For some parents, making a complete switch to all organic baby and children’s clothing isn’t as easy as one, two, three. If you can afford to make the switch, there are tons of benefits to choosing more natural items for your young ones. It might not seem as much of a priority as opting for organic food items and personal care items. But it is! Your kids spend most of their lives in clothing of some sort, be it school clothes, play clothes, pajamas, or in the case of babies, onesies.
If you can not afford to switch over to organic baby and children’s clothing all at once, do not despair. As your children’s clothing becomes too small or damaged to wear, replace that item with an organic one. More and more online stores and national chains are offering reasonably priced organic baby and children’s clothing.
Pesticide Use on Cotton
Cotton is the ideal fabric. It is natural, breathable, cool and has been an all-
American favorite for generations. But many of our cotton crops are being grown inorganically, meaning that they have been treated with all sorts of pesticides and other agricultural chemicals before it’s even harvested. Sounds like the same old song and dance as in the grocery, doesn’t it? You’re right. Just as you don’t want your kids eating foods that have been treated with pesticides throughout their growing process, you don’t want them wearing clothing items contaminated with the same types of chemicals. It’s also important to support healthy practices so that we can hand over the world to our children one day, unpolluted and beautiful. Supporting organic agricultural practices is the same as supporting biodiversity, sustainable growing and natural processes that are healthier for our earth and our bodies.
Cloth Making Process
The production process for making fabric is also wrought with chemical treatments and dyes. Many of the methods for treating and producing thread and textiles involve chemical treatments that are toxic to our fully developed immune systems, let alone a developing child’s. Not to mention the unnatural dyes used to color textiles, which have been found to contain an array of toxins. There is little accountability for what happens during this stage of production if you choose not to go with an organic brand.
When it comes to family, accountability and peace of mind is everything. You want to know that the clothing on your kids has been created with compounds given to us by Mother Nature herself. Organic baby and children’s clothing items ensure just this, from source to store.
Synthetic Fabrics
Synthetic fabrics are everywhere and they are so problematic in clothing for children. The materials are made with chemical reactions to create fibers, usually derived from crude sources such as petrochemicals and plastics. A lot of people are allergic to certain synthetic fabrics, and they are known to cause skin irritation in sensitive skin. It’s a no-brainer to keep these kinds of fabrics away from your delicate young ones, not only because of the unnatural, chemical sourcing of the product, but also because their skin and immune systems are highly sensitive. Synthetics are also highly flammable, and therefore subject to post product chemical flame retardant treatments. Some common fabrics to watch out for are nylon, polyester, rayon and spandex.
Post Production Chemicals
Almost all mainstream clothing production processes involve post production chemical treatments. These treatments are geared to achieve things like flame resistance, water resistance, creasing and wrinkle resistance, microbial resistance, textile softening and stain release. Sounds useful, right? Except when you realize these are all chemical based treatments that are designed to be long lasting, even beyond the multiple cycles that garments may take through the wash.
Certified Organic Textiles
So, now that these facts have likely scared you away from non-organic clothing for your children, you’re probably wondering how you can determine if children’s clothing is organic or not? What is the certification process for organic textile? The leading conglomerate organization for certifying organic textiles is the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) which is an international organization comprised of the OTA (USA), IVN (Germany), Soil Association (UK), and JOCA (Japan). Much like how the USDA will inspect and issue certification to agricultural organics, GOTS has a standard and certification process that takes into consideration all process points during textile production. This includes monitoring and verifying the flow of goods, storage practices, treatments, processing methods, and overall risk to organic integrity during the production process. GOTS even places emphasis on monitoring waste water as well, which truly supports the environmental awareness principle of the organic lifestyle. You can have peace of mind knowing this certification is international, as well, given that most clothing production happens abroad.
So…think about making the switch?
If you’re re-considering the importance of organic textiles for your kids, then don’t worry, you’re not alone. A lot of parents are starting to make the switch to organic baby and children’s clothing as more information and products become available. There are many adorable organic clothing options for babies and young children. The options for young teenagers are more limited, but we are hopeful that as more consumers choose organic clothing, that their options will grow.
Rest easy knowing you’re raising your family with healthy practices that you choose! And remember the Now Find Organic app can help make your grocery shopping a breeze with certified products, and our website is filled with recipes, tips and lifestyle tips for living your happiest organic life!
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