Hidden Toxins - Unveiling the Chemicals Hiding in Your Closet
Wearing clothes to cover ourselves up per cultures, expressing fashion senses, protecting ourselves from harsh weather, matching the dress codes when vissiting places—the list is endless. It's no wonder the clothing industry is worth billions of dollars! But did you know your clothes could be harming you? This guide reviews the chemicals common in everyday clothing and their potentially damaging effects.
How Chemicals Work and Why They Could Be in Your Closet
If you are like most people, you focus on appearance when buying clothes. You want to ensure the clothes match your wants and needs, e.g., when shopping for an outfit that will stand out at your next office party. But beneath the appearance, there is much more to clothes - let's consider the chemicals that could be lurking within:
Oh yes - this chemical that's integral to many funeral homes also makes its way to clothes. Why? - It helps fabrics remain free of wrinkles, which makes them more attractive to buyers. On the downside, this chemical has been shown to irritate the skin and can result in some forms of cancer.
All the love to water-resistant clothes - think about how comforting it is to have waterproof clothes on a rainy day. But have you ever wondered what goes into making a fabric resistant to water, stains, and other annoyances? Well, these chemicals are to thank. They are also to blame for the resultant health problems, which can be as significant as infertility in some cases.
Do you love how soft new clothes feel? Besides the choice of fabric, this soft texture can also be due to these chemicals that enhance the smooth feel. Unfortunately, while the clothing might feel cozy, wearing phthalate-laden clothes pushes you closer to hormonal disruptions that can result in a myriad of issues, especially in your reproductive health.
Sometimes, the problems in the clothing start on the farm. Where a clothing manufacturer sources its raw materials also matters. And let's be honest. Pesticide-sprayed raw materials often come cheap, which pushes more manufacturers to use them for lower operational costs. But on the downside, the chemicals remain in the fabric and affect the people who wear such clothes.
Additional chemicals include azo dyes and heavy metals used in coloring clothes. Their dyes are incredibly alluring. However, their impact on people's health is quite bad. On a general note, harmful chemicals in clothes can affect your body in the following ways:
- They can affect your respiratory system and breathing patterns; for example, inhaling chlorine bleach can trigger asthmatic reactions.
- They can irritate your skin and lead to issues such as rashes—formaldehyde is well known for this effect.
- They can disrupt your hormonal balance, which leads to issues such as infertility. A good example would be PFASs, which affect the endocrine system.
They can increase your chances of developing some diseases, e.g., cancer and metabolic disorders.
Moreover, due to the different workings of these chemicals, you can develop multiple chemical sensitivities. The severity can vary from a few mild headaches to chronic fatigue to anaphylaxis.
How to Protect Yourself and Remain Fashionable
The truth is that wearing chemical-laden clothes for a day won't harm you. However, continuous exposure to these harmful chemicals predisposes you to problems such as asthma, skin rashes, and even some types of cancer. You can reduce your risk of such reactions by making the following choices:
Choose clothes made from organic fabrics sourced from organic farms
This selection removes pesticides and fertilizers from the equation, thus solving the farm problem. Stick with natural dyes. Most people choose most clothes on the market because of their appearance. But while natural dyes may not be as vibrant, they are much safer for you and the environment. Besides, newer eco-friendly clothes manufacturers have found unique ways to bring out the beauty of natural dyes.Air out and wash new clothes
You might be eager to try on that new sweater or pair of shorts, but airing out your new clothes before washing them helps you reduce their chemical levels.
Consider buying from thrift stores
This option is good for the environment and you. Since these clothes have already been worn and washed a lot, they are likely to contain fewer chemicals than if you bought new clothes from the manufacturer.
Look beyond wrinkles and water resistance
For clothes to have special features such as stain resistance and wrinkle-free aspects, they often undergo chemical-reliant treatments using harmful chemicals like PFAS. By skipping these features, you can reduce your chemical exposure.
Be careful with your washing habits - you could skip the farm and store chemicals only to increase your chances of irritation by washing your clothes with chemical-heavy laundry products. It's thus ideal to use natural detergents.
Do you ever read labels when buying clothes? Now would be a good time to start. Labels can help you determine which clothes have been certified by eco-friendly organizations.
Conclusion
Synthetic chemicals in clothes might help them look better and reduce their maintenance needs (all that ironing). However, they also pose grave health concerns, and it's thus best to avoid wearing chemical-laden clothes as much as possible.
