No matter how excited someone gets about holidays, it’s safe to assume just about every person gets some sort of enjoyment from Christmas.
Whether it’s for religious purposes, the notion of gift-giving, or spending time with loved ones, Christmas is truly a memorable holiday that’s meant for everyone to celebrate.
Still, there are a lot of points to be mindful of when decorating, especially with tinsel.
With this in mind, is tinsel flammable?
To answer this question…yes, tinsel is flammable. Although modern Tinsel variations are derived from PVC, once lit, it can still begin a fire no matter how intense the material is. Seeing as tinsel has been a part of the Christmas celebration for such a long time, it may seem odd that such a highly flammable product is hung out near hot lights. Still, this doesn’t stop people from utilizing tinsel in a safe capacity.
As fun as it is to celebrate Christmas, every person should be completely aware of the potential issues associated with decorating.
Seeing as decorating is such a fun activity to do, it’s an extra joy-killer when something goes wrong.
It’s always in your best interests to know precisely what to do in case something goes wrong.
Nevertheless, if you hope to learn more about tinsel being flammable, you’re in the right place.
Down below we will take an in-depth look at why it’s flammable and why tinsel was banned in some parts of the world.
Let’s take a look!
Why was tinsel banned?
Tinsel has a complicated history to it, but not necessarily due to its flammable properties.
Tinsel was initially made with silver but eventually switched to lead in the 20th century since lead contained its shine better than silver.
However, what people didn’t realize were the potential adverse health effects of utilizing lead tinsel.
Lead tinsel was eventually phased out in the 1960s due to fear of lead poisoning.
Some countries have fewer laws regarding lead tinsel, and you can still purchase some if you look hard enough.
However, the high lead property is what led it to be banned in so many countries.
Nowadays, as already discussed, tinsel is dangerous for another reason; its highly flammable properties.
PVC, also known as, Polyvinylchloride, is the third-most widely produced synthetic plastic polymer in the entire world.
Despite its popularity, it’s straightforward for modern tinsel products to catch fire, even though it has natural fire-retardant properties attached to it.
Is lead tinsel flammable?
Lead tinsel has an interesting discussion surrounding it since it’s associated with poison instead of flammable properties like most modern tinsel variants.
Still, this doesn’t mean lead tinsel won’t catch fire.
Seeing as tinsel has a natural flammable capability to it, this means lead tinsel is flammable just like any other tinsel.
However, it tends to not be as flammable as many modern tinsel variations.
Now, this doesn’t mean you should go online and purchase a bunch of lead tinsel since it’s not as flammable.
The lead poisoning issues are a massive problem you should pay attention to with any product you plan on buying.
Is PVC tinsel flammable?
As already discussed, the biggest issue with tinsel being flammable has to do with its PVC properties.
Although many argue PVC has natural fire retardant properties, this doesn’t mean it can’t catch fire.
This also hasn’t prevented companies from using it as their way to create tinsel and sell it.
All it means is you as a consumer should be much more careful with tinsel compared to other decorations.
A good rule of thumb is to ensure your tinsel isn’t placed near any lights that can have it catch fire.
If you can manage to do that, you should be fine and won’t have anything to worry about with your tinsel.
Just be mindful of everything and try not to place your tinsel near anything that can ignite it, or just don’t use tinsel at all.
Is silver tinsel flammable?
The best variation of tinsel is actually from the 19th century and before when it was derived from silver.
However, this method was costly, meaning not many families could afford silver tinsel.
Keep in mind, if you search for silver tinsel today, tinsel with silver as a color will pop up instead of actual tinsel made from silver.
If you happen to stumble upon tinsel made from silver, this is the best option to consider.
Now, silver tinsel can still catch fire, but it tends to be a much better option than other tinsel variations.
Realize too you most likely will have to invest a bit more into silver tinsel than you would with PVC tinsel.
Is tinsel dangerous?
The primary reason people wonder if tinsel is dangerous has to do with it being flammable and the lead poisoning issues from the first half of the 20th century.
As long as you purchase tinsel that doesn’t have any lead and you’re aware of how you should hang it around your Christmas tree, you won’t have any issues to worry about it.
The main concern stems from people who don’t know the potential danger of tinsel, causing a fire, and so on.
So yes, tinsel can be dangerous if you aren’t aware that it can catch fire easily.
It’s always ideal to be as informed as possible with this particular subject, so be sure to spread it to others who may not know tinsel is flammable.
Is tinsel fire retardant?
You may read some blogs that argue PVC isn’t flammable, but what they’re forgetting is how tinsel is crafted nowadays.
It’s natural stringy appearance makes it an effortless manner for it to actually catch fire.
It’s challenging to say for certain, so it’s worth trying to avoid any potential fire hazard.
PVC has burning characteristics closer to paper, wood, and straw.
Still, PVC companies argue that since it doesn’t have chlorine in its formula, that means it actually operates as a fire retardant.
A fire retardant is something that actually stops a fire rather than spread it.
Regardless, it’s in your best interest to be careful with whatever tinsel variation you use.