Wash your new clothes before wearing them

Not that it makes them more environmental-friendly, not at all, but it's healthier.

New clothes contain a lot of chemical, toxic substances. Whether they are pesticides used to grow cotton or used later as pigments or to give the cloth some properties (make them wrinkle free or prevent mildew during shipping for example), these substances can be responsible for allergies, irritations, nausea. In the worst case it can even affect reproductive systems.

This is why you should always wash new clothes, especially children's, underwears and bed sheets.
This is also the reason why second hand clothes are definitely safer and cleaner : because they have been washed so many times that chemicals are gone. Definitely a good option, at least for children.

Another one is to buy organic clothes, also because their carbon footprint is far less important than clothes made with conventionnally-grown cotton. I guess I will have to write an entire article about that too. By the way good news! H&M sell organic-cotton underwear!

Washing new clothes is also a good way to remove extra dye (which you don't want to see on your new white couch or other clothes).

Comments

1 - How: the saponification process

0 - Why and how to make your own soap? 1 - How: the saponification process Soap is the result of a chemical reaction between fatty substances (oils, lard, vegetable butter) and sodium hydroxide also called lye or caustic soda (NaOH). Caustic soda is a dangerous substance and is to be used very carefully, but it is totally transformed through the process: none of it remains at the end of the chemical reaction...if you used the right quantity of lye. If you use more lye than required your soap will be "caustic" and irritating. Therefore it's recommended that you use less soda and more oil than the exact amount required for total saponification. Firstly, it's a safety precaution: using more oil than necessary for the chemical reaction is a guarantee that the lye will be entirely transformed through the process. And more than that, with extra oil (nonsaponified - remaining oil), your soap will be even softer on the skin. This extra oil is called "sup

How to recycle a fleece jacket?

Fleece is a very useful material and there are many things you can turn an old jacket into, like make up pads ( see previous article ), baby wipes, dusters and so on. Every piece of fleece is reusable, so the first step is to remove all the threads. It's even more interesting because where the fleece was folded (hemline) or inside the pocket, the fabric has remained very soft, perfect to use on the skin. I think, other parts, more "exposed" are still soft enough. You might see the different textures by clicking on the picture. Once the fleece is ready, there is nothing easier: you just have to cut the shape you want, and it's done. Small squares for facial pad s, bigger pieces for baby wipes ...or duster . I didn't expect it the first time I tried but fleece is a very efficient dust catcher. As efficient, maybe more than microfiber cloth . That's why I use it to clean the floor too. I cut a long rectangle so I can tie it on my specia

Why and how to make your own soap?

As I explained it in a previous article, I came to home-made soap because I wanted to control the ingredients (no palm oil) and their origin (as few kilometres as possible), so as to use the most ecological soap for my laundry liquid . But there are other valid reasons to make soap for yourself: some oils are naturally soft and good for the skin, others you will choose because they give extra lather and foam to the soap, or even because they just give a special colour you like. In a word: home-made soap is very good for the skin (also because it naturally contains glycerine, which is otherwise removed from industrial soaps) and it's even better because it's customized to your needs. Another good reason to make your own soap is the price. Finally, it's a very creative (and addictive!) activity, which may explain why soap makers make more soap than they can use. Soap making is a complex and very rich art. It’s a great hobby, and you probably won't offer anyth

The Green touch

Search This Blog