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View Full Version : what is fleece made out of?


LoveToReadMommy
06-28-2005, 10:50 AM
Does anyone know? How "un"natural is it? I'm wondering because I am loving fuzzi bunz......

Lady TS
06-28-2005, 11:01 AM
Fleece is usually polyester, as far as I know.

I know also that some fleece is made from recycled plastic(like pop bottles). Don't ask me how. :shrug

LoveToReadMommy
06-28-2005, 01:53 PM
What is polyester made out of? Anyone? I have NO clue. :grin

Moon
06-28-2005, 02:27 PM
The fleece in your FB is polyester, it's a synthetic material, off the top of my head I dunno what it's made with. A quick google search would tell ya ;)

LoveToReadMommy
06-28-2005, 02:55 PM
so is it basically made from chemicals? I am not trying to sound stupid here..... :blush

Moon
06-28-2005, 03:06 PM
Well I tried googling for the contents myself and failed.

Here's the dictionary definition~
pol|y|es|ter «POL ee EHS tuhr», noun.
any one of a large group of synthetic polymeric resins made by changing various acids into esters with alcohols, glycerol, or glycols.

And Worldbook.com says~
Polyester is any of a certain group of widely used plastics materials. One of the most important polyesters, polyethylene terepthalate (PET), can be spun into fiber, extruded (pushed through an opening) to make film, or combined with other materials and molded into plastic parts. PET is a thermoplastic—that is, it softens and melts at high temperatures. Polycarbonates are an important group of thermoplastic polyesters (see PlasticsTypes of plastics).

GrowingInGrace
06-28-2005, 03:42 PM
Most is polyester, though one can find fleece in cotton and hemp occasionally.

polyester at its most basic source comes from petroleum usually.

ChristineG
06-28-2005, 07:54 PM
Most is polyester, though one can find fleece in cotton and hemp occasionally.

This is true, but they are completely different kinds of fleeces. Polyester fleece is also known as polar fleece and is handy in diaper making because it is very breathable, but absorbs no moisture, so it can be used as an outer cover for diapers or as a stay-dry liner on the inside of diapers.

Cotton fleece is the material that cotton sweatshirts are made out of. Hemp fleece (which is almost always combined with cotton) is very similar. Both of these materials are completely different from polar fleece in their properties. Hemp and cotton fleece are both very absorbent. They make excellent diapers, nice and cozy and soft, but could never be used as an outside of a diaper or a stay-dry liner, because they suck up all kinds of moisture and feel wet. Polar fleece could never be used as the main part of a diaper because it does not absorb at all. The moisture (okay, PEE!) would not be contained at all. :heart

anniegirl
06-28-2005, 07:57 PM
polyester at its most basic source comes from petroleum usually.


Yep, it's a petroleum product, that's why they can make it out of recycled soda bottles. I really like fleece because it's so easy to care for and cheap. It isn't the most "natural" thing out there, but I don't have a problem with that. Some moms only use organic cotton and wool covers for that reason, but I'm not that hard core (aka, I'm too lazy), LOL!

Oops, I posted at the same time as Christine. She's a wealth of info!

Tex
06-28-2005, 08:11 PM
Look for 100% organic cotton, wool or hemp if you want natural/chemical free stuff. IMO if you are going to use polyester products you lose the benefit of having natural fibers on your child and move toward the health threats of plastic diapers.

HTH

Gailmegan
06-28-2005, 08:12 PM
Forgive me if I'm just confusing the issue, since I'm not familiar with fuzzi bunz, so I'm not sure the exact intent of your question, but "fleece" is wool. That is it's literal definition. Yes, there are imitation "fleece" products, made out of cotton or polyester, but "fleece" itself comes from sheep. Not sure if that helps or not. :/

LoveToReadMommy
06-28-2005, 08:29 PM
You are right, technically, fleece is wool. ;) I was thinking of polar fleece that is what fuzzi bunz are made out of. It's a pocket diaper, and the babies skin stays dry because the fleece wicks moisture away from the skin. That's why I like them. :grin

I started this cloth diapering venture with the intention of using organic cotten and hemp with wool covers, because I wanted to do it the most natural way. But now that I've been doing it for 6 weeks, I'm also going for convienance. (wool is builky during the day, and it's rough, I have texture/touch issues I think!) I guess I'm trying to justify having a stash of half hemp/organic cotten and half fuzzi bunz. My little guy is quite a soaker! Plus, if you pre-stuff the fuzzi bunz, it works like an AIO, which is great because he cries a lot, I want to get the change over quickly. (and dh is intimindated by this whole thing, and has only done a few changes!) :td

Thanks

Gailmegan
06-28-2005, 08:39 PM
Thanks for explaining more fully why you were questioning. I do know what fuzzi bunz "are", but never having used them I didn't know what they "are" as in materials. I guess I was a little fuzzy in my statement. No pun intended. Ha! Ha! Boy, do I need to shut off the computer and go to bed!!! :mrgreen

GodChick
06-29-2005, 03:29 PM
i'm new at cd-ing so forgive my jumping in here, but i just wanted to add:

i'm ok with using the fb's with polyester occasionally. i use fb's when i need the convenience or when i can't change right away, like in the car or at night, and i use cotton or hemp the rest of the time. i don't feel like i'm negating the benefits of cd-ing though, because, unlike sposies, some of the chemicals have been washed out of my fb's, and i'm still avoiding the carcenogenic dioxins inherant in the paper-bleaching process of sposies. :tu