Fleece and Your Kids
I love fleece. It is a very warm material, it’s cheap. It’s soft and sometimes fuzzy but it can also be very dangerous according to Consumer Product Safety Reports reaching back to the mid-90′s siting the volatility of fleece. Sorry to come off as an alarmist but the exact wording on the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Press Release was;
These garments, which fail to meet federal mandatory standards for fabric flammability, could ignite readily and present a serious risk of burn injuries in violation of the Federal Flammable Fabrics Act. Fabrics that do not comply with the standard typically burn faster than newspaper.” ~ CPSC Press Release, Hardwick Knitted Fabrics Inc. Announce Recall of Fleece Garments
Now it should be pointed out that this was a voluntary recall by the manufacturer and this release was originally released in January 1998, but this type of reference and wording is still applicable today. Prior to this recall, in mid-1995, another company Coville had the same problem with their fleece lines of clothes (for various big name clothing lines) with further explanation that this fabric flammability violates the 1953 Federal Flammable Fabrics Act (burns faster than newspaper, damn!).
These kind of recalls tapered off by 2000, so one would assume that manufacturer’s practices must have evolved to avoid such potentially dangerous scenarios (or at the least financially crippling) affects of a massive recall, right? Well, perhaps – they have adjusted the recipe for fleece (both cotton and it’s more dangerous sibling polyester) so that it is supposed to self-extinguish thus avoiding the whole recall debacle, as far as the CPSC is concerned. Actually my understanding is the major change to the fleece recipe is that they added a flame retardant to the mix.
In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, fleece pajamas are required to meet federal flammability standards for children’s-sized sleepwear. These standards require sleepwear, including robes, to be flame resistant, and if the garment ignites, the flame must self-extinguish. Failure to meet the flammability standards presents a risk of serious burn injuries to children.” ~ Fleece Guide
This information checks out with the Children Sleepwear Regulations as published by the CPSC’s Office of Compliance and it is true that these garments must self extinguish.
Then there’s the fabric softener issue. What’s that, you ask. Well it seems when fleece is washed with fabric softener is losses some of it’s flame retardancy, as stated on the Downy website:
Fabric softeners may reduce the flame retardancy on some fabrics, especially children’s sleepwear. So, read the care label first.” ~ Downy.Com, Fabric Softener Facts
Something to think about the next time you suit your kid up for bed in that cute little fleece jumper.
Sited Links:
CPSC | Hardwick Knitted Fabrics Inc. Announce Recall of Fleece Garments
CPSC | Archiveof Fleece Recalls
Downy.Com | Fabric Softener Facts
Related Links:
CPSC | Children’s Sleepwear Regulations
KidsInDanger.Org | 2006 Unexpected Dangers – Recall List
January 8th, 2008 at 7:49 pm
Blacksmiths never wear fleece. Rule number one. Blacksmiths also never wear boots with nylon shoelaces. By the time you realize your flammable shoelaces have set your socks on fire, your problem is already red zone. I have never been naive enough to wear fleece at the forge, but I did learn the shoelace issue the hard way. Don’t let your kids wear boots with nylon laces to bed, I think is the lesson here.
January 10th, 2008 at 6:48 pm
I had no idea about this. What in the world are they going to make warm, footed PJ’s out of if it’s not fleece?
I know there is cotton fleece but is that any better? During the winter months when the furnace is running and everything is so dry, it probably wouldn’t matter what it’s made out of.