To just want some ordinary school shoes and clothes?

[PrettyShiningPeople]

Why does every bloody thing seem to be treated with anti-bacterials or biocides at the moment?
Ds’s school shirts I bought him are going back to M&S as it wasn’t included in the online description that they are treated with biocides! I don’t want that stuff next to mine or my kids skin.

Now I’m trying to find a pair of school shoes and from Clark’s, to start rite to Geox to Next & Asda, they’re all treated with something.
I just want plain bloody shoes! Without anything added to them that can potentially contribute to the development of superbugs.

AIBU to wonder why manufacturers are suddenly using these things so prolifically (don’t they keep up with the news???) and leaving us with no other choice?

Ecooutfitters are your friend! proper cotton stuff, no strange coatings. lasts well, feels great

Thanks. I’ve used them before but the quality wasn’t great. Managed to find some other cotton shirts from JL that don’t appear to have been messed about with.

But what to do about the shoes!

Anyone else had this problem?

www.naturalhealthnews.uk/environment/2011/12/antibacterial-clothing-a-fashionable-threat-to-human-health/

From the article:

Washed from our clothes these substances contaminate the sludge from treatment plants. The sludge is then spread on farmland as fertiliser, taken up by crops and eventually ends up in animal feed and food consumed by humans.

*In addition to the environmental aspects there is also concern for direct exposure of young children who might suck on biocide-treated clothes. Newborn babies already have more than 200 contaminants in their blood when they are born. These are substances have been transferred from their mothers, who, in turn, have been exposed through substances in their food and drink, the air they breathe and what is absorbed through the skin.

There are also concerns that biocide use is contributing to the development of resistant bacteria and the development of cross-resistance to antibiotics, which in turn can lead to intractable diseases*

How do you know if clothing has been treated with them? I haven't heard of this before.

It’s already in stuff like pants & socks from places like Sainsbury’s & M&S, have a look at the labels next time you’re there.

It wasn’t advertised on the website for the shirts I bought, but it was written on the packaging they came in (at the bottom, in small print - photo to follow)

Really concerning for us and the environment.

I think the companies that manufacture these treatments must have been very persuasive, to encourage the textiles & clothing companies to use them.

I’m going to write to M&S about it.

It's not just babies that chew sleeves! I teach year 2 and there are always a few with jumper sleeves that are permanently wet rags at the sleeves!

I got Dd John Lewis school shirts and just looked at the pack and it says they have teflon for stain resistance.
The Asda George ones say they are stay white, but don't say anything is added or coated on them.

For shoes, we use primigi which seem to be ok in terms if weird coatings.
Ecooutfitters stuff changes a bit every year, this years is really hardwearing (lasted my football playing, tree climbing son through the year - m&s skinkind last us about 4 wears before the knees are gone)

I’m fed up with all this too..it seems gimmicky and a way of manufacturers competing. Cashing in on the irrational fear of germs. Remember Microban? That turned out to be dodgy.

Well exactly stayingaliveisawayoflife

That’s another one Troels, it’s bad enough that trousers are covered in it as well, they should just leave the shirts alone, there’s just no need!

Not sure Siameasy, I’m not sure they actually want to tell us, they just have to!

Might have found some shoes by Treads. It doesn’t say anything about treatments on the website description so we’ll see.

I didn’t realise the last pair of shoes I bought had been treated until I emptied the box to use for something else, and tucked away at the bottom was this little card.

@OtraCosaMariposa I thought you might also be interested in this in relation to your other thread.