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Organic Clothing Blog ~
Laundry folklore is rich with home remedies for removing or reducing fumes, odors and chemical irritants from your clothing. One of the more interesting is to soak clothing in a solution containing a half cup of powdered goat’s milk. We have been unable to find any scientific or practical reason why soaking in a solution of goat milk might be effective. Goat milk (pH 6.7) is slightly more alkaline than cow milk (pH 6.4) and does have smaller fat modules but the nutritional content is very similar. We suspect that the persistence of this technique might be more due to the soothing psychological image than any actual chemistry. If you have tried and are convinced of the efficacy of soaking clothing in goat milk to remove chemical irritants, we would love to hear about your experiences. The fats and butter solids in fresh or powdered milk can seriously stain your clothing if allowed to dry before laundering so go straight from the milk soak to the washing machine.
Here are guidelines for removing or reducing fumes, odors, scents (like perfume, cologne and deodorants), smells and chemical irritants (like shipping fumigants, pesticides and anti-mildew sprays) from your clothing.
- Air them out. Hang clothing, even nearly purchased clothing, in the open air and allow to air out and off-gas. This will help remove smoke, fumes, and smells trapped in your clothing and will also allow offgassing ofVolatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) such as formaldehyde used in the garment dyeing or finishing process or of pesticides and fumigates such as methyl bromide used during shipping. Hang the clothing in a breezy (you can use a fan), warm and sunlit room to facilitate the airing-out and off-gassing. Because the off-gassing might contain VOC’s, hang the clothes outside or in a room containing fresh air and lots of leafy green plants, such as Boston Ferns, which will absorb and remove VOCs from indoor rooms. The length of time depends upon how saturated the clothing and the sensitivity of the wearer. The hanging length of time can be as little as a few hours to a couple weeks. Remember, formaldehyde used in new carpet adhesives and wood building materials can take several months to a year or more to off-gas.
- Soaking. Soak clothing in a sink or washing machine filled with warm water before washing. Add one cup of baking soda, washing soda or Borax. Our experience is that several hours (or overnight) are usually sufficient although some people will suggest up to several days. Rather than soaking for several days, it is probably more effective to repeat the airing – soaking – washing – drying cycle several times if necessary.
- Washing. Complete the laundry cycle and wash according to the manufacturer’s instructions. The choice of laundry detergents is very important. Most conventional laundry detergents are made from synthetic petrochemicals and laced with artificial dyes, fragrances and optical brighteners. Besides being hard on the environment, the toxic chemicals in these laundry detergents can also leave a residue on clothing that can irritate the skin and cause a rash. The new generation of ‘green’ laundry detergents is made from vegetable-based cleaning agents, do not contain artificial dyes or fragrances, are more effective at removing dirt, stains and odors from clothing, and are gentler to the environment and to the wearer.
If possible, stop the washing machine when it has filled the basin for the rinse cycle and add a cup of distilled white vinegar to the rinse cycle. The vinegar rinse will also brighten fabric colors and remove alkali residues from soaps and detergents. Let soak for an hour before completing the rinse cycle. To insure that all detergent has been rinsed from your clothing, select your washing machine’s extra rinse cycle if it has one and add nothing – just water – to this extra rinse. - Drying and Airing. Dry on a clothes line or clothes rack in the sunlight. Sunlight will help remove odors and smells but bright sunlight can cause dyes to fade. The line drying will also provide a final opportunity for clothes to air out. If you must dry in a clothes dryer, use a low temperature as high temperatures can actually cause any remaining odors to “set” into the fabric by bonding with fibers and dyes.
- Repeat if necessary. Once through this process will effectively remove smells and irritants for most people. If your clothes still have bothersome odors or are chemically irritating, you can repeat the process.
There are some chemicals, such as formaldehyde, that are bonded tightly to the fabric. The conventional clothing manufacturer went to great effort to put that chemical in your easy-care fabric and they really don’t want it to come out easily. Repeated washings and airings will reduce the effects but it might take many washings and many days to reduce them to a level that is acceptable to you, especially if you are chemically sensitive. We strongly recommend avoiding conventional chemical clothing. Do the environment and yourself a favor and dress in natural and organic fabrics.
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