OK, Toy Time Tim aside (and folks, he's a professional, don't try this at home) I'm starting to wonder if the infatuation of flame testing toys "to see if they're what it says they are" is getting a little out of hand. Am I alone here?
I think, also, we need to be really careful with flame testing if we insist on doing it. Putting a match to anything that might be TPR (and in the long run TPR isn't a bad material, but it isn't pure silicone) or certain plastics could result in toxic gases being released or fires gettting out of control. Somebody is going to get hurt. Not to mention ruin toys that otherwise might have served them well in many respects.
Also, there is no obligation to flame test anything. If the toy smells funny it probably isn't medical or 100% silicone. Perhaps contacting the manufacturer and kindly inquiring into the material of the toy is a better idea. I have NEVER flame tested a toy myself. I contact manufacturers and I am always nice and they are more than happy to give me information.
Also, sometimes the Product Page or even the box is incorrect or not up to date, but the people at the manufacturer will get to the bottom of the issue and let you know.
Fr'instance, a toy I know isn't 100% silicone (because I did the DR and contacted the manufacturer who TOLD me what he toy was made of, and they never said it was 100% silicone, they gave me the actual make up) was recently "flame tested" for a review with disastrous results. An hour later, I read an other review (for a toy I am not familiar with) that had similar awful results.
Burning polymers in a home environment is SIMPLY not a good idea, unless you really know what you are doing. My concerns are for people's respiratory systems, and for.... their houses. One toy, made of an otherwise fairly nice material like TPR, that goes up in flames could give someone an asthma attack, make them sick, cause a migraine or even cause a house fire.
There NO obligation to flame test toys to write a review on these toys. I'd like to call a moratorium to this, especially if it's obvious the toy ISN'T silicone. "It smelled like plastic, so I set it on fire to see."
Most of the toy manufacturers of toys Eden carries are more than happy to email you with information. Not only is this easier than.... setting your toys on fire. It's a hella safer.
I hope I'm not out of line here. It's all fun and games until somebody has an asthma attack that requires hospitalization or burns down their house.
Let's leave...uh... pyrotechnics to people like Tim, who have the knowledge and the experience and the safe spaces to do it.
I think, also, we need to be really careful with flame testing if we insist on doing it. Putting a match to anything that might be TPR (and in the long run TPR isn't a bad material, but it isn't pure silicone) or certain plastics could result in toxic gases being released or fires gettting out of control. Somebody is going to get hurt. Not to mention ruin toys that otherwise might have served them well in many respects.
Also, there is no obligation to flame test anything. If the toy smells funny it probably isn't medical or 100% silicone. Perhaps contacting the manufacturer and kindly inquiring into the material of the toy is a better idea. I have NEVER flame tested a toy myself. I contact manufacturers and I am always nice and they are more than happy to give me information.
Also, sometimes the Product Page or even the box is incorrect or not up to date, but the people at the manufacturer will get to the bottom of the issue and let you know.
Fr'instance, a toy I know isn't 100% silicone (because I did the DR and contacted the manufacturer who TOLD me what he toy was made of, and they never said it was 100% silicone, they gave me the actual make up) was recently "flame tested" for a review with disastrous results. An hour later, I read an other review (for a toy I am not familiar with) that had similar awful results.
Burning polymers in a home environment is SIMPLY not a good idea, unless you really know what you are doing. My concerns are for people's respiratory systems, and for.... their houses. One toy, made of an otherwise fairly nice material like TPR, that goes up in flames could give someone an asthma attack, make them sick, cause a migraine or even cause a house fire.
There NO obligation to flame test toys to write a review on these toys. I'd like to call a moratorium to this, especially if it's obvious the toy ISN'T silicone. "It smelled like plastic, so I set it on fire to see."
Most of the toy manufacturers of toys Eden carries are more than happy to email you with information. Not only is this easier than.... setting your toys on fire. It's a hella safer.
I hope I'm not out of line here. It's all fun and games until somebody has an asthma attack that requires hospitalization or burns down their house.
Let's leave...uh... pyrotechnics to people like Tim, who have the knowledge and the experience and the safe spaces to do it.
