is the best fabric to wear at night. If there is a fire and your clothing catches, cotton burns off and away from your skin since it's a plant - just like paper when it burns up.

Polyester is HORRIBLE for night time because when it burns, it melts back into a liquid/gel (since it's made from oil) and sits on your skin. So, you actually should have fire retardant on certain fabrics so they don't melt on you, but it really doesn't need to be on everything.

This is why I refuse to buy pajamas made of anything other than 100% cotton for my kids. This scenario scars the bejeebus out of me.

[heyjude]

Can't wait to read this! Thank you! We have been trying to avoid fire retardants when possible.

[Deleted]

May 23, 2012 12:22:33 GMT -5 meshaliuknits said:

May 23, 2012 12:07:59 GMT -5 ringstrue said:

I learned in 4-H (holla!) that cotton is the best fabric to wear at night. If there is a fire and your clothing catches, cotton burns off and away from your skin since it's a plant - just like paper when it burns up.

Polyester is HORRIBLE for night time because when it burns, it melts back into a liquid/gel (since it's made from oil) and sits on your skin. So, you actually should have fire retardant on certain fabrics so they don't melt on you, but it really doesn't need to be on everything.

I always heard wool?

Wool is pretty good too because it's inherently flame resistant.

[ringstrue]

May 23, 2012 12:34:05 GMT -5 AJL said:

May 23, 2012 12:07:59 GMT -5 ringstrue said:

I learned in 4-H (holla!) that cotton is the best fabric to wear at night. If there is a fire and your clothing catches, cotton burns off and away from your skin since it's a plant - just like paper when it burns up.

Polyester is HORRIBLE for night time because when it burns, it melts back into a liquid/gel (since it's made from oil) and sits on your skin. So, you actually should have fire retardant on certain fabrics so they don't melt on you, but it really doesn't need to be on everything.

This is why I refuse to buy pajamas made of anything other than 100% cotton for my kids. This scenario scars the bejeebus out of me.

I think its pretty much illegal to sell polyester PJs w/o retardant on them, tho.

[AJL]

May 23, 2012 13:03:42 GMT -5 ringstrue said:

May 23, 2012 12:34:05 GMT -5 AJL said:

This is why I refuse to buy pajamas made of anything other than 100% cotton for my kids. This scenario scars the bejeebus out of me.

I think its pretty much illegal to sell polyester PJs w/o retardant on them, tho.

Yeah, I know. But they're hot and scratchy. Still, the whole melting fabric sounds like wearing napalm. No thanks.