Wool is actually not very flammable - it only burns if one holds a flame directly on it. It's one of the ways people test if a mystery fiber is wool - if it continues to burn (and doesn't smell of burnt hair), it's not wool (or not entirely wool.)
Wool, is also self extinguishing. You can't light as easily, them, but they won't burn for long (if they are used by professional fire performers (cotton and silk as well), its a good measure). And the flames are easy to pat out... as opposed to any synthetic where you cannot pat it out (because it will stick to you/the blanket as well)
Professional fire performers (use wool cotton and silk in their outfits. And the flames are easy to pat out... as opposed to any synthetic where you cannot pat it out (because it will stick to you/the blanket as well)
Wool is self-extinguishing, insofar as no flame, no fire. But cotton goes up like a ... flame-y thing. But yeah, a lot of people worry about acrylic (being plastic) melting into flesh and causing deeper, more traumatic burns. Valid concern, but not everyone is convinced.
So many people say this about acrylic but to me it's crazy. Wool is probably better in terms of safety but cotton is probably much worse than acrylic - it goes up like a torch - I've seen photos of it. Acrylic will melt into a little bead & usually stop there - which means that, in most cases, it would probably meet the guidelines of the law - it would need continuous application of very high heat or flame for an entire garment to melt. And the fire safety code doesn't apply to garments for babies under 9 months of age. Also the laws apply only to sleepwear (I remember when it went into effect in the early 70's & polyester nightwear met the code without the application of any chemical retardant - so parents were buying polyester jammies for their kids rather than have them wear cotton that had been chemically treated). I mean really - what are the odds that a baby will have a glowing ember fall on him/her? Unless a parent is very careless & smoking while holding the baby on one's lap - even then it's quite unlikely. Very few
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Most cotton and a lot of wool (especially the stuff made for babies) is machine washable. Cotton might burn, but at least it'll burn up and not just melt onto the skin (which could happen if a fire is close enough, not necessarily just if there are direct flames)
Personally the fact that acrylic doesn't breathe is a good enough reason not to make a poor kid sleep wrapped in it. Ew.
I am a person who only wears natural fibers (mostly cotton) because I just can't stand the "I'm running a temperature" feeling I get from manmade fibers (it's a real problem when I have to find a dress - I mostly live in T's & heavy cotton knit pants or shorts in the summer). But knitted blankets don't affect me that way - I have a few acrylic afghans, both knitted & crocheted, & the openness of the fabric seems to make them more breathable. And children seem less affected by manmade fibers. For my grands, I generally use cotton poly blend yarns both for ease of care & because knitting with 100% cotton makes my wrists hurt. They feel very cottony & the kids love them (but then they love anything I make for them).
I'm not sure I understand this. Do you mean in that it is more likely to melt? Because wool and cotton are also flammable, too.
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You get a much worse burn when the burning stuff sticks to the skin -- think napalm -- and toxic fumes.
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Wool, is also self extinguishing. You can't light as easily, them, but they won't burn for long (if they are used by professional fire performers (cotton and silk as well), its a good measure). And the flames are easy to pat out... as opposed to any synthetic where you cannot pat it out (because it will stick to you/the blanket as well)
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Professional fire performers (use wool cotton and silk in their outfits. And the flames are easy to pat out... as opposed to any synthetic where you cannot pat it out (because it will stick to you/the blanket as well)
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Personally the fact that acrylic doesn't breathe is a good enough reason not to make a poor kid sleep wrapped in it. Ew.
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