Professional guide

Textile treatments

Textiles are not just dyed to please our eyes, they often are treated to be flame-retardant or antimicrobial. But these treatments are not without dangers.

As fibres or raw materials are converted in to thread or fabrics, they meet up with chemicals more often than any of us would imagine. Our idea that many fabrics are natural, while others are synthetics, almost loses some of its meaning if you really analyze the processes. Wool gets treated to rid it of smelly oils and a cotton t-shirt doesn't magically go from cotton's natural beige tone to snow-white. The textile industry uses 25 % of all chemicals produced world-wide. And the big textile companies use what amounts to 2000 small lakes a year in their production, returning much of the same water polluted.

Brominated flame retardents
But even after the textile is ready to be cut and mounted as garment, a series of treatments may be waiting. Many textiles are flammable, and if they pose a risk for the user (typically night-wear and work-wear) are treated so they are flame-retardent. Brominated flame retardants are a group of flame retardants that consist of organic compounds containing bromine. Brominated flame retardants are the major type of chemical flame retardants, and are very effective in plastics and textile applications. They are applied to prevent electronics, clothes and furniture from catching fire. Many brominated chemicals are coming under increasing criticism in their use in household furnishings and where children would come into contact with them. Some believe the chemicals, including PBDE could have harmful effects on humans and animals. Increasing concern has prompted some European countries to ban some of them. METALAST International is one company with an environmentally-friendly METALAST BDP line of fire retardant and fume suppressant chemistries that do not contain VOC, deca-BDE, PBDE, or brominated chemicals.

Close-fitting sleepwear is exempt from regulations requiring flame-retardant treatment

Synthetic fabrics may very well be chemically treated with fire retardants, or the retardant may be woven into the fabric itself. So even if it says it's not been "chemically treated," the chemicals may still be there, woven into the material. Chemicals used in sleepwear labeled "fire resistant" remain in the fabric for at least 50 washes (more, if the chemicals were woven into the fabric during manufacturing). Washing with soap instead of detergent may hasten the removal process. Something you may want to tell your customer. Close-fitting sleepwear is exempt from regulations requiring flame-retardant treatment, so to avoid flame retardants entirely, design "snug fitting” and even better - use wool.

Cradle-to-cradle certified treatment
Another treatment could be antimcirobal. The only antimicrobial treatment manufacturer to hold Cradle to Cradle environmental certification at the Gold Level is Agion Technologies with a new treatment that includes “industrial-strength” odour elimination. The new Agion Active goes one step further than other silver-based anti-microbal products by adding a new technology based on zeolite absorbent crystals that pull in ambient odours to eliminate them. Agion says that because the treatment is applied during the finishing step of textile manufacturing process it can give both cost-saving and greater flexibility; and there is no discoloration.