More About Organic Bath Towels

Click on bolded statements for links to research and more information.

What is the best organic towel?

One that keeps both you and your bathroom healthy— so, certified to be free of toxic fabric processing chemicals and that’s fast-drying. Towels, more than almost any other fabric in your home, come in direct skin contact with you, so choosing an organic and non toxic bath towel made without harmful chemicals is ideal.

It’s also important to consider how a towel will contribute to your bathroom’s climate. A thick towel in a bathroom with poor ventilation can contribute to elevated humidity, priming the room for mold and mildew growth, as well as a musty smell. A fast-drying one can help eliminate it!

How is fabric processed? What harmful chemicals are added to fabric?

Read this comprehensive guide about textile production. It is where I sourced information to create this summary about the chemicals used in fabric processing below:

➜ Fiber creation: if grown conventionally, pesticides and fertilizers are used to grow the plant. Both organically grown and regular fibers can have acids, scouring chemicals, and other processing agents used to wash them. If synthetic, petroleum and catalysts are used.

➜ Fabric weaving: spinning oils, lubricants, and fiber-strengthening chemicals are aded to turn the fibers into sheets of fabric.

➜ Cleansing: detergents, solvents, bleaches, acids, and enzymes are used to remove chemicals from previous steps, make the fabrics lighter, or prepare them to accept dyes in the next step.

➜ Dyeing: pigments, binders, plasticizers, PVC, and other polymers (plastics) are used in this step, to make the dyes stick to the surface of the fabric.

➜ Finishing: chemical treatments are added to make the fabric perform a certain way. Formaldehyde resins offer wrinkle-resistance, other resins work for anti-pilling, PFAS for stain-resistance, polyglycols for anti-pilling, acrylates or PVC with plasticizers for protective coatings, and flame retardants for fire resistance.

Does washing fabric remove chemicals?

Unfortunately, no. This research study from 2015 assessed the textile processing chemicals left on 60 different clothing garments before and after washing. Thousands of chemical compounds were found using gas and high-performance liquid chromatography which are laboratory methods of separating and identifying specific chemicals. 

They found more chemicals in polyester and other synthetic garments compare to clothing made with cotton and other natural materials. 

Concentrations of the chemicals did decrease after washing, but not by much, confirming that these pollutants both make their way into our water supply through washing, and stay behind on clothing for contact with our skin.

You may already know this experientially, as well— if you’ve ever purchased a water-resistant coat, which are made waterproof by treatment with PFAS, it can handle a few washes before you start to notice that it’s less and less waterproof. The same concept goes for dyes; over time, dyes are released and your clothes become less vibrant. Many textiles dyes, of course, are carcinogenic and have other health effects, as well.

In short, what is used in fabric processing doesn’t stay in the fabric. Some is washed away, some stays in contact with your skin.  I think it’s still a good idea to wash fabric and look up methods for removing chemicals while preserving the textile itself. But, whenever possible, this is why it’s important to choose fabric that is grown and processed organically, or at least has declared the ingredients used in its creation.

Are antimicrobial towels safe?

Antimicrobials are added to towels to make them seem healthier and resistant to germs. But, they do not meaningfully reduce exposure to pathogens any more than regular soap and water. Worse, they disrupt hormone function, are associated with developmental and reproductive effects, allergen sensitivity, and antibiotic resistance.

Are nanosilver towels safe?

Nanochemicals are so small, they can cross through our cell walls and even through our blood-brain barrier. The technology as a whole is very new, so caution is warranted. Nanosilver is known to be toxic to organs, and graphene is likely toxic to the lungs. Just like you avoid nano sunscreen, I recommend avoiding nano fabrics. Luckily, there are so many GOTS certified organic towels available at several price points, this issue is easy to avoid.

What does GOTS certified mean?

GOTS is short for the Global Organic Textile Standard.

It is the gold standard 3rd party certification for organic fabrics made from natural fibers like wool, cotton, linen, and others.

Fabric with the GOTS-certified organic label means that at least 95% of the starting fibers are certified organic, and ensures that the fabric remains healthy throughout the entire manufacturing process. This means the dyes and other chemicals used are safer for human and ecological health than standard fabric processing methods. No harmful finishes may be added to the final product.

What is OEKO TEX?

OEKO TEX certification applies to the finished product only, and is for both natural and synthetic textiles. Organic fibers, as well as man-made fabrics like polyester can both qualify, depending on what chemicals, and how much of them, are left in the final product. It does allow for some harmful chemicals, but in much lower quantities than are used in standard textile processing. You can see their limits, which are updated annually, here.

What is OEKO TEX Class I?

OEKO TEX has four product classes: I, II, III, and IV. Class I products have met the strictest requirements and limits, and are certified to be safe for babies and toddlers to touch. Babies and toddlers are more vulnerable to harmful exposures because their detoxification systems aren’t fully developed, they engage in hand-to-mouth behavior more often, and their cells are dividing rapidly as they grow, meaning they are more susceptible to mutagenic exposures.

Class II means direct skin contact is safe for adults, and applies to textiles like sheets and pillowcases. Class III and IV are still much safer for you than standard fabric processing— I really want to emphasize that! — and are reserved for items without direct skin contact, decorations, and home textiles you don’t touch very often (like curtains, for example).