Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
We've been at a loss for where to get good sheets for a while now. Some have a coating and after a wash they are a .... washout. Several years ago we could get 250 tc and that was excellent. Friends who slept over thought they were luxurious. And they were from Penny's. Even 350 tc isn't great now. I'm afraid to pay the cost of high tc if they are just going to be very ordinary.
It's common knowledge. If she didn't quote that site it would have been another site. Polyester against your skin isn't too good. The chemicals too--I once bought some sheets that I couldn't use even after several washings because they made me itch so much. Yes, they are treated with some nasty chemicals and you don't want that on your skin or to be breathing it in either. We wonder why there is so much cancer--well, it all adds up, little by little.
The problem with "common knowledge" is that it is often made common by people spreading information that is unreliable at best. Opinions not backed by evidence are simply...opinions. Everyone has them; some worth more than others.
Of course polyester is made from chemicals, which in and of itself is meaningless. Having a problem of an additive being retained after repeated washings is not indicative of an entire product cavity and anecdotes about one person's reaction to any product is also meaningless. I won't even address the unsupported leap to the cancer scenario; it doesn't add up to anything without evidence.
For the record, I only use cotton sheets and wash them before the first use because cotton sheets may also retain traces of chemicals used in the manufacturing and packaging process.
The problem with "common knowledge" is that it is often made common by people spreading information that is unreliable at best. Opinions not backed by evidence are simply...opinions. Everyone has them; some worth more than others.
Of course polyester is made from chemicals, which in and of itself is meaningless. Having a problem of an additive being retained after repeated washings is not indicative of an entire product cavity and anecdotes about one person's reaction to any product is also meaningless. I won't even address the unsupported leap to the cancer scenario; it doesn't add up to anything without evidence.
For the record, I only use cotton sheets and wash them before the first use because cotton sheets may also retain traces of chemicals used in the manufacturing and packaging process.
My beliefs are due to my doctor's warnings. You have to wash sheets before using them to try to get the chemicals off and that's true even with cotton sheets. Did you not see the list of chemicals in Elnina's post?Not enough research has been done on the effects of chemicals but when links are "possible" or "probable" I think most people think it's smart to be proactive.
Elnina's statement about the toxins was not just mere opinion. You often have to get beyond the USA to find information from other countries where everything is not about money, but is more about safety and health. I'll give you one American link and it's to breast cancer and plastics:
A growing body of evidence from experimental, body burden and ecological research indicates that there is a connection between environmental factors and breast cancer. There are over 85,000 synthetic chemicals on the market today, from preservatives in our lipstick to flame retardants in our sofas...
My beliefs are due to my doctor's warnings. You have to wash sheets before using them to try to get the chemicals off and that's true even with cotton sheets. Did you not see the list of chemicals in Elnina's post?Not enough research has been done on the effects of chemicals but when links are "possible" or "probable" I think most people think it's smart to be proactive.
Elnina's statement about the toxins was not just mere opinion. You often have to get beyond the USA to find information from other countries where everything is not about money, but is more about safety and health. I'll give you one American link and it's to breast cancer and plastics:
A growing body of evidence from experimental, body burden and ecological research indicates that there is a connection between environmental factors and breast cancer. There are over 85,000 synthetic chemicals on the market today, from preservatives in our lipstick to flame retardants in our sofas...
What I saw was a list of the chemical ingredients that she says goes into making polyester. Whether or not these ingredients are used in making polyester sheets is unknown by me. Whether these ingredients are altered or removed during the manufacturing process is unknown by me. Whether these ingredients exist in sufficient quantities in bedsheets to have any affect whatsoever on the human body is unknown to me.
Nobody eats bedsheets; do these ingredients enter the body simply by contact or proximity? I suspect that neither you nor Elnina is prepared to supply any documented evidence that anything on the list is harmful to the general population as used in bedsheets but would welcome the opportunity to examine any such thing.
Virtually anything could be called "possible;" to alter one's life to eliminate all possibilities would only open one to exposure to other possibilities. Simply because I read unsupported opinion on the internet does not prompt me to alter my lifestyle.
The opinion piece you link is not evidence of anything but an all-encompassing, nonspecific alarm against all things synthetic. I can point you to dozens of articles that will link chronic stress to all varieties of cancer; perhaps creating chemical boogiemen for every substance one encounters in daily life is causing too much stress for too many people.
I'll continue to examine the science and live comfortably while not subjecting myself to too much stress worrying about every vague allegation made by anyone with a soapbox. Your mileage may vary.
Back on topic: simply stating that using polyester sheets is bad for one's health is totally unsupportable by any measure of science.
What I saw was a list of the chemical ingredients that she says goes into making polyester. Whether or not these ingredients are used in making polyester sheets is unknown by me. Whether these ingredients are altered or removed during the manufacturing process is unknown by me. Whether these ingredients exist in sufficient quantities in bedsheets to have any affect whatsoever on the human body is unknown to me.
Nobody eats bedsheets; do these ingredients enter the body simply by contact or proximity? I suspect that neither you nor Elnina is prepared to supply any documented evidence that anything on the list is harmful to the general population as used in bedsheets but would welcome the opportunity to examine any such thing.
Virtually anything could be called "possible;" to alter one's life to eliminate all possibilities would only open one to exposure to other possibilities. Simply because I read unsupported opinion on the internet does not prompt me to alter my lifestyle.
The opinion piece you link is not evidence of anything but an all-encompassing, nonspecific alarm against all things synthetic. I can point you to dozens of articles that will link chronic stress to all varieties of cancer; perhaps creating chemical boogiemen for every substance one encounters in daily life is causing too much stress for too many people.
I'll continue to examine the science and live comfortably while not subjecting myself to too much stress worrying about every vague allegation made by anyone with a soapbox. Your mileage may vary.
Back on topic: simply stating that using polyester sheets is bad for one's health is totally unsupportable by any measure of science.
The evidence and your opinion are two completely different things.
We might like or not your opinion, but we believe in evidence. Please don't contradict facts if you can't prove to the contrary.
Saying that the Earth is flat doesn't make it flat...
Cotton sheets are composed of cellulose primarily. That means few acidic chemical moieties on the fiber surface. Polyester is long chain hydrocarbons that have been connected via esterification reactions. Because there are more neutralizing hydrogen’s there is an extremely small electrical force. Extremely small. Some skin is rough or dry or oily or otherwise somehow sensitive to this or notices it because the tiny electrical force might repel moisture a tiny bit, like when a person is hot and sweaty. So some people are less comfortable with polyester if they are “moist” at night. Big deal.
And I suspect new polyester sheets, since they repel moisture yet are packaged in plastic for sale, are produced with some sort of wash that keeps them looking good in the package. Simply prewash your new poly sheets before you use them to remove it. It would not be toxic but might either smell funny or feel funny if you left it in and slept with it. All chemicals used in making the polyester threads are long gone before the sheets are woven.
One may not eat bedsheets. Many of us eat fish that lived in the ocean.
Every time we wash anything tiny bits of the fiber are released into the water.
Fish has microfiber in the flesh. All of us who consume fish from the ocean are ingesting microfiber.
That's why we only buy wool, cotton and linen.
A friend is in the clothing manufacturing business. I asked him about another thread regarding washing new clothes. He advised the stabilizers used in the fabric during the cutting and sewing process should be washed out before wearing.
I use cheap 100% cotton and expensive linen sheets . The Lands End on sale linen fits the bed way better than the $39 Costco sheets. And I expect to pass the linen sheets on to my grandkids.
Love linen sheets for a warm/ hot seasons:they have a “ cooling” effect, nearly indestructible and the more you wash them the softer they are. Very pleasant for your skin.
For a cold climates/ seasons- cosy 100% cotton fleece- Portugal makes good ones if you can find them.
And only 100% silk for pillow cases- no matter the season!
I don’t think my sheets are too expensive. I buy percale at the Company Store. However, I don’t think they last as long as they should.
I can remember sheets lasting 15 years. And I’m sure if I could stand having posies on my bed, I could find sheets that would last that long. But I really like the percale fitted sheets in geometric patterns with a matching duvet covers, which seem to be only available at the Company Store.
And when they rip I repair them. And when the repair doesn’t hold anymore then I try to buy new ones. The soft muted colors of today, the pastels that people seem to prefer are not my taste. I like bold colors. And the Company Store percale sheets that are not part of the match sets system are very rough and scratchy. Not good quality at all.
Love linen sheets for a warm/ hot seasons:they have a “ cooling” effect, nearly indestructible and the more you wash them the softer they are. Very pleasant for your skin.
For a cold climates/ seasons- cosy 100% cotton fleece- Portugal makes good ones if you can find them.
And only 100% silk for pillow cases- no matter the season!
I use the Smart Silk pillow Protector. It is a silk filled cotton pillow cover and I cannot praise it enough. Very, very expensive, but I got mine at more than 60% off, gosh I miss my little Home Store. It was one of those ‘treasure hunt’ stores and it had amazing discounts on very nice, often high-end home furnishings. Sigh. Closed down about 6 months ago.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Solly says — Be nice!
