truth in labeling.... in a full disclosure kind of way

I recently decided to jump on the bandwagon and make a few sets of the widely popular "microwave" bowls.  Per the internet:  

"These bowl-shaped pot holders are the perfect thing to stack next to the microwave to prevent burns and spills.  They're also great for watching television with a nice warm bowl of soup or chili.  

It is very important that you do not use anything except 100 percent cotton: cotton fabric, cotton batting, and cotton thread.  Polyester and other synthetics are apt to melt and can even start a fire if used in the microwave."  

So use everything 100% cotton.  Got it !!!  I have lots of scraps and batting that I plan to use for this project.   I verified:

     Fabric - Selvage says 100% cotton 

     Thread - Label says 100% cotton

     Batting - Description says 100% cotton

Yet I hear of them scorching.  again and again I hear this....  so I wonder....  

?? Did the makers not use 100% cotton?  they swear they did.   

?? Did the users overheat them?  Instructions say turn food after 2 minutes and no longer than 6 minutes total.  they swear they followed directions.

?? Did food or oil spatters on the bowls cause it?  Users swear the bowls were clean when used.

Being a Libra, and having other annoying character flaws affected by this type of situation, I needed to understand why there was scorching.   If everyone is doing everything correctly, how can there be scorching???

Settling down with a couple sleepy kittens on my lap, I wandered the internet looking for answers.  Unfortuntely, the kittens has plenty of time to nap.

What I THOUGHT I learned is that something claiming 100% may not be 100% - 100% cotton.  Does that make sense? No....  and I agree.  While the batting IS 100% cotton, as claimed, the scrim attached to the batting may not be.   

I went to look for up-close-and-personal answers....   and found some disturbing info.  Please be aware that I do not hold the box store that I used as a research site responsible for what I found....

If you look at the label on the front of the package or box of batting, you may see a claim of 100% cotton batting.... but when you look at the materials content (a section that looks like the tags on pillows) on the back or bottom, you may see poly content anywhere from 6% to 12%, based on the brands I reviewed.  

Frankly, I was, well, just a bit put-out about this.  

Ok. I was pissed.   For several reasons:   

1 - I can't use my batting scraps for this project.   Trust me this part was more upsetting than it sounds.

2 - How can they say 100% anything when its not 100% what they claim.  (I found a juice in the grocery store that claimed "100% fruit juice....  water added".   I understand that water was removed and is benign but it is NOT fruit juice and it WAS added.)  

3 - Will people receiving my bowls be reluctant to use them because they have heard of the scorching problem?

4 - Can I trust my research?

(see above reference to annoying character flaws....)  

Now we are down to my stubbornness.  My mind is somehow set in cement that I make these.  I feel confident that I found a reasonable culprit for the scorching.  

New review:

     Fabric - Selvage says 100% cotton AND it has been washed and dried without fabric softener

     Thread - Label says 100% cotton

     Batting - 100% cotton per all labels, references, and website information

Thus I will go forth and make microwave bowls from the batting I deemed acceptable based on my (soon-to-be-patented) 14-point batting label verification process and purchased.

WAIT.....  How do I really know that the thread is 100% cotton?  (eye rolling)

THINKING.....  NO claims of scorching at the thread lines.   We are good, right?

...  Going forth and making.     Stay tuned for photos!!!