'Toxic' Chemicals in Car Seat Covers

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Niea

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I believe the toxic chemicals are used to make the plastic shell too, not just the covers. Unfortunatley, these chemicals are the same ones that have been used for years in the manufacturer of car interiors. So whether we use carseats or not, we're still exposed everytime we sit in the car.

That "new car smell" is actually from toxic fumes being released from the interior components. And have you ever had your windshield get a little foggy during the summer? That's called out-gassing and happens when the plastic/vinyl of the dash heats up and releases more toxic fumes.

So the bottom line is, I'm not worrying about the carseat. Because if I worried about the carseat, I'd have to worry about the car. And without a car, I wouldn't need a carseat. But I do need my car, so I conclude it's out of my control and not something worth worrying over. DD is only in the carseat for 30 min/day max, most of the time we have the windows down. Might be good incentive for people with infants to stop using the seat as a carrier, but that only seems to be a big problem if you're in a confined space.
 

teekadog

Active member
I'm hyper sensitive to the "modern day toxicity" issue, but you can't escape it. Even my friends that live off the grid still use cars and car seats. Anyway, I figure it's a battle we can win bit by bit... I'm starting with writing letters to car seat manufacturers to put natural fabric cover options out there. :twocents:
 

Knittingfor4

New member
I hate that they are everywhere. And I wish I could get 100% cotton covers. Of course I wish I could get 100% cotton vehicle interiors too. But our homes, paint, furniture, tupperware, dishes, books, clothes, food, water all have toxic chems. It sucks, and I try to avoid as much as I can afford to, but in the end you can't let it run your life. Cause just breathing gives you toxic chems!
 

solmama

Active member
For a good scare read SILENT SPRING by Rachel Carson. The cornerstone of the modern environmental movement and enough to make you realize that virtually nothing has changed in the 40+ years since she wrote it. Okay, not that anyone here has time to read:).
 

southpawboston

New member
I'm hyper sensitive to the "modern day toxicity" issue, but you can't escape it. Even my friends that live off the grid still use cars and car seats. Anyway, I figure it's a battle we can win bit by bit... I'm starting with writing letters to car seat manufacturers to put natural fabric cover options out there. :twocents:

they may put natural fiber covers out there, but they will still be treated with fire retardant chemicals, as required by law. :(

unless you sew all your own (or your child's) clothing from chemical-free natural fibers, it's an uphill battle to try to avoid exposure to chemicals everywhere. the best thing you can do to try to escape the chemical world is to eat organic foods... by far the largest exposure to chemicals is via ingestion.
 

Knittingfor4

New member
Also absorbtion. Skin is highly porous and absorbs astonishing quantities of chemicals. Everything you put on your skin should be organic. Also, a whole house water filter is good since tap water contains chlorine, chemicals and organisms. However, even these measures won't keep 100% of toxins away from us. It's in the air, water, dirt. Even organic fibers and food aren't as pure as they were a couple hundred years ago.
 

Jordynsmama

New member
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Also absorbtion. Skin is highly porous and absorbs astonishing quantities of chemicals. Everything you put on your skin should be organic. Also, a whole house water filter is good since tap water contains chlorine, chemicals and organisms. However, even these measures won't keep 100% of toxins away from us. It's in the air, water, dirt. Even organic fibers and food aren't as pure as they were a couple hundred years ago.

You just cannot escape it. Then people wonder why do we get cancer? Well humans created it. Everything we have pollutes the earth with chemicals and toxins. That is the price we pay for technology. There was a time people used ONLY what God put here. So now we have created things that were not meant for our bodies. And now all we can do is our best to avoid what we can without living in a bubble.
I went to Whole Foods the other night and bought herbal toothpaste, mineral sunscreen(chem free), chem free body wash, lotion and face wash..... But then the packaging probably has chemicals. Ugh. I was reading this book called "never be sick again" and it freaked me out big time:eek:
 

southpawboston

New member
Then people wonder why do we get cancer? Well humans created it. Everything we have pollutes the earth with chemicals and toxins. That is the price we pay for technology. There was a time people used ONLY what God put here.

i agree about the chemicals which we can not avoid, but i have to disagree about humans creating cancer. cancer has been around for as long as humankind, but most people prior to the industrial revolution (and the birth of chemical living) died early deaths from other diseases or injuries. given the chance to live long enough, most people will develop cancer, no matter how chemical-free they live their lives. cancer is caused by mutations in the chemical structure of DNA, which is sensitive to environmental conditions such as oxygen and UV rays, every bit as much as man-made chemicals. and the older we get, the less the DNA can protect itself from acquiring mutations.

sorry for the science lesson, but as much as i am anti-chemical (and if you read my older threads on organic diets, you'll know this about me :) ), i don't agree that cancer is a man-made phenomenon.

Also absorbtion. Skin is highly porous and absorbs astonishing quantities of chemicals. Everything you put on your skin should be organic. Also, a whole house water filter is good since tap water contains chlorine, chemicals and organisms. However, even these measures won't keep 100% of toxins away from us. It's in the air, water, dirt. Even organic fibers and food aren't as pure as they were a couple hundred years ago.

right. that's why the next "phase" of my family's transition to more organic living will be skin and home cleansing products. so far we've been 80% organic in terms of diet for a couple of years now, and the skin products are the next phase... starting already this spring with our DDs.
 

Melizerd

New member
I'm having a problem now because of this article.

I have people that are terrified to use seats on the list. I have a friend who I recommended the Marathon to her. It's not even the platinium cover that was rated bad and now she's thinking of returning it for the Scenera, which personally I think is silly since she has a seat and loves it but is afraid of it now.
 

Kellyr2

New member
I absolutely hate using chemicals. I use as many natural products as possible/I can afford. However, there are too many benefits to carseats - and IMO, to the Britax ones, to make me worry about their chemicals too much. Being able to harness longer outweighs the chemicals in this case.
 

Melizerd

New member
How do I go about telling her or others though who are going to tell me that the Britax isn't worth the price now? I know they're worth it but I think other people are going to use it as a reason to not buy one.

what a pain in the rear.
 

southpawboston

New member
well for anyone who is worried about the britax carseat chemicals... or any carseat chemicals, for that matter... just wash the cover before you use the seat... or wash it twice... that might not remove *all* the "loose" chemicals used in the manufacture but it should help... and any chemicals that don't come out in the wash are going to be released from the material at such a slow rate as to not really be worth worying about, IMHO.
 

Simplysomething

New member
. Then people wonder why do we get cancer? Well humans created it. Everything we have pollutes the earth with chemicals and toxins. That is the price we pay for technology. There was a time people used ONLY what God put here.


Well, for what it's worth, there are plenty of natural things that are toxic to humans. I'm just saying.
 

Knittingfor4

New member
If you have someone who truly doesn't want to use a carseat because of offgassing, which I think is totally bizarre and irresponisble btw, then tell them if they don't their baby will die. If they must they can purchase all cotton covers. But only if their home and vehicle are made of 100% natural materials and they eat only 100% organic foods and use 100% organic personal and home products! Otherwise, there's not too much point :rolleyes:

Oh, and what's the deal w/Britax? Do they think Britax uses more chems than Cosco? I'm totally confused on that one! Britax has the denim option, which even thought it has flame retardant on it, and was grown using pesticides, is a better choice than the all synthetic covers.
 

Melizerd

New member
Thanks for the extra info. I agree it's just people looking for a "good" reason to be irresponsible.

I'm glad I have the Denim cover now though, even though I didn't see it on the study, it makes sense that a natural fiber would have less chemicals then a purely synthetic one.

Can you buy the denim cover right from Britax for an extra/replacement?
 

southpawboston

New member
If you have someone who truly doesn't want to use a carseat because of offgassing, which I think is totally bizarre and irresponisble btw, then tell them if they don't their baby will die.

i would say that's going a bit far... saying your baby WILL die by not using a carseat is approaching presumptuous, and would mean that every baby who rode in a car between the advent of the automobile and the introduction of mandatory seatbelt usage would have died. i'm all for friendly persuasion, but factual inaccuracy i am not a fan of...
 

skaterbabs

Well-known member
Well, statistically speaking they are more likely to die. It's the number one cause of unintentional injury and death.
 
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