Mortuary Pants

Mortuary pants are plastic undergarments used by funeral homes to stop bodily fluids from leaking. They cover a dead body from the waist all the way down to the toes. Funeral directors use them when a body has leaking wounds, heavy swelling in the legs, or fluid leaks after an autopsy. By holding the liquid inside the plastic, these pants keep the person’s burial clothes and the inside of the casket perfectly clean and dry during a viewing.

If plastic undergarments slip when a body is moved, fluids can leak out. To prevent this, Classic Plastics designs these pants with a strong elastic waistband. This elastic band fits snugly around the waist and holds the plastic firmly above the hips. It ensures that when the body is lifted, turned, or dressed in a suit or dress, the pants stay exactly where they belong and keep the leak barrier secure.

Yes, the feet are completely sealed. Gravity naturally pulls fluids down toward the bottom of the legs, which is where cheap plastic garments usually fail. Classic Plastics fixes this problem by making the pants with fully enclosed feet instead of open ankle cuffs. The plastic at the bottom of the legs is sewn and heat-sealed together at the factory. This creates a solid, watertight seal that completely blocks liquids from escaping.

The material you choose changes how thick the pants are, how strong they are, and how they sound under clothing:

• Clear Vinyl (Standard): This is a budget-friendly option made at an 8 mil thickness. It is very strong and lets you see through the plastic to check on wounds or incisions after dressing, but it can make a slight plastic crinkling sound if the body is moved.

• Premium Opaque Polyolefin: This is a white, “soft-touch” material made at a 6 mil thickness. It has a quiet, dull finish that eliminates plastic rustling sounds completely. Even though it is slightly thinner, it is three times tougher than standard vinyl, making it highly resistant to tears from sharp toenails or thick autopsy stitches.

It depends on which material you buy. The Standard Clear Vinyl pants are made of PVC plastic, which contains chlorine. When PVC is burned in a crematory machine, it releases toxic chlorine gas and harmful pollution into the air. This gas can damage the inside of the cremation oven and break environmental laws.

If the person is being cremated or having an eco-friendly green burial, you must use the Premium Opaque Polyolefin pants. This material is 100% chlorine-free and burns completely clean into a tiny bit of ash without creating dangerous fumes.