Before making anything with stretch (jersey) fabric we always give it a wash. You always get shrinkage usually of between 5% to 10% and you do not want to spend the time making something which is a lovely fit, for it then to not be so once it has been through one cycle in the washing machine!
The second reason is to give it a spin to try and get rid of any residual dyes or chemicals used in the making or printing of the fabric. If your child has particularly sensitive skin you might want to also look out for the following:
GOTS
Looking to Organic Fabrics may help to reduce any reaction from fabrics to sensitive skin and it may also give you some reassurance that there should be a reduced chemical content to the fabric following its processing.
GOTS stands for the “Global Organic Textile Standard” and this is the worlds leading processing standard for textiles made from organic fibres. Basically it requires that any fabric which is GOTS contains at least a minimum of 70% organic fibres. It also requires that dyestuffs used must meet certain environmental and toxicological criteria.
OEKO-TEX®
Another standard which looks to improve the quality of fabric in terms of the reduction in chemicals used is OEKO-TEX®. This was started in 1992 and only products which are checked successfully on the basis of strict criteria are allowed to be marked with the OEKO-TEX® certification.
The criteria relate to testing for harmful substances regarding chemicals that pose a health risk and the therefore fabrics carrying the OEKO-TEX® standard can contribute to greater consumer protection.
