The health benefits of organic bed linen

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. October 11, 2016

We are increasingly focused on cleaning the toxins - mental or physical - out of our lives. Seeking a simpler, more natural way of living and realising the benefits of clean, organic foods. Importantly, we are becoming better informed when it comes to understanding the toxic chemicals in our homes from cleaning, body or makeup products or even the fragrances we use.

But what about the fabrics around us and those delicious silky sheets we snuggle into each night? That place where we spend up to a third of our lives. Or even the underwear and clothing we wear. What chemicals have they crossed paths with on the way to our homes and what impact can they have?  
The number of hazardous chemicals that can be used to produce a conventional textile's luxurious look or feel is staggering. The European Commission years ago banned the use of AZO dyes, commonly used in textiles, due to concern over the associated cancer risks[1]. Earlier this year the EC agreed to ban even imports of textiles found to contain even small levels (above 0.01%) of Nonylphenol Ethoxylates (NPEs) due to the 'unnacceptable risk' to the environment. This includes the carcinogenic classification after degradation and concerns over endocrine, or hormone, disruption in fish[2].

Be it conventional linen, cotton or bamboo we are so often exposing ourselves, the people who make our goods, animals and the environment to a raft of toxic pesticides, processing and dyeing chemicals, anti-pilling and finishing treatments. Some of these have been shown to have devastating health or environmental impacts[3] and, scarily, there is a rising trend in some fabrics greenwashing or even being labelled as organic when this may apply to only a small part of the process or may not have back up from third parties at all.  

Let's face it - when it comes to bedding we not only want it to feel like pure luxury, we want it to be the softest and most comfortable as well. We want our beds to feel like our own little retreat where we can give our bodies a true break from the stresses of the day. That includes a break from toxic chemicals too. So what can you do to minimise exposure to these chemicals both in your home and the general environment?

The easiest thing to do is to stick to certified organic fabrics like organic hemp, linen or cotton. Or even organic wool or alpaca fabrics, where the farming and processing is as organic as possible, sustainable and cruelty-free.

When you choose linen, bedding or homewares made with certified organic fabrics, you eliminate an important source of chemical exposure in your home. In fact, from your bed where you likely spend up to a third of each day and a good portion of your life. Not only that, but you are helping to solve a huge number of sustainability and environmental issues too.

The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) is the leading organic textile standard worldwide. Fabrics with GOTS certification means that products are made without harmful chemicals at any stage.

No toxic pesticides, dyes, bleaches or finishing chemicals and no genetically modified (GM) seeds or plants are used. No nasties from start to finish. We also need to read the labels to make sure we are avoiding unexpectedly blended materials, like polyester and cotton blends, which are increasingly sneaking in.

Looking for transparency is another way to gain confidence as a consumer. If a product is certified GOTS organic it is required to both show its certificate number and provide transparency over its supply chain. This helps us to understand all the steps involved, right from the farm. You need to know that it was organically produced at every step, including during all growing, dyeing and finishing stages.

Lastly, no matter how a product is made, it is equally, if not even more important how we are washing it in our homes each week. Use only non-toxic detergents, avoid all synthetic fragrances and use only non-toxic whitening treatments or better yet, minimise or remove these entirely by hanging it in the sun to bleach naturally whenever you can. For many fashion and textile retailers, it is now becoming more important to use sustainable, certified organic textiles in their ranges.

For bed linen company Elkie & Ark, sustainable, GOTS certification of all cotton is a requirement of every product in their range.

Speaking to Elkie & Ark founder, Anne Foster, she comments that it made no sense that she was taking so much care in living a low-tox life in other aspects, yet didn't have access to high quality, beautifully styled textile products for her home. When she looked for it, she couldn't find it, so she decided to create it. It made no sense that she had to choose between eco, ethics and style.

Educated as an environmental scientist and sustainability expert, she saw no reason why we should be subjecting the environment and ourselves to hazardous chemicals when there were significantly better alternatives out there. It was important to her to avoid toxic chemicals in her food and in other aspects of her home, also about the farming and production of the fabrics she lived in too.

“With all these points kept in mind, spending that little bit extra on the textiles, clothing and linens that get close to our skin can have a far greater impact on not only ourselves and our loved ones but the environment, wildlife and the people who farm and make it as well.”

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[1] European Commission, Opinion on Risk of Cancer Caused by Textiles and Leather Goods Coloured with AZO-dyes [2] European Commission Commission Regulation (EU) 2016/26 [3] International Cotton Advisory Committee, 2010