More About Organic Sofa Cushions

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Are non toxic throw pillows worth it?

Yes! These are a high-contact item that you are in very close contact with, and assuming you spend a decent amount of time on your couch like most people, you’re touching them a lot. While they’re not as in-your-face (literally) as your bed’s pillows, they’re a close second. Finally, since people tend to change pillow covers often but not the pillows inside, these may be with you for a long time. Choosing throw pillows made with safe fabric and filling is a good idea for your long-term health.

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.

Is polyester safe?

Polyester is the best-known synthetic textile, and is actually the same thing as PET (polyethylene terephthalate), what plastic bottles are made of. This is why you see clothing, sheets, and other fabrics advertised as being made from recycled plastic water bottles. Polyester itself is relatively stable once it’s made, meaning it doesn’t make its way into your body easily. In that sense, it’s safe.

Polyester’s health issues come from the chemicals that tag along with it. Antimony is used in the chemical reaction to make polyester, and it remains on the polyester in the final product. Antimony is a metallic element that is associated with lung irritation, and is possibly carcinogenic. BPA, phthalates, and other additives are very commonly mixed with polyester to make the fabric softer, more durable, flexible, and colorfast. Phthalates are absorbed directly through the skin and is linked to developmental and reproductive harm, cancer, metabolic disorders, diabetes and more, with worse health effects in infants and toddlers. Recycled polyester is made from plastic of unknown origin and date, so can contain unknown harmful chemicals. Finally, the process of making polyester poses cancer risks to the factory workers, and virgin polyester requires fossil fuel extraction and petroleum refining, posing long-term health risks to the earth and everyone on it.

All that said (!), polyester tested to have no impurities left on it can be essentially harmless to the user. This is especially true if it has GRS, OEKO TEX, or MADE SAFE certification, which ensures it’s not mixed with BPA or PFAS. It’s still a better choice for fillings than polyurethane foam, and it’s inexpensive. I use it for lower-contact uses in my home, like in my shower curtain and blackout blinds. I use it in some throw pillows, too, because it has high loft. I just make sure I go for an OEKO TEX certified one.

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.

What is GOLS certified Dunlop latex?

GOLS, the Global Organic Latex Standard, is the gold standard 3rd party certification for organic rubber latex. Latex with the GOLS-certified organic label means 95% of the final product is organic latex, and also ensures that the processing stages (mixing, baking, etcetera) of the product are safe for human and ecological health. Only latex processed by the Dunlop method can be GOLS certified.

What is Talalay latex?

To make a less dense, softer, latex foam, the Talalay method was created in the 1940s. It’s a nice option for pillows because it’s so soft.

Here’s how it’s made: the natural rubber “milk” is poured into a mold, but only filled partway. At this point, chemicals are added to the mixture, and a vacuum seal is applied so that the foam puffs up and the air pockets are dispersed evenly. Then, it is flash-frozen with carbon dioxide to hold its shape, and baked. This process makes an airier foam than Dunlop, which is how it gets its softness.

Talalay latex isn’t organic, so cannot be GOLS certified. This can be OK, and truly natural Talalay is a fantastic choice compared to regular polyurethane foam. The only issue is that some manufacturers do not disclose what additives are used. Unfortunately, and confusing to many, this can still be sold as “100% natural latex,” even with additives. Unless they have third party certification! Look for ecoINSTITUT, or C2C Gold or Platinum, certification, which ensures that 100% of the ingredients have been disclosed and confirmed that they are safe for humanhealth. If you are choosing a mattress made with Talalay, make sure the company states exactly where it is from, and if it has legitimate certifications like C2C or ecoINSTITUT.

To sum it up, Talalay can sometimes be almost as healthy as Dunlop, but you have to make sure it was processed correctly, and that the company isn’t using it as a healthwashing technique.

Are throw pillows bad for a dust mite allergy?

Yes, throw pillows can harbor dust mites. I strongly recommend using a dust mite encasement for each throw pillow— I use the Evolon ELF brand, which is OEKO TEX certified and available on Amazon.