Organic Cotton - is it worth the extra cost?

September 18, 2007

I was concerned about this question when I was researching the possibility of stocking organic cotton sheets at Gorgeous Things. For several reasons, I’ve now come to the conclusion that it’s worth the extra cash and this is why.

• Everyday our bodies fight a truckload of toxins in the air, our food and our personal care products so it initially just made good common sense that we should give our bodies a bit of a break at night. Our rest and recuperation time should ideally be spent in the most favourable surroundings to have maximum effect. So, organic seems an easy choice there.
• Organic cotton actually gets stronger with time so with proper care you sheets will be more durable and actually last longer than non-organic sheets.
• If you have allergies, eczema, psoriasis or dermatitis then you’ll help relieve symptoms by sleeping on sheets that have not been chemically treated. Did you know it takes half a kilo of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers to make just 1 sheet? So add up all those bottles of ‘not soap’ derma products you buy at the Pharmacy and maybe put the money into a set of sheets that have no ‘chemical nasties.’

There are of course may reasons that organic is better for our planet but most of us are generally more concerned about what’s in it for us - the environmental benefit is important to us but more so after price, effectiveness and convenience. The more of us who buy organic though, the cheaper it will become - simple supply and demand.

If you’d like to do more reading on how we can make better products that serve our needs as well as the needs of our planet - because the 2 really are the same thing. You can check out Cradle to Cradle or head to our Start a Conversation page for more ideas.