Shatnez Sh’eilos

I recently bought my son an expensive coat and then found out it has shatnez in it. What should I do now?

In most cases, the shatnez can be removed and the garment will be kosher. Sometimes, when the actual fabric of the garment is made out of a combination of wool and linen, the garment may not be able to be made kosher.

My son receives a lot of his clothing from our neighbor who graciously gives us the hand-me-downs. Can I believe her if she says everything was already checked for shatnez?

As stated earlier, any frum Jew has credibility. If she (or he) says that the item was checked for shatnez, she is to be believed, even if the garment doesn’t feature a label stating that it was checked for shatnez.

Can I use fabric that hasn’t been checked to make curtains for my kitchen?

If the curtains are made out of soft material and will be hung in a loose manner, then it’s an issur d’Rabbanan for it to be made out of shatnez material due to the concern that on a chilly day, one may wrap his hands or body with the curtain in order to warm himself. The same halachah applies to a tablecloth or to the cover of the bimah in shul.

My grandmother is a talented craftswoman and often makes us decorative items from materials that I know she hasn’t checked. May we display these items in the house or must they be checked first?

Displaying decorative items made out of shatnez material isn’t a concern; they don’t need to be checked, unless it’s the type of item that can be used to warm one’s hands or body, as mentioned earlier. [It’s permitted to wash wool and linen together in one load.]