PFAS Widespread in Water and Stain-Resistant Outdoor Clothes, Home Linens

“The chemical industry has been arguing that, ‘oh, we’ve been moving away from these substances, we’re no longer using them.’ And that’s not true.”

When companies use PFAS to make products stain- or water-resistant, they are using chemicals that contaminate homes, drinking water, and breast milk with highly persistent chemicals that can cause cancer and harm the immune system. Shutterstock

Looking for a new tablecloth or comforter? You might want to take a closer look if it’s stain-resistant because it likely contains toxic “forever chemicals,” according to a new report.

The non-profit Toxic-Free Future found that almost three-quarters of 47 pieces of outdoor apparel, bedding, and kitchen linens that were marketed as stain- or water-resistant contain one or more per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS. And many of these items contained specific PFAS banned in the European Union and no longer made in the U.S. due to their health effects.