It’s cool in the summer, absorbent and feels nice on my skin. I even planned times to catch up on my TV shows and iron my cotton stuff. A multitasking grandma! All was well with life.
It wasn’t until we explored organic cotton baby clothing for our site that we learned that the growing and manufacturing of conventional cotton has a very nasty dark side.
The farming of cotton is one of the most destructive practices on this earth, polluting our air, water, soil and endangering our health. Cotton uses 25% of the world’s insecticides and 10% of its herbicide production. (ouch) Are you wearing your favorite t shirt today? Know that it took about one third pound of chemicals to grow the cotton that shirt was made from. And it doesn’t stop with just the farming of cotton. During the manufacturing process, chlorine bleach is used to whiten fabrics and formaldehyde is applied to the finished garment. YUK!
I read that over one million Americans will learn they have some form of cancer this year. Over ten thousand people in the US die each year from cancer related to pesticides. In California five of the nine pesticides used on cotton contain cancer causing chemicals (EPA).
This reads like a George Orwell nightmare. The vision of my grandchildren walking around wearing face masks, having to boil their water and afraid to eat food for fear of contamination is indeed scarey. This is eco-disaster. Perhaps that’s being a little over-dramatic but the facts are out there.
Choosing 100% organic cotton is an important step toward creating a purer more natural environment. It is becoming a positive decision for a growing number of parents.
Organic farming relies on organic fertilizers, crop rotation and integrated pest management. For a farm to gain the organic label, it must be free of synthetic pesticides for a least three consecutive years. In short, organic farmers work with nature, not against it.
Bamboo is an excellent alternative to organic cotton. Bamboo has so many positive qualities it is being touted as the new miracle fabric. Luxurious as silk, soft as cashmere, bamboo is more durable and less expensive.
The three softest things on this planet is a baby’s skin, cashmere and now – bamboo clothing.
Bamboo is a fast growing grass shooting a yard or more per day. Bamboo does not require replanting because its vast root system continually sprouts new shoots. No tractors needed. No poisonous pesticides. No herbicides. No fertilizers. Bamboo handles drought or flooding and actually improves soil quality.
Moso bamboo is the type of bamboo used in clothing. It’s the same bamboo we eat, but rest assured Pandas don’t eat this variety.
The qualities of bamboo are unbelievable! It is soft non irritating even to sensitive skin, naturally anti-bacterial and anti-fungal, and hypoallergenic. Bamboo is highly absorbent and wicks water away from baby’s skin three to four times faster than average cotton. It keeps you dry and cool in the summer, warm in the winter.
We are tickled to carry bamboo baby clothing on our site.
Until next time, friends
