If you’re still going to bed at night with that scratchy tag stuck on your pillow, here’s some good news: You can take it off without getting in trouble.
Although consumers don’t break any laws if they remove the tag, manufacturers and retailers do. If they remove the tag, or don’t attach one to their product, they’re breaking the law.
“It is important for manufacturers to comply with labeling requirements,” says Justin Paddock, Chief of the Bureau of Electronic and Appliance Repair, Home Furnishings and Thermal Insulation (BEARHFTI). “These labels ensure consumers know if the products they are purchasing are new or used, contain added chemicals, may pose a risk to family members with allergies, and that products meet basic flammability requirements. In short, these labels protect the health and welfare of households.”
The labels are there to tell you about what you can’t see—namely, what’s inside that sofa, chair, pillow, mattress, or other item that has filling that is not visible. The two labels consumers may be most familiar with are law and flammability labels. California law requires manufacturers to attach these labels to every piece of new upholstered furniture they sell. All new bedding products such as pillows, comforters, etc. must also have a law label. All new mattresses must have a white law label, which includes the finished size, weight of the filling materials, and the Federal flammability label. Used mattresses and box springs must be sanitized by Bureau-approved methods before they are resold and bear a yellow sanitization label.
Mattress labeling requirements in California began in 1911, in response to the fires following the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. At that time, there were no set standards for letting consumers know what materials were used in the making of mattresses, allowing unscrupulous manufacturers to use unsafe materials. It was discovered that those shoddy mattresses contributed significantly to the fires following the earthquake. In response, the Bureau of Home Furnishings was created to regulate the mattress industry in the state. The Bureau’s jurisdiction was later expanded to include the regulation of home furnishing products.
The law and flammability labels must be white with black print and attached to the items so they are easily visible. Labels must also be printed on material that is not easily torn (that’s why they’re so scratchy).
If you want to see examples of what the labels look like, what they are required to have on them, and explanations regarding the law and it requirements, take a look at BEARHFTI’s latest brochure, California Upholstered Furniture and Bedding Laws, online at http://www.bearhfti.ca.gov/forms_pubs/labeling_brochure_v6.pdf.
What does this all mean? It means you can get a good night’s rest knowing that what you’re sleeping on is safe. Plus, the next time you buy an upholstered or filled item or piece of furniture in California, you can tear off the tags with confidence. Once you buy it, it’s up to you.
6 comments
i want to know registration number CA42916(CN) certification
can you help me ?
Good morning, yes we can help you.
The registration number CA42916CN belongs to an importer, license number 159785, license name Tianjin Fujia Buyi Yidan Chang, address Beikou Cun Dasi Zhen Xiquing District, Tianjin 300385, China.
The license expires January 31, 2017.
To find this information, go to the Bureau of Electronic and Appliance Repair, Home Furnishings and Thermal Insulation’s website on the license lookup page
at http://www2.dca.ca.gov/pls/wllpub/wllqryna$lcev2.startup?p_qte_code=LIC&p_qte_pgm_code=5710 and enter the registry number as CA42916CN. Thank you
This is one of the reasons I don’t buy pillows. I hate pillow tags and I hate removing pillow tags. In fact I wish all things would naturally come without tags hanging off them.
Yes, I check the mattress tag. that tags help to learn how to properly clean your mattress and stop it from becoming a health hazard we have sheets, mattress toppers and mattresses sometimes come with tags and user manuals that include specific cleaning instructions. If not, contact your mattress manufacturer for advice. If you have a bed at home, these instructions are attached to its tag.
If I can’t find a tag should I report someone claiming to be a furniture brochure selling out of their house?
Thanks
mreman.ep@gmail.com
Hi Erik,
Here’s the response from the Bureau of Household Goods and Services’ Enforcement Program:
“If you suspect a business claiming to be a furniture broker is unlicensed or not complying with state law please file a complaint with The Bureau of Household Goods and Services. You can submit the complaint online at https://bhgs.dca.ca.gov/webapps/complaint.php, or call (916) 999-2041.”