Should I be cautious when re-purposing fabrics?

[Swan3]

I have a TON of old fabrics in my basement and some are from curtains that I had to cut in half. I'm wanting to make picnic blankets (for kids) out of these but am thinking maybe they've been treated with fire retardant stuff.

Does laundering make a big difference in this? Is this anything others are concerned about? What about waterproof fabrics? I'm wanting to recycle the stuff local factories don't use anymore and make them into various things for kids too...

I want to use fabrics that have already been made and are destined for the dump, usually these don't come with fabric contents or info on how they are treated? Should I just got with untreated fabrics I buy from the store?

[sunnysandiegan]

Are the recipients your own children? If so, I would use what you have after washing and drying.

If the recipients are other people's children, then I would be prudent and use fabric that I know for sure is made of child-friendly materials.

[cristeen]

This isn't even something i would think about. But it depends on the original article. Curtains, tablecloths, sheets don't tend to be fire-resistant. In fact i can't think of any household fabric that would be.

[Swan3]

Originally Posted by cristeen

This isn't even something i would think about. But it depends on the original article. Curtains, tablecloths, sheets don't tend to be fire-resistant. In fact i can't think of any household fabric that would be.

I know that baby's sleepwear is treated to be fire-resistant, most of it anyway. When buying fabric there's warnings about not using certain ones for sleepwear because they AREN'T fire resistant.

Maybe I'm overthinking things? Totally possible!

[sapphire_chan]

Well then, you're good to go. I would wash them since you're going to potentially have food inside (e.g. an apple), but I think you're clear on the chemicals front.

If you're curious about the type of fabric, you can do a burn test.

[Swan3]

Originally Posted by sapphire_chan

Well then, you're good to go. I would wash them since you're going to potentially have food inside (e.g. an apple), but I think you're clear on the chemicals front.

If you're curious about the type of fabric, you can do a burn test.

I can tell what kind of fabric it is...just not the types of treatments. Although you're right about the burn test for the fire-resistant stuff...

[sapphire_chan]

Originally Posted by Swan3

I can tell what kind of fabric it is...just not the types of treatments. Although you're right about the burn test for the fire-resistant stuff...

Ooo, good point, you check for fire retardant by using fire.

A quick Google earlier indicated that it washes off with soap (as opposed to conditioner).

If you're worried about other chemicals, then older fabrics are better than new since they've been out of the factory longer and have been washed more.