My chemical-free clothing needs

82 responses to “My chemical-free clothing needs”

1. Jenny | January 21, 2010 at 9:01 pm | Reply

   Hi,

   I found your blog through the greenspiration list and I can relate to a lot of what you are experiencing–I have multiple food sensitivities as well as sensitivities to light and sound thanks to pharmaceutical drugs. A lot of what you describe (leaden feelings, cog fog for example ) are part of my life now too.

   I don’t know if you can wear wool? but there is a small business in Inverhuron, Ontario called Philosopher’s Wool. The owners make their own wool and apparently they do make wool that is not chemically treated. Here is a little blurb from their site:

   “In 1986 Eugene Bourgeois, a sheep farmer and mystical philosopher started Philosopher’s Wool so that he could buy fleece from Ontario farmers at a decent price. By profit sharing, he has been able to pay them over $2 a pound instead of the pennies that they were able to get on the open market.

   This meant that he had to develop a special market to attract knitters to Philosopher’s Wool and he did so by producing a wool that has not been treated with the usual chemical processes and retains a percentage of the natural lanolin. Philosopher’s Wool has been described as non-allergenic; it certainly is wonderfully comfortable both to knit with and to wear.”

   (and their site:
   http://www.philosopherswool.com/Pages/ShortStory.htm )

   I hope this helps. :-)

   Warm wishes,

   Jenny

2. varda burstyn | January 22, 2010 at 1:03 pm | Reply

   Linda, I’d like to purchase something for you from Rawganique. What is your priority?

   Would you kindly respond to me at my email address directly, and I will watch for your communication.

   solidarity,
   Varda

3. linda | January 22, 2010 at 5:52 pm | Reply

   Jenny, thank you. I’ve been looking for local(ish) chem free wool so I could try to crochet some slippers and a hat. The organic wool I bought a couple of years ago had been washed in something extremely fragranced. I will contact these people to see exactly what they process with, fingers crossed.
   Varda, thank you. Until I have a way to wash clothes (safe water and machine) I cannot detox even these, the safest of clothes, from the little residues.

4. Judie Squires | February 6, 2010 at 12:27 pm | Reply

   Just found this blog post, sorry that the clothing I have won’t fit :(

5. linda | February 7, 2010 at 1:58 am | Reply

   Thanks for being willing to share Judie.

6. Janice | April 14, 2010 at 3:14 pm | Reply

   http://janices.com/
   http://www.cottonique.com/

   I purchased chemical-free sheets from janices, and when they arrived I couldn’t detect any odor on them at all. I still washed them three times, that being my normal habit. It was heavenly to slip between them the first time (and has been every time since).

   I just started ordering from cottonique. When that order came in, I thought I could detect a slight odor, but it could have simply been from the boxes that they were packaged in. Again, washed three times. I had ordered underwear, and it was very pleasant to put them on in the evening when I got home. They were undies and bra with drawstrings rather than elastic. That is taking me a while to get used to. Not elegant looking, but very comfortable (and non itchy).

   Most of the clothes these companies sell is leisure clothing. However, I often see people in jogging suits at the store, which some of the items at Janices look like. Another avenue would be to wear leisure clothing underneath something that is almost, but not quite, chemical free. I have sometimes done that with pants and shirts that take dozens of washings before I can place them right on my skin.

   From my local store, I am able to get the Columbia brand of cotton shirts and pants. I wear mens shirts and pants because they seem to have a little less stuff on them, and they last longer than womens clothes. Even though the shirts and pants are unwearable before a dozen washings, they do become wearable after that. Small price to pay for having normal looking clothes.

7. linda | April 15, 2010 at 3:17 pm | Reply

   Hi Janice, thanks for your suggestions. The Cottonique things I received were saturated in pesticides.
   The purest Rawganique things I chose seem like they’ll be good once I have access to safe water to wash them in a number of times.

   • kila | May 14, 2011 at 1:31 pm | Reply

     Hello,
     I just read your comment RE: Cottonique A big AMEN!! to you.
     I too ordered from cottonique. VERY unhappy+ nothing fit+they won’t refund your $$. Have to get a store credit for more unhappy items. This is bad business & their advertising does not live up to any standards they represent.
     Don’t order from them I say.

     • linda | May 15, 2011 at 1:32 pm | Reply

       Hi Kila,
       It is really disappointing about Cottonique. Their advertising makes the stuff sound wonderful, when in fact: it isn’t chemical free (it could be from shipment containers heavy with pesticides), it doesn’t fit properly and then loses shape even more, their boxes came dusty (they didn’t even bother to wipe them down before shipping) … and yes, lousy customer service to boot. So sad when people take advantage of those who are vulnerable.

8. Charlene | May 4, 2010 at 2:57 pm | Reply

   Hi Linda. I hope you are able to find a place to live. It must be very difficult. I often joke that I think it is the preservatives keeping me alive!

   Good luck to you.
   Charlene

9. Cotttonique | May 17, 2011 at 8:12 am | Reply

   We received this feedback from a few of our customers and have done some investigation. The findings were that the shipping company that the products had been shipped through had been fumigated, we use a 3rd Party shipment company. We have made adjustments to our packaging and logistics, for example, we now use biodegradable plastic instead of paper boxes (plastic is less environmentally friendly but plastic works better to keep the garments free from pesticides). We also spoke to our shipping company and got them to keep our products in a pesticide-free area.
   As for the Fit of garment, we have been taking our customer feedback and applying it to our garments fit. The garments we produce are always improving with your comments. Yes, we do put a lot into marketing, and we do put a lot into research and development. Its not easy selling products to a niche market. We try our best. I hope you will reconsider Cottonique again. I would actually like to send some of you on the comment list some free product so you can see how our products have improved. Please email us at customerservice@cottonique.com and mention this article to receive a free product.

   • linda | May 18, 2011 at 1:32 pm | Reply

     Thanks very much for responding here.
     I have sent you an email and look forward to seeing the improvements.

   • linda | May 21, 2011 at 6:18 pm | Reply

     Just a thought re customer service… maybe answering emails would be a good place to start… again, just a thought…

   • Suresh Brady | May 3, 2015 at 5:57 am | Reply

     I know my comments are a few years later than this post. I have 2 Cottonique items, a short and long sleeve t-shirt. Both are great. The packaging is as described by Cottonique above, very well sealed in an air tight package. The fit for me is great and I don’t react to the garments as they are both unbleached and undyed.

     • Seriously "Sensitive" to Pollution | May 3, 2015 at 3:27 pm | Reply

       Thanks for letting us know Suresh. I think they had a few kinks to work out and I’m glad to hear that there has been progress. There is such a great need for ‘safe” clothing. I’m almost ready to give them another go.

10. linda | June 1, 2011 at 12:56 am | Reply

    June 1st, and still no response from Cottonique re my email sent 2 weeks ago. I don’t understand why they’d make a comment here and then not respond. Did anyone else contact them and get a response?

    • linda | June 4, 2011 at 7:06 pm | Reply

      They have finally replied and are sending me something to try. I chose the string bikini bottoms as they seem most adjustable. The other briefs aren’t quite tight enough. I’ll keep you posted : )

11. Jenna | June 2, 2011 at 11:57 pm | Reply

    Aloha Linda,

    I am very grateful to run across your blog. I came across it because I have very strong ethics around earth-centric living, and made the resolution this year that I only want to purchase clothing that I can literally compost into our organic (we’re eventually going for certification) farm. I found, however, that we have much more in common – I also have a lot of food sensitivities, and sensitivities to light, sound, chemical and airborne pollutants, and quite strongly with EMF and EMR, resulting in EHS as well. I’ve had quite a lot of health issues, immune dysfunction, as well as major sleep and menstrual issues…also, muscles pull more easily due to adrenal fatigue and elevated cortisol. I found out a year and a half ago that I have heavy metals in high levels – mercury, lead, and then radioactives: cesium, barium, thallium…

    I imagine you have, but have you ever done a comprehensive testing from a lab that cross-references blood, hair, and urine? Doctor’s Data does a Toxic Metals test, and Quicksilver Labs, out of CO (you mail-in :) does a cross-reference of hair/urine/blood to see your excretion ability (I’m not able to secrete on my own, so I just have a ton of them in here that have probably been building up my whole life). I am currently pussyfooting around chelation, as I’ve gotten violently ill every time I’ve attempted. I’m working with a great doctor here in Hawai’i, Dr. Alan Thal, at drthal.com . He sees quite a lot of patients like us…especially because of the volcanic pollution here (which has tons of metals – likely how I picked some of it up), there are many with a lot of health problems like chronic fatigue and Fibromyalgia. From the research I’ve done, and all the doctors I’ve seen over the past 10 years in my healing journey, I strongly relate metal poisoning to all of the things you listed above – chemical and environmental sensitivities, Fibro, and a EHS.

    I’m also wondering if you know of Vitamineral Green by HealthForce Nutritionals – they have the most rigid standards of any food company that I have found so far, and their products are a god/dess send. But watch out – I took the intestinal detox formula recently – the smaller recommended amount – and it spun me into such intense detox I had the worst flu-like symptoms I remember having – especially the joint pain – for 18 hours.

    Through all this, I’ve become even more of an environmentalist, an avid naturalist, and have come to grips that in my heart, I’m a Luddite (I’m on a computer, but won’t use a cellphone or cordless phone and am, morally, opposed to technology and our obsession with it) and want us to return to living in harmony with the earth – and I am gaining knowledge and learning skills to make my life as local and sustainable as possible. Even with chronic fatigue and health issues. I care deeply for our planet and ALL the beings on it, not just the humans…and through all of this I have gained far greater (and ever deepening) clarity into the ways that our modern life and culture simply DO NOT work, and how we keep perpetuating a model that we are already paying for – and will pay much more greatly for before we return to harmony – perhaps the harmony that will arise from extinction.

    I am very interested to hear more of your healing journey, and hope that some benefit can result from our dialogue, for ourselves, for others, for the planet.

    With Warm Aloha,
    Jenna

12. linda | June 4, 2011 at 7:17 pm | Reply

    Hi Jenna,
    So sorry to hear that you too have been so negatively impacted by the modern greed and petrochemical version of progress…
    It does teach us a lot though, doesn’t it?
    Healing requires fresh air, filtered water, and being away from toxic “consumer” products. It also requires good quality supplements and organic foods.
    Depending on what pathways in our bodies have been damaged, there are other things we may need to do, but avoidance of the substances that harm us is numero uno.
    I have been improving at the cabin because the outdoor air is so much better here (except for weekends when the city folk come up, even though they are mostly several acres away, they still manage to poison the air).
    I haven’t been able to go for testing to tweak the supplements I’m using, as I simply can’t afford to. Maybe some day after I get settled into a new home.

    : )

13. linda | June 11, 2011 at 3:40 pm | Reply

    It was recently brought to my attention that someone else had lousy customer service and incomplete product descriptions from Rawganique, and it reminded me of the trouble I had with them last year (it’s not all resolved, but I haven’t had the ability to deal with it all)

    They short ordered my shipment, didn’t include a packing slip, over-billed me, took months to respond to the packing slip issues, and caused major grief with my credit card…

    Their sizing is really off with some products.

    I ordered medium in the fleece sweatsuit/ longjohns and the top is extra (extra?) large and the pants are way too small, plus they have huge knit cuffs and an uncovered elastic waistband, not mentioned in the description.

    I ordered 2 flannel shirts, they came separately, and one has synthetic interfacing in the cuffs and collar, also not mentioned.

    I ordered drawstring pj’s. They came with a sewed-in elastic, and a drawstring too short to stay out when pulling the pants up and down, or to tie properly when up. The quality of flannel isn’t very good either. I had to manually remove the elastic, and resew the waistband for just the drawstring.

    A pair of fisherman’s pants (I think that’s what they call them) came saturated with patchouli oil.

    Several of the things I’d wanted to order weren’t in stock.

    The things I did receive still required at least 2 weeks of soaking and washing and several sessions of boil, rinse, boil, rinse, boil, rinse… over a few more days.

    I think there were other issues too, but I don’t remember where I wrote them down.

    It’s really disappointing when a company with so much potential blows it with lack of proper descriptions, sizing and quality issues, and really bad customer service.

    On the other hand, I also ordered some clothing from Janice’s, and their customer service was great. They listened, and they got it right. Unfortunately the things reached me (via Toronto) only when the lake water pump was shut off last year, so I haven’t been able to wash/detox them so don’t know how long it will take, if it’s any easier. I asked for them to pre-wash them a couple of times (a service they use mostly for the textiles they sell) but I knew it wouldn’t be enough. Some of the things are hanging on the line in the sun and rain… waiting for better access to water… one of the tshirts fell and got tromped on by the bear, so I’ll have a memory imprint there…

    The $5 cotton items from Thailand that I picked up at Bwana Jones (while in a complete daze) last summer, got put through the laundry protocol too, requiring only marginally more time and effort than the rawganique things in order to remove traces of incense and a lot of the dye, and they are fine, what I managed to process anyway. I had several enamelled canning pots, enamelled and SS bowls with things soaking in them OUTSIDE, and spent about a month and a half of hard labour working to get something to wear, as I was down to almost nothing, and they were disintegrating too. I kept notes as to keep track of what I was doing, because otherwise I wouldn’t remember…

    I look forward to seeing if the things from Cottonique are now free of shipping container pesticide residues, which would make their things easier to detox for severe MCS.

    I sure do miss the days I could browse around in 2nd hand and outlet shops… I would have never imagined it could be this difficult to clothe oneself safely.

14. A | August 16, 2011 at 2:18 am | Reply

    Products I’ve purchased from Cottonique over the last two months vary: one took two washings and most require about eight. My order that arrived last week was the most potent. Customer service? Some people should not be allowed to deal with the public.

15. linda | August 16, 2011 at 4:53 pm | Reply

    Thanks for your comment A.

    Cottonique’s customer service does leave a lot to be desired, if you expect customer service to be fast and efficient. They are VERY slow to respond to anything. I finally received the gift/sample from 2 weeks ago (Aug 2), so that took over 3 months!

    I put them hanging outside for a week, but haven’t been up to washing them (which would require me to carry a lot of water outside, as I don’t have a laundry sink here in the laundry room, and can’t “stink” up the kitchen or bathroom, as I got sick trying to detox things inside these spaces). All that to say I’m not yet sure how safe or toxic they are, and how many washes they’ll require.

    One thing that popped out was a little card saying they include the cotton seed. I don’t know if they always did, or if this is a new and cheaper way for them to do business. While it sounds like a sustainable thing to do, the seed and oil irritate a lot of people with sensitive skin, so there’s another strike against them.

    I really wish their quality, fit (previous undergarments lost shape and fit horribly, and are too flimsy), as well as service and responses were better, as they do provide products that are much needed (the no elastic, drawstring undergarments).

    I’ll keep y’all posted on how well these last things I got detox and fit. Apparently they are discontinuing the ones I ordered, which may be a shame, since they have the potential to fit better than the others, and look to be much less flimsy, more sturdy (is that the right word? probably not).

16. dennis | October 6, 2011 at 4:47 am | Reply

    Hi linda, any success with the cottonique gift yet? Im thinking about trying them myself cause ive been without anything to wear for a few months now.

    Im glad i was able to find your blog and get some much needed info on some of these products.

    Im lucky enough not to have any skin reactions like some people do but i cant find anything in any stores that wont make my mouth, throat and the inside of my nose swell up, burn and itch.

17. dennis | October 8, 2011 at 9:50 am | Reply

    Im also curious if youve tried mamasearth.com and what you think of them. I found them through the list at http://www.princesstigerlily.com/mcs/cotton.html

18. linda | November 24, 2011 at 1:12 am | Reply

    Hi Dennis, I just got your comments now or would have responded earlier. I was going to comment on the Cottonique gift this week anyway, as I finally was able to do the detox on them last week.

    The ones I chose were their string bikinis (probably not suitable for men) because they looked most adjustable size wise. They came direct from Malaysia and were wrapped in foil too (as per my request).

    I boiled them 3 times and soaked and washed them as many times, and they were safe to wear!!! That is the least amount of detoxing I’ve had to do on anything in a long, long while. I also like the quality of the cotton, it is much thicker than their other products. I’m very happy with these. They fit great too! Sadly, they told me when I ordered them, that they were discontinuing this item. I don’t know why, it’s the best quality thing they have, in my opinion.

    Last week I also boiled, soaked and washed the same amount of times some of their regular drawstring products that my daughter had sent me last fall. They arrived in dusty boxes, so had been sitting around somewhere for who knows how long. I put them on a clothesline for a couple of weeks then, and at least a month, probably 2, earlier this year, so it’s something that doesn’t just air out. They are no-where near ready to wear after the same amount of detoxing I did on the string bikinis, I can still detect a chemical pesticide? residue on them.

    Perhaps the changes they’ve made now mean the fit and contamination issues are taken care of for new orders. Hopefully someone will let us know.

    ps. no I haven’t tried the other company you mentioned

19. Anya | April 3, 2012 at 10:36 pm | Reply

    Linda, what size do you wear? I have a few items I could spare, but they are petite small and extra small sizes.

    • linda | April 3, 2012 at 10:57 pm | Reply

      Thank you Anya for your kind offer.
      I wear med-large, or around a size 12, depending on the product, so I’m not going to fit into those!

20. Heidi Taylor | August 15, 2012 at 10:00 am | Reply

    Hello Linda:

    I also have MCS and cannot wear new things unless they are aired out and washed for a long time. Its good to read all these organic clothing suggestions. It would be nice if there were more stylish items to choose from but for you just getting the basics is essential now. My question to you is. What type of detergent do you use to clean your items? I have been using Armon Hammers Baking Soda liquid scent free, dye free detergent which is so far the only thing tolerable but I still have a little reaction from it. This would be helpful.

    Thank you
    Heidi Taylor

    • linda | August 15, 2012 at 11:47 am | Reply

      Hi Heidi,

      I haven’t been able to use any commercial products in years. Even the soap flakes available here ended up affecting me due to some kind of chemical contamination in them, and I found them to be very inconsistent re what they were made from.

      I now use Arm and Hammer baking soda that I buy in 50lb bags to avoid retail contamination (altho it has had a slight fragrance contamination for the last year or more that it never had before, and it’s in the product, not from the bags, but A&H claims there’s no changes in their processing)

      The baking soda I used before that developed a diesel like contamination in late 2009, and just yesterday I tried it again, and it’s still there, so it seems it’s a manufacturing process issue /change, and not an accidental spill of some sort.

      Most people wouldn’t notice these amounts of contamination, but lucky me, I do…

      Thankfully, I can still use the A&H bs but I’m not soaking things to detox them anymore so I don’t know how that would work, because I don’t have laundry machines or a laundry sink in the laundry room here or an extract fan in the bathroom, so soaking things where I have water would affect the air quality too much. I can also use a bit of borax if it gets well washed out after, and can add food grade hydrogen peroxide to either the bs or borax if I need a bit of extra cleaning power.

      For detoxing new things, even things from Rawganique, I had to soak them overnight in a combination of those things, many times, and then boil them a couple to a few times. Perhaps a washing machine would have cut down on the number of soaks, I don’t know. Some kind of soap most likely definitely would, but then the question would remain if I could get the soap residues out… So far I haven’t had the opportunity to check that out.

      Next on my list of things to try are soap nuts. They seem quite promising.

      • Kathy | August 23, 2012 at 3:01 am | Reply

        Hi, Linda:

        So sorry to hear about your situation!

        I suggest HessNatur and Blue Canoe. I’ve had good luck with them. I’ve never ordered from Rawganique, but I’ve read that their customer service can be very bad.

        I may have some old clothes that you could use. Please write to me at (edited out)and let me know what’s possible for you to try on. Can you, for example, tolerate Lycra (spandex) in something made mostly out of organic cotton? Can you tolerate any dyes? Or is your situation very much hit or miss?

        Best,

        Kathy

        • linda | August 23, 2012 at 8:42 pm | Reply

          Thank you Kathy, I’ll look into those places when I have a better way to wash/detox clothing.
          I don’t tolerate lycra now… the dyes in the clothes I’m wearing were washed and boiled out before I could wear them.
          I hope that by next year I have more options, as I’ll possibly have worn through the things I’ve been wearing since autumn 2010!
          Everything’s still difficult because I don’t have a laundry sink or W&D in the laundry room, and with my back and frozen shoulder it means I can’t be carrying pots of water outside to soak things that need detoxing there. Or boil things… The water from the hose outside isn’t filtered so I can’t use that either.
          Until I have either a better functioning body so I can haul the pots of water outside, or laundry facilities in the laundry room, I can’t think of getting new (or used things) because I can’t do anything with them now if they aren’t safe enough right off the bat.
          I’ve just had a 2nd carbon put into the whole house system inside (instead of a prefilter) and that means I can at least wash my safe things in the kitchen sink instead of bent and twisted over the bathtub. That will make keeping these clothes cleaner much easier on me.
          So, for now, I seem to be managing with what I have… It would be a problem only if I had to go anywhere…
          ps, I’m going to edit your email addie from your comment

21. Kathy | August 24, 2012 at 1:30 am | Reply

    Okay, Linda. I’ll check back for updates. Best wishes.

22. cantabrigian | August 14, 2014 at 1:30 pm | Reply

    German company that produces chemical-free clothing:
    http://www.natur-co.de/

    • linda | August 16, 2014 at 6:39 pm | Reply

      Thanks, might be an option for people in the EU who speak or read German.

23. Genevieve | September 1, 2014 at 10:37 pm | Reply

    Thanks for the post Linda! I can really relate to your disability in handling foreign particles. If you’ve found any other toxic-free things thus far, I’d like to know about them.

    • linda | September 1, 2014 at 10:52 pm | Reply

      I wish you luck! I don’t think there’s such a thing in the world we live in now though…

      There’s a whole list of things some people have found to be safer at the tab at the top – http://lindasepp.wordpress.com/chemical-free-clothing-we-wish/

      I personally still don’t have a washer or dryer and this housing is not set up in a way that I can detox things safely by hand (no filtered water outside, no ventilation in the kitchen or bathroom, etc) so I have not been able to search out and test new things myself, except for a few things I tried from Dharma Trading that still need more detox than I’ve been physically able to cope with in my present circumstances.

      We need more manufacturers making non-toxic clothing, I get so many hits on the blog from people searching for it.

      Hope you are able to find things that work for you!

      A washer and dryer would make things infinitely easier on me, and allow me to prepare some other clothing before the ones I’ve been wearing day in, day out for 3 years disintegrate…

24. Jane Itkis | July 7, 2015 at 5:36 pm | Reply

    Hello,
    My name is Jane. I am an eco-designer from San Francisco. Found you blog and it’s very interesting to read the researches about green life and green clothes. Now I do have a project with Peruvian organic cotton. Not much items but you can check it out. All clothes made from handmade textile, non-allergic and undyed cotton. if you’re interested ping me on my fb page:
    https://www.facebook.com/#!/LaTurtlet

    • Seriously "Sensitive" to Pollution | July 7, 2015 at 5:47 pm | Reply

      Hi Jane! You have some really nice things there.
      Can I ask if you are fragrance free from beginning to end?
      A lot of my readers need clothing that doesn’t have any fragrance residues.
      Detoxing these to remove fragrance residues (with countless washes) would probably destroy them.

25. jake | November 2, 2015 at 7:58 pm | Reply

    Why is it so hard to find unbleached/undyed clothes, just simple things like t-shirts, socks, underwear? And why are they ten times more expensive, if the bleaching and dyeing processes are eliminated? I don’t understand it. Where can I order a ten pack of unbleached cotton t-shirts that isn’t $100??

    • Seriously "Sensitive" to Pollution | November 2, 2015 at 8:29 pm | Reply

      Good questions!!!
      Did you look through the Chemical-Free (we wish) tab at the top of the blog?

      I don’t know if the Dharma Trading tshirts could work for you. They are white (maybe non-chlorine bleached, I don’t remember) and don’t have sizing chemicals as they are sold primarily to people who want to dye them, meaning there are less chemicals added to them.

26. Katie | January 22, 2016 at 11:09 pm | Reply

    I hope to start my own linen business soon, but for now, check out http://www.lifegivinglinen.com Maybe what you need.

    • Seriously "Sensitive" to Pollution | February 14, 2016 at 8:41 pm | Reply

      Thanks Katie, sorry for the delay in posting, this ended up in a different folder. It’s an interesting site, doesn’t look very active now.

27. Seriously "Sensitive" to Pollution | February 14, 2016 at 8:48 pm | Reply

    Hi Wendy,
    When I win the lottery, I’m placing some orders with you!
    Ontario Disability Support Program doesn’t cover investment pieces, even if they are required to function, so these things are out of my range now.
    Hopefully there are people who recognize the value and can afford it too!
    I wish you success!
    I have a question regarding the fabrics, can you send out sample pieces for people to test?
    Perhaps little 3″ squares, as a way for severely “sensitive” people to see if something might work for them before investing?

    • Wendy | March 4, 2016 at 10:19 pm | Reply

      Hi, I would be happy to mail out a fabric sample, with thread around the edges to test out. Just send an email to extramileclothing@gmail.com
      I’m really sorry about the cost, I know ODSP doesn’t allow much for living on. Using the best materials is the only way to ensure the cleanest possible garments, and I don’t want to compromise on that.

      • Seriously "Sensitive" to Pollution | March 20, 2016 at 6:27 pm | Reply

        The extra costs of chem-free clothing really should be covered by health plans, drug plans, or disability coverage for assistive devices, as not having chem free clothing means we can become too disabled to function.

    • wendy | March 7, 2016 at 11:58 am | Reply

      Hello Linda,
      Sorry for the delay in replying to your original response. I thought I signed up for notifications but didn’t, only checked back after a few weeks. I saw your post about Dr Molot’s book and got it from the library yesterday. Now I’ve connected the dots that you are the blog author and also in Toronto.
      I have seen your posts about clothing many times and kept in mind as I work on starting my business making “non-toxic” clothes. With everything else I’m doing, including de-toxing my own environment, travelling to endless specialist appointments, researching, all with few resources, my attention to detail and communication is never quite up to speed.
      I’ve just liked your facebook pages but would be interested in connecting with you on email. I would be happy to send you a garment to try out- some undies, an undershirt or camisole. I’d need your size.
      I am also on OW, doing the self-employment program. I know what that system is like. I also have a history of trauma and am in therapy for that too. So I’ve got all the angles covered ?
      Wouldn’t it be nice to get special clothing covered by ODSP. Is there any chance? Molot’s book is a good basis to make a case.
      Instead of fighting to get on ODSP, the time, effort and misery involved, I chose to go on OW and try this business. I have faith, because I know the need is there. I know what it’s like for a garment to be unwearable because of one tiny component, like thread, elastic, or buttons. I know how painful it is and how life becomes impossible and very dark when you’re allergic to things that everyone else takes for granted.
      Best regards

      Wendy

      • Seriously "Sensitive" to Pollution | March 20, 2016 at 6:42 pm | Reply

        Sincere apologies for the delay in responding.

        My modem died and I was offline for a week and a half, then my old computer crashed too many times when I got the toxic modem replacement hooked up, so I had to transfer things to the new and not off-gassed computer, have a severely infected tooth extracted, and other stuff, all while having severe brain fog… so I missed some emails that had piled up and couldn’t respond to these until you pointed out I hadn’t responded.

        I have to decline your very kind and generous offer of a sample item as I am currently unable to detox/wash any new clothing (for too many reasons to list), and I don’t know when circumstances will change to allow me to get to it, it could take months, and you’d likely get impatient wanting to know how it was going.

        I wish you well with your business, as there is definitely a need for it.

28. Caroline Taylor | February 16, 2016 at 3:41 pm | Reply

    Hello Linda, I have been meaning to leave a message for you from many months ago in regards to your problem which I can definitely relate to as I have the same problem with being able to find new clothes. It is so frustrating and depressing I don’t know how you cope as sometimes I feel like giving up.
    I have a lot of health problems and inbalances in my immune system and suffer with severe endometriosis which is extremely painful at times to say the least. I am 37 yrs and have had this skin problem for around 17 yrs which worsens as I get older. I can’t even find bed sheets or a matress to sleep on so I have to sleep on just my divan base which gives me back problems and pains.
    I don’t know where to shop so I just give up most times. Then I also have the added problem of my skin suddenly rejecting certain clothes that I have been able to wear for many years. However I have more clothes than you that I can still wear which are mainly old ones. Washing new clothes loads of times also doesn’t help, so I don’t even bother with that. I get all sorts of skin irritation from clothes-prickliness, itching and mainly severe burning like my skin is on fire or being burnt with acid or some strong chemical.
    I have also tried some organic clothes but have had no luck there either. I have also tried people tree, minimum,selected femme-all of which are supposed to be curative clothing, but still no luck.
    Alot of my clothes are getting holes. Last year after months and months I found some skirts which I bought in batch then it turned out that some were ok to wear whilst some were not. Maybe some were dye using different dyes even though they were all in the same style and colour-who knows. I have the same trouble with shoes too-I am allergic to everything. I can’t even sit on chairs or on the bus without my skin burning me or sleep at friends or family. It is so annoying and soul destroying-how on earth are we supposed to live a decent life and function without being able to wear clothes?- I really do need some new clothes for work!!!!
    Oh how I miss the days when I could wear anything when I was younger. I now feel like I am living a nightmare that I can’t escape from. Can you recommend any worthwhile companies that are truly safe for people like us? I live in London.
    To anyone else other than Linda Sepp that can relate to this-can you recommend any clothe shops in London that I could try-I am desperate for some help in this as I am going crazy.
    When I have more time I wlll write some more.

    • Seriously "Sensitive" to Pollution | February 16, 2016 at 4:44 pm | Reply

      Hi Caroline,
      So sorry to hear you’re having so many challenges too.

      I wonder if you have tried using filtered water or spring water with your laundry (at least for a couple of final rinses)
      The chemicals in unfiltered tap water really affected my skin (and body) even after I was able to detox the textile chemicals.

      Regarding what is truly safe, there is no one answer. We could each be having issues with different chemical combinations.

      There’s a whole list of things some people have found to be safer at the tab at the top
      (they are probably mostly US based, but would ship all over, I imagine… HessNature is only in Germany now, they don’t have a US office anymore, but I don’t know how safe they are for severe sensitivities.)

      – http://lindasepp.wordpress.com/chemical-free-clothing-we-wish/

      The laundry decontamination protocols have helped many people (altho it’s a long and arduous process, and sometimes it’s hard to know if we should give up or keep trying)

      http://lindasepp.wordpress.com/2012/09/08/laundry-decontamination-protocols/

      MCS Aware is in the UK, they might know the best local sources for safer things.
      If you are on facebook, there are a couple of UK based pages and groups there too.

29. Caroline Taylor | March 11, 2016 at 6:35 pm | Reply

    Hello Linda, it’s Caroline Taylor again here from London. Omg!, I have just now seen your reply to my post and I am extremely greatful that you took the time out to respond to me..I can’t stop smiling inside!!

    There is sooo much I want to say to you and ask. Firstly I will start by saying that I was sooo happy to see from an old story of yours from years ago on the internet that you finally managed to find somewhere to live that was manageable for you. Do you still live in that secluded place which is more suitable for people with your (our) condition? Did you manage to get a suitable washing machine to make it easier to wash and detox your clothes? Do you have similiar allergy problems to food aswell and how long have you suffered with this debilitating condition? Have you developed any new symptoms over the years?

    Have you tried severely changing your diet to improve your immune system and detoxing-especially your liver?? to see if you can improve any of your symptoms other than just avoiding things? (I read some interesting articles from dr Mercola who says that water distillers and certain filtered water can be bad for your health in other ways and can absorb toxins from the air even more so than normal because of the way it is processed when filtered?-I can’t remember everything the article said but as you like to acquire knowledge where you can maybe you could google it to read it for yourself if you are interested, he also said that reverse osmosis water is safer apparently)..He writes alot of other useful info on health and has written info on mcs aswell.

    At least you have been able to tolerate filtered water when detoxing your clothes. I don’t seem to have a problem when washing my clothes in normal water and only some detergents I have noticed a reaction with. However sometimes my skin will itch when I soak in the bath-probably from the water’s toxins. They say soda bicarbonate is good to put in your bath to detox radiation from the body and bentonite clay is good to use in the bath or consume to draw out toxins and heavy metals from the body. I tried washing my clothes with bicarbonate soda to soften the water which is hard in my area and also because I wanted to use a healthier option, but it leaves a white residue in my machine and white marks on my clothes.

    I am curious to know if you are able to use a regular computer/lap top without getting any symptoms when you write on your website? I was wondering if you may also suffer from electromagnetic sensitvity or get problems with the radiation exposure from them? I find that when I use any type of mobile it immediately starts to hurt my hand and gives me an earache and headache and I can’t use lap tops either.

    I can only use computers as they are corded and therefore use a weaker signal strength to work which doesn’t noticibly affect me. I actually want to buy a computer for home but a lot of them are contaminated with lead and mercury or other things and I was wondering if you know of any safer types of computers for people like us to use that we can at least tolerate?

    Anyway, I will give your poor brain a rest for now from all my questions but I look forward to hearing from you again and best of luck to you in all your endeavours and I hope you are doing okay despite everything you are going through.

    Best wishes always,

    Caroline.

    • Seriously "Sensitive" to Pollution | March 20, 2016 at 6:54 pm | Reply

      Hi Caroline,
      I am not able to respond to everything now, and hope I will be eventually… but briefly, the place I live is NOT secluded, it’s suburban and the neigbours use toxic laundry products, pesticides, and burn wood… Inside is safe but ventilation is problematic… I don’t have a W&D yet… and I use wired technology (no wireless at all)… my current (new and newish) set-up is not totally safe for me (still offgassing) but my old modem died and my old computer kept crashing. I have no useful, fast answers for safer tech except to ask the providers and manufacturers, and get reading boxes built (see a recent post) and air purifiers… (I’d like to be able to bill the toxic manufacturers for them)…

30. Thriv | March 29, 2016 at 3:28 am | Reply

    Hi Linda

    I have spent the last 2 years creating a line of 100% chemical free clothing. The dyes and mordants are 100% chemical free and the cotton is 100% organic. The techniques used are from the ancient science of Ayurveda. The herbs/roots are all sourced from the forest tribes and the dyeing is done by hand. This ancient knowledge is not known to everyone and due to the lack of awareness these techniques are slowly disappearing as the younger generations do not find it profitable to continue the art.

    My aim is to ensure that this knowledge does not fade away like all other good things in this world.

    I’d be happy to send you a sample tshirt for you to use. Most of the people I have given them to, absolutely love sleeping in them.

    Rgds
    Thriv

    • Seriously "Sensitive" to Pollution | April 5, 2016 at 1:34 am | Reply

      Sounds absolutely fantastic Thriv! I love what you are doing. People from all over the world land on this site searching for chemical-free clothing, so there is obviously a global need for it (and caring for the earth in the process). Thank you!

    • Lori | October 14, 2016 at 8:46 am | Reply

      I would love to try a sample tshirt! Finding clothing to sleep in is always a problem…

      • linda sepp @ Seriously "Sensitive" to Pollution | October 14, 2016 at 3:16 pm | Reply

        I received some samples, and the dyeing process has potential, but unfortunately whoever manufactured the shirts had serged strips of plastic into the shoulder seams in a way that they could not be removed :-(
        I had to recommended full control of the supply chain, as using shirts that didn’t comply would negate the point of safe dyes.

        I’d love to have safe cotton and linen shirts (not knits), in weaves or thicknesses that can be worn without bras.

        • Lori | October 14, 2016 at 3:22 pm | Reply

          It’s so frustrating, I was excited to find some 100% cotton shirts this summer then realized after one wearing that there was plastic in the shoulder seams….I can’t wear them!

          • linda sepp @ Seriously "Sensitive" to Pollution | October 14, 2016 at 3:27 pm | Reply

            It happened to you too?

          • Lori | October 14, 2016 at 3:35 pm | Reply

            Yes, but they were just a cheap shirt from a local department store.

            • linda sepp @ Seriously "Sensitive" to Pollution | October 14, 2016 at 3:39 pm |

              These were supposedly organic t-shirts, probably also got on sale, they must have been from the same manufacturing batch!!! Someone really messed up and then unloaded them without making it known why they were so cheap. It wasn’t easy to discover, I’d washed them (by hand, outside) several times (as the shirt material wasn’t great for me)… I hadn’t turned them inside out until after about 5 days, and then the sun caught on the plastic…

          • Lori | October 14, 2016 at 3:40 pm | Reply

            I wear them inside out around the house:)

            • linda sepp @ Seriously "Sensitive" to Pollution | October 14, 2016 at 3:52 pm |

              I have to wear most things inside out because even with organic clothing, the thread often isn’t… As for these shirts, I couldn’t detox them due to the original organic tshirt being conventional (and not having machines). I need to process conventional organic (when the processing isn’t certified) things too many times (and by hand, outside) to be safe to wear, just not possible with plastic in the product! Hey, if I find where I put them, and if you are ever in the area, you can have them for indoor wear ;-)

31. Thriv | March 29, 2016 at 10:03 am | Reply

    Your thoughts are great and I would like to get involved in the work you are doing. Please let me know a way to reach you so we can talk offline. Thank you !

    • Seriously "Sensitive" to Pollution | March 29, 2016 at 10:51 pm | Reply

      Hi Thriv, and thank you, I’ve just sent you an email!

32. Vicki Tyndall | July 19, 2016 at 3:49 pm | Reply

    Have any of you read the Doctoral Thesis from the Stockholm University Department of Environmental Science and Analytical Chemistry 2015 by Giovanna Luongo “Chemicals in textiles”. I found it well worth the read and very depressing as she also included some organics in her study and found chemicals in some of them. I sent a letter and have heard nothing back.

    • Seriously "Sensitive" to Pollution | July 19, 2016 at 8:48 pm | Reply

      Yes… There are a lot of articles coming out lately about how toxic the textile industry is, and a few people are trying to change this, but it’s hard when it’s systemic.

33. Lori | October 14, 2016 at 8:43 am | Reply

    I’m so happy to come across this blog! I’m have always had sensitive skin & chemical perfume allergies. I’m having a real problem with bras & shirts causing my back to break out. So far in Ontario I’ve only found online sources of cotton clothing/ bras (a lot which contain spandex!). I hesitate to order items that cannot be shipped back as they tend to be expensive. Any ideas or thoughts as to where it can shop, or tri d & true products I can order? At this point going braless all the time is not an option;)

    • linda sepp @ Seriously "Sensitive" to Pollution | October 14, 2016 at 3:10 pm | Reply

      Cottonique has a selection of all cotton bras, and their stuff is safer than most, altho not everything is of great quality. Unfortunately we don’t have many options, especially in Canada, at this point in time

    • linda sepp @ Seriously "Sensitive" to Pollution | October 14, 2016 at 3:11 pm | Reply

      I suggest contacting regular bra-makers and or shops to say you want good quality 100% cotton bras, to let them know there’s a demand.

      • Lori | January 11, 2017 at 10:05 am | Reply

        Thanks, I’ll do that.

34. Mary | March 21, 2022 at 5:07 pm | Reply

    I would avoid hemp completely.. it tens to be ground with pesticides and makes me itch like crazy. My sister bought me some cotton/hemp pants. it felt like sticks were woven in. I kept picking out fibers that looks and felt like tiny twigs. Either hemp is ground up twigs or there was some sort of grass or sticks woven in on purpose or by mistake. Also illegal to grow hemp in united states since it looks just like pot.so grown over seas. if something is shipped from a 3rd world country like China, the entire ship and all the cargo is sprayed with pesticides. doesn’t matter how the cotton was grown or what care was taken to manufacture without chemicals if sprayed on a ship or a plane, it is forever contaminated. so look for country of origin and what path it took to get here.

    I used to have severe chemical sensitivities got over that but now stuck at home again with severe emf sensitivities. harder to avoid cell phones and all electricity so I am very uncomfortable.

    anyone knows a way to stop to very irritating nerve tingling (from emf’s I would guess) please let me know. no cure but any help with severe tinnitus would be helpful too.

    • linda @ Seriously "Sensitive" to Pollution | March 21, 2022 at 5:28 pm | Reply

      Hemp can be hit or miss. I’ve had both.

      Sounds like you got some from a sloppy manufacturer.

      I’ve heard that some organic cotton can be problematic for some people because some manufacturers leave in the seeds, which can be irritants, and can’t be washed out.

      The shipping container pesticide contamination is a thing too (there’s a post on this site about that).

      I recently got some things of hemp that I think are oecotex certified, and they don’t smell too much new, but are wrapped in mylar until I can do the detox process. (I have covid brain now, on top of MCS/ES brain issues so my memory and sense of smell are affected more than they ever were before). I hope they detox easily, because they are much thinner than I expected, and I’m concerned they will be falling apart by the time they are safe, if they used something my body doesn’t tolerate in them (no way to know, there are no lifecycle labeling requirements). Fingers crossed.

      As for the EHS, EMF sensitivities, I have some too, but have already been stuck at home for years due to MCS/ES access barriers, so don’t know how bad it has become in the years I haven’t been out, but I suspect it could be brutal now.

      Maybe something here can help:

      https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7139347/

      and

      https://www.womenscollegehospital.ca/care-programs/environmental-health-clinic/electromagnetic-field-hypersensitivity-(ehs)

35. Amy | December 18, 2022 at 7:55 am | Reply

    Hi Linda, I’m Amy!
    Reading your Title and first line, sounds like me. Unfortunately I’m down to 2 shirts they look like rags and 1 pair of pants. My need for clothes is also urgent. I’m so cold going anywhere this time of year and because of my severe sensitivity to all kinds of things indoors, I have to work outside. (I do some gardening and shovel snow as well. I’ve been shoveling snow for the past 3 winters without a coat because I can’t wear anything I find even if it claims to be safe. My clothing pile is huge of all the things I’ve bought and cannot wear. The strange thing is that I used to be able to wear things from Cottonique and I no longer can! Ever since their clothing changed to more of a yellow stretchy fabric I can’t wear it:/ I also used to be able to use the towels from fuzzy logic but the last two orders I placed I wasn’t able to use those towels. I’m so confused. I also cannot use anything from Rawganique that claims to be safe including blankets sheets clothing and towels, however, I think the greatest blessing of all is to have found shoes that I can wear because I was going barefoot for close to two years! Rawganique makes glue free shoes there are 4 pair I can wear and I have several pairs of each.
    If you’d like to talk about it please call me I’d be so happy to hear from someone who experiences the same things as I do.
    I have only been able to self diagnose what was making me so ill about three years ago.
    Thank you for your post

    • jonanonym | March 11, 2024 at 10:59 pm | Reply

      Recently I ordered many Rawganique clothes. My issue is that they all smell exactly like any non organic new clothes bought from local stores in person. Is this normal for a supposedly organic clothing? Secondly, I have been considering Cottonique clothes instead since at least they have any kind of organic certification. Here goes my question to anyone experienced with Cottonique after the May 2011 – Have you experienced a similar type of smell on your cottonique clothes? My Rawganique have this kind of typical nose irritating store bought clothing smell (not hugely strong, but quite irritating and definitely present), and I was wondering if the other brand is any different currently (I don’t ask for experiences pre 2011 and your experiences must involve something larger like a shirt and not tiny like underwears). I’m considering returning my items, so I hope someone can give me feedback, so I can make an informed choice.

36. jonanonym | March 11, 2024 at 11:01 pm | Reply

    Hello Linda & Every other kind person

    Recently I ordered many Rawganique clothes. My issue is that they all smell exactly like any non organic new clothes bought from local stores in person. Is this normal for a supposedly organic clothing? Secondly, I have been considering Cottonique clothes instead since at least they have any kind of organic certification. Here goes my question to anyone experienced with Cottonique after the May 2011 – Have you experienced a similar type of smell on your cottonique clothes? My Rawganique have this kind of typical nose irritating store bought clothing smell (not hugely strong, but quite irritating and definitely present), and I was wondering if the other brand is any different currently (I don’t ask for experiences pre 2011 and your experiences must involve something larger like a shirt and not tiny like underwears). I’m considering returning my items, so I hope someone can give me feedback, so I can make an informed choice.

    • linda @ Seriously "Sensitive" to Pollution | March 12, 2024 at 12:27 am | Reply

      ALL new clothes, textiles, materials have a smell to them, even 100% certified organic… The question is how many washes do they need to remove whatever smell they have, and some things that have a smell don’t cause symptoms.

      Cotton and other fibers do smell when new, and unless certified with the cert that doesn’t allow synthetics there could be some allowed finishing chemicals etc(I always forget if it’s ecotex or GOTS, I think maybe GOTS is the better one)

      I haven’t received anything from Rawganique in over a decade, so I can’t speak to that.

      Cottonique is hit or miss. I’ve gotten bigger and smaller things from them over the years, as have others in the fb groups… Sometimes they are great, other times their stuff has been fragrance contaminated or otherwise weird.

      They recently said they had a new packing company and got complaints so they just switched to another one who was supposedly on board with the program.

      Time will tell.

      • jonanonym | March 12, 2024 at 1:49 am | Reply

        Thank you kindly for your feedback. I have never bought ‘organic’ undyed clothes before, so perhaps my expectations were too high. I also reached out to you on Facebook, so I’m sorry for the higher message count. I know not to do this as this section is still active.

        In terms of issues, I have a neuromuscular condition and react to various impurities. There must be something chemical added for sure, otherwise, I wouldn’t feel my nose all irritated and my larynx contracting (my breathing passage is constantly tight every day, and problematic substances simply make this noticeably worse). I had 2 attempts by now and things end the same exact way, so it wasn’t a coincidence.

        You are right that certificates can be helpful, and I believe GOTS can be more strict as it controls the whole production. Unfortunately, my biggest disappointment was learning that Rawganique has no certificate. I find this extremely weird because of their official text, quoting “As customers have found out from their own experience, many companies greenwash their brands by using terms like “Eco” or “Made in USA” (but from components grown and sourced from China or “Organic” (but certified in China and formaldehyde and dioxin are liberally used in productions), etc… We can assure you that we are not into such rhetoric. We purposely stay small, so we never have to compromise.”

        ^ This is indeed happening, and for this reason, people check certificates. So I really don’t understand how Rawganique officials can write something similar. Shaming companies which use the ‘organic’ label yet lack a valuable certificate when themselves they literally act the same way. As they don’t provide us with GOTS or any other useful certificate, so the consumer can be sure that it isn’t just a label and the production is organic on all steps (also during fabric’s processing). Being all ‘trust us bro we do things right’.

        I asked them about this, and their response was that they are a small company and that certificates are valuable for big brands which have multiple sources of their materials… Okay, but the ‘trust me bro’ approach is not trustworthy. Certificates are still very valuable to us.. So, in the end, we really can’t know anything outside of their beautiful story of how unprocessed they are.

        Unfortunately, I likely can’t even afford to return. As they don’t accept paying for the shipping themselves in the case of returns. As I’m buying in Europe, I would likely have to pay a second fee just to send it back, shipping cost + 30% of the value as customs fees and such.

        In summary, I have mixed feelings and a lesson to always order 1-2 clothes first just to check my reactions. Also, always check the GOTS certificate and never trust someone’s words alone, as we live in a twisted world where people will do anything if we allow them. Rawganique may be good for their shoes, for example, but I won’t get any non-certified product anymore, just to avoid the unnecessary stress of having to trust their words (as in reality, they could do anything).

        I’m going to try Cottonique, likely from their official store as selling from Amazon.de (their European shop closest to me) could cause more confusion with bad shipping companies. And I’m going to focus on cleaning the clothes I have / selling them in my country if they won’t work for me at all.

        I’m sorry for a long response & I wish you a stable and positive day. :)

        • linda @ Seriously "Sensitive" to Pollution | March 12, 2024 at 2:33 am | Reply

          Rawganique could be so good, but they mess up in so many ways, and I don’t know if it’s incompetence or what.

          Maybe you can contact cottonique before you buy from them, to ask which products they had complaints about and which have been complaint free recently?

          There must be something in the EU that is good.

          Have you checked Hess Natur (sp?)?

          There were a couple of other companies I recently looked at that might have been really good, but shipping to Canada wasn’t an option (or something, I forget what now).

          Maybe google unbleached organic cotton clothes + EU?

          Linen and hemp, especially if certified, can be good options for some of us.

          If you like colourful stuff, and can afford their sale prices, Gudrun has some eco textile things that aren’t too bad, but they still required maybe 10 washes (by hand, mostly colder water, with hot, and a washing machine, might be easier). I have been able to wear a couple of things without boiling them too, which I also used to have to do. Note that most of their things are fairly thin, some are almost see through, and it’s not clear in the photos, so if possible ask them about that.

          H&M’s 100% linen seems to be similar re how many washes needed, cottonique too (as was rawganique when I had their stuff).
          I haven’t found anything that doesn’t need to be detoxed first, but I don’t think I’ve had anything GOTS yet..

          Have you connected with MCS Aware in the UK? Their group might know of safer more affordable clothes closer to you.

          There’s a group in Spain too, and maybe Belgium – there’s a fb group there at least.

        • linda @ Seriously "Sensitive" to Pollution | March 12, 2024 at 2:42 am | Reply

          Also, here’s another post about detoxing new clothes (with a link to the one on Seriously Sensitive to Pollution).

          She also has a list of safer clothes, but they all need to be washed

          https://chemicalfreeaf.com/f/new-clothes

          Her list of possible clothing sources is here, maybe that’s how I found the ones I looked at a while ago… Cottonique is mentioned, but I think it was her who has had some recent discussions about cottonique on her fb page (my memory sucks these days and I don’t have the spoons to check like I used to be able to)

          https://chemicalfreeaf.com/f/new-clothes

          Some are really expensive and some are in the EU.

          And sorry if you sent my fb page a message, fb made it a real pain to use pages so I hardly ever use them anymore.

        • linda @ Seriously "Sensitive" to Pollution | March 12, 2024 at 2:46 am | Reply

          Oops, I accidentally shared the same link twice in my last comment, here they are again:

          https://chemicalfreeaf.com/f/new-clothes

          https://chemicalfreeaf.com/f/clothes-for-the-canary

          • jonanonym | March 12, 2024 at 3:50 am | Reply

            Thank you kindly for offering me your time and more information. I understood your messages, you are clear.

            “Maybe you can contact cottonique before you buy from them, to ask which products they had complaints about and which have been complaint free recently?”

            This is a very good idea, so thank you. I’m going to ask them directly in one or two places. They should care and respond since their marketing advertises caring for people with allergies and sensitivities.

            Cottonique appears to be an interesting option currently. I’m only unsure how their ‘unbleached’ claim works in practice. I have analyzed various fabrics recently as I ordered undyed cotton fabrics for my bed sheets (www.naturstoff.de/shop/en), and there I never saw anything so bright (no raw fabric). Cottonique appears to be very bright. So perhaps they don’t use bleach but brighten the fabrics somehow.

            GOTS certification (which Cottonique has) may allow other kinds of brighteners, possibly hydrogen peroxide (oxygenated water) or ozone to brighten clothes. “For sizing, at least 75% of sizing agents should be of natural origin. For pre-treatment, ammonia treatment, as well as chlorination of wool, are prohibited. Only oxygen-based bleaches like peroxide, ozone, etc., are allowed.” (https://global-standard.org/certification-and-labelling/who-needs-to-be-certified/wet-processing#:~:text=Only%20oxygen%2Dbased%20bleaches%20like%20peroxide%2C%20ozone%2C%20etc.%20are%20allowed)

            Rawganique has clothes that more often look as raw and undyed as the fabrics I analyzed. But they also have a few underwears that are similarly bright, so their methods aren’t constant. I see this raw appearance as a plus for them, but it was equally important for me to spend money only on products with certificates this time, for the investment in my health I made.

            I wasn’t aware that more people have strong sensitivities to chemicals, so it is helpful to acquire this new knowledge. Before I made the Rawganique order, I wasn’t aware of MCS groups, not knowing that other people explain their experiences and share what they learned.

            I’m going to join various groups now, hopefully, I find ones that have a good number of active members from EU areas. I could then contribute to the community and share the observations I made. For example I have strong reactions to drinking water brands, it may give people some ideas about what they could test themselves.

          • jonanonym | March 12, 2024 at 8:21 pm | Reply

            I have been thinking about the process of detoxify items. In the past I was interested in the topic of water, I mentioned to you that I have stronger reactions to it if the quality is off. In my case soft water is largely more safe and problem free.

            Before finding good water brands I considered buying a water distillation device, but I never acted on it because of the price and being unsure of the results (if I attempted to drink it even if I added some minerals back to it). At that time I also learned that distilled water absorbs substances from its surrounding (other surfaces and the air) more readily.

            Based on this (if what I heard is true) wouldn’t it be more effective at absorbing toxins from items?

            For this to be safe I would have to produce my own distilled water (not buying a ready one from plastic packages). Then I would have to test my reactions to the water itself. Then I would have to soak the clothes one by one in a glass container, as plastic or metal ones could release something into the water (more easily if it is completely detailed).

            I asked an AI about this, and while it isn’t worth that much (its trustworthiness / reliability can be doubted) it has reached some similar conclusions:

            “# Introduction

            Distilled water is known for its purity, having been stripped of minerals and contaminants through the process of distillation. This characteristic of distilled water, being free of dissolved substances, does indeed affect its interaction with its environment and the substances it comes into contact with. Absorption Characteristics of Distilled Water

            Distilled water is more reactive in terms of absorbing substances compared to regular tap water. This is because distilled water, having no minerals or impurities, has a higher affinity to dissolve substances to reach an equilibrium. In chemistry, this is often referred to as the process of osmosis or diffusion, where a solvent naturally moves to balance concentration levels of solutes.

            When it comes to storage, distilled water can absorb trace amounts of whatever material the container is made from, especially if the container is made from certain plastics or metals that can leach chemicals. This is why distilled water is often stored in glass containers to maintain its purity. Implications for Drinking and Detoxification

            For drinking purposes, the lack of minerals in distilled water can be seen as a downside. Minerals like calcium and magnesium are essential for health, and regular consumption of distilled water may lead to a deficiency in these minerals if they are not adequately sourced from other dietary means.

            In terms of detoxification, distilled water can be beneficial. Its ability to absorb and pull in substances makes it a good solvent for cleaning and detoxifying items. When items are soaked in distilled water, the water can help to draw out impurities from those items. Conclusion

            In summary, distilled water does absorb substances more readily due to its lack of dissolved minerals and impurities. While this can be a disadvantage for drinking water, as it may absorb unwanted contaminants from storage containers or the air, it can be advantageous for purposes that require a high level of purity, such as detoxifying objects or in certain laboratory applications. It’s important to consider the intended use of distilled water and the environment in which it is stored to make the most of its unique properties.”

            • linda @ Seriously "Sensitive" to Pollution | March 12, 2024 at 9:00 pm |

              That’s really interesting.

              I can’t use regular tap water for my clothes (or consuming) as all the “emerging contaminant” residues remain in the clothes.

              I recently messed up some clothes I was trying to detox in a friend’s machine, her eco scent-free deterg left some residues in the machine that transfered to the clothes, even tho I had run the machine on empty and with some sacrifice items… sighs…

              I have double carbon whole house filtration that is no longer enough to clean out whatever is in the tap water.

              I am searching for filters with ANSI/NSF 53 (Health Effects) and NSF 401 (Emerging Compounds/Incidental Contaminants) certification

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