Mommy Blog Post: What Are Our Kids Really Wearing? A Wake-Up Call From One Mom to Another

Carla Janse van Rensburg
May 7
4 min read

At 1:25 AM, I ripped a jacket off my sleeping toddler.

That sentence might sound extreme. But if you're a parent, you know those moments where your instincts scream louder than logic. I’ve always had a sensitive nose — I’m 32 now, and only recently realized that I likely have sensory issues of my own. Looking back, I’ve always been sensitive to smells, and it intensified after pregnancy.

Last night, when I put the soft fleece jacket on my son, I told myself I was just overreacting. But when I woke up at 1 AM and could still smell that same harsh, plasticky chemical stench, I knew it wasn’t in my head. I couldn’t leave him in it. I had to act.

I had unknowingly put my child in a ticking chemical cloud.

Are Synthetic Baby Clothes Safe?

Most of us buy clothes assuming they’re safe — especially when they’re made for kids. But what I’ve learned since that night is horrifying:

Synthetic fabrics like polyester, fleece, and nylon are made from petroleum-based plastic fibers.

When heated — whether in a tumble dryer, against a warm sleeping body, or under blankets — these fabrics can release VOCs (volatile organic compounds). VOCs are linked to:

Headaches and fatigue
Respiratory irritation and asthma
Hormone disruption
Cancer (long-term exposure — and even if it sounds dramatic, wearing chemically-treated clothing for 8–16 hours a day, every day, makes long-term buildup almost inevitable)

If you’ve ever Googled "Why does my baby’s fleece jacket smell like chemicals after drying?" — you’re not alone. One study found that polyester fleece can emit formaldehyde and other VOCs at rates of up to 0.1 mg/m²/hr after tumble drying. To put that into perspective, the WHO’s safety guideline for formaldehyde exposure is just 0.1 mg/m³ over 30 minutes.

But here’s the catch: those tests are done in full-sized rooms with air circulation — not with toddlers who sleep with their faces 10 cm from their sleeves or chew on their cuffs. That kind of close-up exposure? It’s not tested. But it matters.

Why Aren’t These Tests Made for Toddlers?

This is where the ethical issues begin. Clothing companies make products specifically for babies — they know how children behave. So why are safety tests still modeled on adult-like exposure scenarios?

Are companies avoiding more accurate testing because they don’t want to see the results? At best, it's negligence. At worst, it’s an industry-wide cover-up hiding behind outdated lab methods and technical fine print.

Is It Safe to Tumble Dry Baby Clothes?

The label says: "Do not tumble dry."

That tiny phrase lets brands avoid accountability. It's not just fabric care — it’s legal shielding. If your baby breathes in toxic fumes after drying a synthetic jacket, they can say, “Well, you didn’t follow the label.”

But here’s the truth: in most homes — especially in cold or damp climates — tumble drying is a necessity, not a luxury. And most of these garments don’t shrink or fall apart when tumble dried. Why? Because they’ve been chemically engineered to survive the heat.

And let’s be honest — how many of us, even as kids, threw our clothes in the tumble dryer or hung them over a heater in winter for that extra bit of coziness? It’s something we’ve done for generations, without ever realizing that heat could be releasing invisible chemicals into the air — and into our lungs.

If brands are designing for heat durability, then they know people will tumble dry. And if they know that, then they know off-gassing will happen. And they do it anyway. That should concern every parent.

If baby clothing brands were truly honest about what their care labels meant...

Of course this isn’t a real brand. But doesn’t it make you pause? Because deep down, we know that fine print isn’t always written with our children’s health in mind — it’s written for liability.

The Hidden Cost of "Convenience" Labels

Ever wonder what labels like "wrinkle-free," "easy-care," or "stain-resistant" really mean?

They sound helpful. But they often mean the fabric has been chemically treated with things like:

Formaldehyde to keep clothes smooth
PFAS ("forever chemicals") to resist stains — even though they’re banned in food packaging and firefighting foam
Flame retardants, which are linked to hormone disruption and developmental delays

So while these finishes make laundry easier, they may be exposing our children to harmful substances — especially when worn daily, slept in, or chewed on.

Who’s Most at Risk?

Let’s be clear:

Factory workers inhale these chemicals daily — and I can bet they have some piece of paper voiding them of liability here too
Moms like us unknowingly wrap our kids in VOCs
And our children — with faster breathing, thinner skin, and developing bodies — absorb it all

They wear it. They sleep in it. They chew on it.

And we trust that if it’s on the store shelf, it’s safe. But is it?

What Baby Clothes Should You Avoid?

This isn’t about fear — it’s about informed choices. Here's what I’m doing differently now:

Avoid labels like "wrinkle-free," "easy-care," "stain-resistant," and "flame-retardant"
Wash all new clothes with a fragrance-free detergent and air dry them
Choose materials like untreated bamboo, modal, or OEKO-TEX® certified fabrics
Watch for any chemical smell — trust your instincts
Support brands that are transparent about their materials and finishes

If you’ve ever thought, “This doesn’t smell right,” — you were probably correct. Trust that feeling.

This Is Bigger Than One Jacket

Last night, I couldn’t sleep. Not just because I was worried about my son — but because I kept thinking:

How many babies are sleeping right now in clothes that could be hurting them?

If this post made your stomach turn — good. Mine did too.

We can’t fix everything overnight. But we can start asking louder questions. We can read the fine print. And we can start saying: this isn’t good enough for our kids.

Written by a concerned mom, for other parents who care.

Questions this blog helps answer (because I’ve Googled them too at 1AM):