Formaldehyde in Wrinkle Resistant Fabrics

Two Cairn terriers sitting in the grass.

This year for Mother’s Day, my boys very thoughtfully got me a pretty, new set of sheets for the bed. As I opened the plastic to remove the sheets, I quickly had to set them down because of the itchy red rash I got from touching them. Not only did they cause redness and itching, but they had a very strong chemical odor to them.

Not sure of what was going on, I checked the packaging and saw that these were “wrinkle resistant” sheets. I Googled the term and found that what makes a fabric, in this case cotton, wrinkle resistant isn’t the way it is woven (as I had thought) but that the fibers are infused with formaldehyde to cause them to swell and not bend as easily.

I know that formaldehyde can be used in the sizing on fabrics to make them appear crisp when displayed, but I hadn’t known it was bonded to the fibers over something as unimportant as wrinkling. Formaldehyde can cause skin irritation, breathing difficulties and of course it is a carcinogen. Since formaldehyde is absorbed through the skin, every time you lie on treated sheets or wear wrinkle resistant clothing, you are exposing yourself to this poison. Sadly, there is no government regulation requiring disclosure for formaldehyde use.

A big concern should be our children and grandchildren being exposed this chemical. As a parent, I would not have given a second thought to the term “wrinkle resistant” on my child’s sheets – I would have chosen a print he/she would enjoy. I would be horrified to find that I had exposed someone I love to something so dangerous. And don’t forget our furkids. If your pup or kitty sleeps in the bed with you, they are also breathing and touching carcinogens.

Fortunately there are a number of companies who still sell regular cotton sheets at pretty reasonable prices. Cotton can be treated with a lot of pesticides as it is grown, so if this a concern look for organic sheets manufactured in the US. Organic regulations are more strictly enforced for domestic products than foreign ones.

So, if you are making a purchase of bedding or clothing, please be aware of what might be coming home with you uninvited.

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The Spirit of Cooperation

Two Cairn terriers refuse to look at the camera for their portraits.

Two Cairn terrier brothers turn their backs to the camera as Mom tries to take a picture.

As you can see, my two are nothing if not cooperative when it comes to having their pictures taken. I just gave the two little monsters a very itchy pair of fur cuts, but neither of them would look at me so that I could capture their new do’s. Thanks guys. I’ll remember this next time.

Pick up a copy of A Tired Mommy Is a Good Mommy which deals with time B.T. (Before Toby).

Both are available from Amazon.

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Looking for a special gift? Hand painted handkerchiefs are not only thoughtful but eco-friendly. Show someone you love that you care about them as well as the planet!

This and many unique handmade gifts are available at my shop L Bowman Studios.

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Watch Your Step

I keep hoping a deer will fall in the hole and never want to come back to the garden!

It’s tough to get a decent picture of a hole: they are not particularly photogenic. I hope this picture does justice to the huge hole that Toby dug this afternoon.

More than Geordie, Toby really enjoys being a dog. He loves digging holes and playing in mud. He likes chasing birds and catching tennis balls. Geordie has always been fussy about his demeanor and appearance. I’ve often said that if life were the TV show Frasier, Geordie would be Frasier and Toby would be Eddie.

Until recently, Toby has been able to get away with being the goofy puppy. Geordie was more practiced at everything and always led. Toby could afford to slack off and be the little clown. Once he realized that the humans knew that Geordie had a problem, though, he immediately stepped up to be such a wonderful, helpful boy. He pays attention to my moods now. He is much more patient with things like being groomed. I hug him often and tell him how much I appreciate all his help, but I don’t want him to stop being my goofy little puppy yet. As life gets back to normal, I want him to keep misbehaving.

I think today was a good start.

Cairn terrier pup looks between railing.

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A Late Easter Post

Snowy night scene.

Robin's egg sitting on porch step.

What a difference from last year to this year! Last Easter brought a tiny robin’s egg to our step. This year brought 6″ of snow.

I happen to love these early morning, above freezing snows, so I wasn’t disappointed to wake up to a frosted wonderland. It is so magical to be outside in the cold, damp, fresh-smelling air. I am fortunate that my pups love this kind of weather as well. (Sorry. My battery died before I could get a better picture of the snow.)

On this morning, Toby was so excited to see the snow that he practically burst through the front door to get to it. I put him on his 50′ leash and just let him run and run as much and as fast as he wanted. Scratch that. There is no such thing as enough time in the snow to Toby. Geordie wasn’t quite as thrilled as his brother, but I was happy that he got to see another snow.

It is still hard on me knowing that this will be my little boy’s last birthday and his last snowfall. It is the natural course of events, but it is still hard. I have been trying to give him everything he could possibly want, but instead of making a happy pup, I have created a tyrant. Geordie was always strong willed, but now that he realizes that I won’t push him, he is taking advantage. Will I stop? Of course not. An obnoxious pup is a small price to pay for allowing myself to feel that I’ve done everything I can for him.

I am nowhere near finished telling stories of the times we have spent together. You can catch up on what we’ve been doing with out latest book Poopiter.

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