Frequently Asked Questions

Questions
How do I know if my couch or other furniture contains flame retardants?
Can I get my furniture with foam tested?
Is my mattress treated with flame retardants?
Is my child’s mattress treated with flame retardants?
Is my carpet or carpet cushion treated with flame retardants?
Do children’s pajamas/ clothing contain flame retardants?
What can I do to reduce my family’s exposure to flame retardants?
Do slipcovers help prevent flame retardants from leaving the foam?
How can I buy products without flame retardants?
When will California’s new furniture flammability standard take effect, and will I then be able to buy a flame retardant-free couch?

How do I know if my couch or other furniture contains flame retardants?
If your furniture contains polyurethane foam and has a label stating that it meets California Technical Bulletin 117 (TB117), then it very likely does contain potentially harmful flame retardant chemicals. Unfortunately, even if furniture does not have a TB117 label, if it contains polyurethane foam, it could still contain flame retardants. Since there are currently no laws which require manufacturers to provide this information to consumers, the only way to know for sure is to test the foam by analytical chemistry methods. Read more on our blog: Does my furniture contain flame retardants?.
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Can I get my furniture with foam tested?
Not easily. Such testing would be quite expensive and isn’t readily available for consumers to the best of our knowledge.
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Is my mattress treated with flame retardants?
Probably not. According to the industry, flame retardants are not used in adult mattress foam in the United States. Adult mattresses are regulated by the much more severe flammability standard 16 CFR 1633 which cannot be met by including flame retardants in the foam. Inherently fire resistant barriers such as fiber batting or boric acid treated cotton fiber are used to stop fires before they reach the foam. Adult mattresses are unlikely to contain added potentially harmful flame retardants.
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Is my child’s mattress treated with flame retardants?
Smaller mattresses that contain polyurethane foam, such as juvenile and crib mattresses, often contain potentially harmful flame retardants instead of barriers. Since there are currently no laws which require manufacturers to provide this information to consumers, the only way to know for sure is to test the foam by analytical chemistry methods.
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Is my carpet or carpet cushion treated with flame retardants?
Carpets are not usually treated with potentially harmful flame retardants as there is no standard that we are aware of that would require carpets to contain these chemicals. However, bonded polyurethane carpet cushion, which is over 85% of carpet cushion currently produced in the United States, usually contains flame retardants. This cushion is made from the same flame-retardant foam that is used in furniture. One solution to avoid flame retardants is to use a fiber or felt pad under carpeting rather than bonded carpet cushion.
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Do children’s pajamas/ clothing contain flame retardants?
Probably not. Toxic “Tris” flame retardants were removed from children’s pajamas in the 1970s. Polyester pajamas and cotton pajamas that are tight fitting do not contain added flame retardants.
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What can I do to reduce my family’s exposure to flame retardants?
Most exposure to potentially harmful flame retardants occurs after the chemicals migrate out of a product’s foam and settle into household dust, which then enter our bodies by hand-to-mouth contact. Washing your and your children’s hands frequently can help reduce ingestion of dust containing flame retardants. Also vacuuming frequently with a HEPA filter and wet mopping can reduce household dust. You can download our flier, How to Reduce Toxics in Your Home or visit our Consumer Page to learn more. Visit our Take Action page to learn about what you can do to support toxic-free and fire-safe products.
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Do slipcovers help prevent flame retardants from leaving the foam?
Unfortunately, slipcovers offer no protection from potentially harmful flame retardants--the chemicals are not bound to the foam and can easily travel through a slipcover. The chemicals are constantly dispersing into the air, then settling in dust. Exposure comes primarily from ingesting contaminated dust. Babies crawl on the floor and put their hands in their mouths while pets, especially cats, lick their fur and in so doing ingest the chemicals. Try to wash your hands and you children’s hands frequently. Also, vacuum often with a HEPA filter and use a wet mop to reduce dust. You can download our flier, How to Reduce Toxics in Your Home or visit our Consumer Page to learn more.
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How can I buy products without flame retardants?
You can download our handout, Furniture Without Added Flame Retardants, which lists some options for buying flame retardant free furniture. You can read more about this issue on the New York Times blog, "What to Do About That Couch?"

You can also avoid products that contain polyurethane foam. Down, wool, and polyester fillings usually do not contain organohalogen flame retardants. Wooden and wicker furniture without any filling also does not contain organohalogen flame retardants. You can learn more on our Consumer Page or in our Safe Kids handout.

Long term, the problem of toxic furniture and baby products in our homes is best solved by a change in the out-dated California TB117 furniture flammability standard. Fortunately, the process of modernizing TB117 is currently underway and you can follow the change here. Download our Cancer-Free Couch fact sheet here.

To learn more about what you can do to support toxic-free and fire-safe products, visit our Take Action page .
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When will California’s new furniture flammability standard take effect, and will I then be able to buy a flame retardant-free couch?
The new proposed standard, TB117-2013, was released on Feb. 8, 2013. The public comment period ended March 26, 2013. The Bureau must evaluate and respond to comments, and then the regulation has to be approved.

Manufacturers can begin to make products under the new regulation as soon as it is officially adopted, which may be in the fall of 2013. July 2014 would be the mandatory compliance date if the regulation is implemented.

Flame retardants are not needed to meet the new standard, so once it is implemented it should be possible to buy flame retardant free furniture.

Green Science Policy Institute provides information to the public as a service. The content of our website, publications, and correspondence should not be considered advice or endorsement and is for informational purposes only. As a scientific institute, we strive for accuracy; however, occasional errors are unavoidable. Green Science Policy Institute is not responsible for decisions made based on information we provide.