Can you get chemicals out of cotton baby clothes/diapers?

Question: Hi, I am looking to cloth diaper my first two children. I am trying to buy only organic diapers (the part which will touch their skin) but they are more expensive and less readily available than diapers with 100% cotton interiors. I am wondering, can I "wash out" the chemicals used to make this kind of cotton? I have to prep the diapers anyway and wash them 5 times to get the absorbency up and working... 

Would love to know if these chemicals can be washed out. Also, can fire-retardants be washed out? 

THANKS so much, 
Robyn

Answer: Cotton FABRIC does NOT contain pesticide residues. These are removed during processing. This has been laboratory tested in Germany. Cotton BATTING DOES contain pesticide residues, if it is not organic, as it is not as processed as cotton fabric. So it is imperative to buy organic cotton batting, as in a mattress or pillow, but not important to buy organic cotton diapers or clothing. 



The problem with cotton fabric is the finishes, such as a permanent press finish, which releases formaldehyde. Most fabrics of any kind have a "sizing" applied, which washes out in the first wash. Five washes is plenty to remove sizing, but no amount of washing removes permanent press. Dyes are also not a concern if they are "colorfast," that is, they don't bleed when you wash them. 


The reason to buy organic cotton is that conventionally-grown cotton uses a huge amount of the most toxic chemicals, which get into our air and water and soil, and indirectly into our bodies. But the amount of pesticide residue from conventional cotton fabric is nothing.
Debra :-)

This answer was provided by our friend, Debra Lynn Dadd. Hailed as "The Queen of Green" by the New York Times, Debra Lynn Dadd has been a pioneering consumer advocate since 1982, specializing in products and lifestyle choices that are safer for human health and the environment. She is the author of Home Safe Home.