You’re lying in bed, enjoying a well-deserved nap, when you notice that annoying white tag sticking out of your pillow. It says, “NO ONE BUT THE CONSUMER MAY REMOVE THIS TAG.” Get ready for the time when you doubt yourself. What does that mean? Is it truly not okay to take it off?
Let’s be clear: if you own the pillow, you can take the tag off without breaking the law or having federal officers come to your house. That label is not for you as a customer; it is for stores and manufacturers.
The “do not remove” tag, often called the law label, was made to protect buyers. In the early 1900s, some bedding makers used dirty things like scraps of fabric, dirty stuffing, or anything else they had on hand to fill pillows and mattresses. After that, they sold these things without telling anyone. Lawmakers told businesses they had to put labels on their goods that said what was inside. The stern warning was meant to make sure that stores didn’t take off the tag before the buyer could look at the item.
The regulation doesn’t apply anymore once you sell the item. You are now the buyer, and the warning makes it clear that taking it off is only against the law when you buy it. You can go ahead and cut it off; the law won’t catch you.
That being said, you might want to take a break for a minute. You can take the tag off, but it can be helpful to keep it around. Most of the time, these labels have information about how to clean the item, the warranty, the materials used to make it, and how it was made. Having the tag on the item makes it easier to return it, file a warranty claim, or give it away. Some places that accept donations even require that used bedding have its original tags on it for health reasons.
It’s also important to note a few exceptions. Labels on baby and toddler items like car seats and crib mattresses usually have important safety or compliance information on them. Taking these off could make warranties void or take away important information about how the item was made that would be needed in case of a recall. If that’s the case, it’s best to leave the tag alone or ask the maker again before removing it.
The tag’s dramatic language may seem unnecessary now, but it originates from a time when strict laws were necessary to protect customers. These days, it’s more of a formality. The phrasing in the business hasn’t changed completely, though, so it still stays on pillows and mattresses.
Is it possible to cut the tag off your pillow? Yes, you can. It’s totally okay. Just take a second to think about whether the information on the label will be useful later. If not, you can take it off and enjoy your pillow without the outdated warnings poking you in the neck.
