Why Wash Before You Wear?

There are a couple of reasons to wash new clothes once before you wear them for the first time. One is to remove or diminish the chemical finishes that manufacturers put on clothes to make them look better, and the other is to rinse out excess dye.

Finishes won't bother everyone who puts on a new pair of pants, but there are some people with sensitive skin who could develop a rash. Babies' clothes should always be washed before they are worn because babies can be particularly sensitive to chemicals. New clothes that have been washed once will be softer and that makes them more comfortable to wear.

One common question that many people have at this point is, "Wouldn't it be better if the clothing makers didn't put any extra chemicals on new clothing?" One common reason to apply chemicals is mildew. Clothes that are made of natural fibers, such as cotton and linen, can mildew if they are exposed to moisture. Manufacturers use formaldehyde to treat clothes that have to be shipped a long way, say, from Asia to the United States, to prevent mildew.

Formaldehyde has a very sharp odor, and sometimes new clothes that carry formaldehyde-based resins will give off a pungent smell until they are washed. Formaldehyde is also blamed for allergic reactions in sensitive people. If you are a person who suffers from allergies, it is a good idea to wash your new clothes once before wearing them. You won't wash the finishes out completely, but you will reduce them somewhat.

Another tag that appears on clothing suggests that you "wash separately before wearing." The clothes that carry this tag often have dark or bright dyes that could run off on other clothes or even on your skin. Washing these items once before you wear them will get rid of the excess dye.

Article Courtesy of TLC

What is in moth balls? Is it harmful to people?

Clothes moths can be a real problem in clothes made from natural fibers (especially wool). There are two different types of moth balls used to combat the moths. In one type, the main ingredient is naphthalene, and in the other it is paradichlorobenzene.

The idea with both chemicals is to kill moths and moth larvae with the fumes. Both naphthalene and paradichlorobenzene sublimate, meaning they transition from a solid straight to a gas. The gas is toxic to the moths.

For either of these chemicals to be effective, they need to be placed with the clothing in a sealed container so the fumes can build up and kill the moths. In a sealed atmosphere like this, the fumes are not harmful to people because they are contained. The main threat would occur when opening the containers, or from wearing clothes immediately after opening (especially a problem for infants). A solution is to open the containers outside and let the clothes hang and air out for a day before wearing.

We all seem to have an aunt whose entire house smells like moth balls, and we have all walked in to public restrooms where the smell of paradichlorobenzene is nearly overpowering. Are these fumes healthy? The answer is "probably not." If you read the chemical descriptions in the links, you will find that neither of these chemicals is particularly good for people to breathe on a regular basis. Airing out clothes is a way to limit exposure.

A less toxic alternative is cedar blocks, shavings or oil. The blocks are expensive, but cedar shavings in the form of hamster bedding can be very inexpensive. Again, the container needs to be closed in order for the cedar scent to have a real effect on moths.

Article Courtesy of TLC

Why do most zippers say "YKK" on the pull-tab?

YKK is a huge company that makes zippers!

Here is a bit of zipper history. The "clasp locker" as it was called, was invented in 1891 by Whitcomb L. Judson. The clasp locker was an assemblage of hooks and eyes that Judson thought would save people time and sore backs fastening their shoes with one hand. Later, in 1913, Gideon Sundback of Sweden developed the predecessor of today's zipper that used metal teeth, and patented it in 1917. Sundback's design was the first design that saw practical use. Sundback's "separable fastener" had more fasteners per inch than the earlier clasp locker. Later, the B.F. Goodrich Co. used the separable fastener in some rubber boots and came up with the name "zipper" because the boots could be fastened with one hand. Today, zippers are also made of plastic as well.

Founded in Japan in 1934, YKK was called Yoshida Kogyo Kabushikikaisha, but 60 years later the company changed its company name to match its brand name. The privately held YKK Co. is headquartered in Japan and is made up of 80 companies at 206 facilities in 52 countries. YKK makes the entire zipper including the dyed cloth and the brass used to make the zipper.

A YKK factory site in Macon, Ga., produces 7 million zippers a day, in a total of 1,500 styles in more than 427 standard colors. It's the largest zipper factory in the world. The Macon site produces its own brass to make the teeth and slider parts of a zipper. The same factory also produces and dyes the yarn that is woven into the fabric portion of a zipper. And YKK also produces the machines that make the zippers! YKK has leveraged its knowledge of working with metals to form an aluminum building products division that now accounts for two-thirds of YKK's worldwide sales.

Article Courtesy of TLC

Miley Cyrus Poses with ADC

There's nothing better than FREE publicity! Take a peek at Miley Cyrus with sister, Brandi and friend Denika posing in front of ADC machines.

 

Photo Courtesy of Miley Cyrus Twitter

Can a Laundry Detergent Addictive Clean the City Air?

A leading fashion designer turned environmental scientist wants to clean up city pollution using no more than the clothing on your back. This may sound improbable but award-winning designer Prof Helen Storey is already at the point of transferring an advanced technology she calls “catalytic clothing” into widespread use.

“Catalytic clothing has the ability to purify the air around you using a product that you add to your laundry,” Prof Storey said. She was speaking ahead of her participation tomorrow in a Science Week event at the National College of Art and Design.

Working with Prof Tony Ryan at Sheffield University and others, her team has come up with a method for applying a titanium oxide-based catalyst to clothing.

The catalyst adheres to fabrics and in the presence of ultraviolet sun radiation and oxygen the catalyst is able to capture and break down pollutants. This includes nitric oxides and volatile organic compounds from city traffic.

Modelling has shown that if many people use the product their clothing can have an impact on reducing these pollutants.

For this reason she does not want to protect it for financial gain given it is an “altruistic technology”. She wants all laundry detergent manufacturers to take the technology on board.

Prof Storey is currently a professor of fashion and science at the London College of Fashion.

For more information see catalytic-clothing.com
Article Courtesy of IrishTimes.com