“Wearing new clothes without washing will cause cancer!”
Ms. Li bought a lot of new clothes online recently, and many of them were foreign trade final orders, which were very cheap. When receiving the courier, Ms. Li’s mother told her very seriously that it is best to wash it before wearing it.
“These clothes are all new, why do they need to be washed and clean?” Ms. Li didn’t care.
“It is the new clothes that are dangerous. They all carry the formaldehyde from the factory. If you smell formaldehyde for a long time, you will get cancer!” Ms. Li’s mother quickly explained, and said that many people just wear new clothes. get cancer.
Is this true? Now is the time of the season change, many people are starting to buy spring clothes and even summer clothes, but very few people will wash the new clothes they bought and wear them again. A survey of 11,266 people showed that after buying new clothes Only 22.8% of the people washed, of which, nearly 61% said they would wash close-fitting clothes, and 8.24% said they would not wash any clothes.
Then the question is, does wearing new clothes without washing really cause cancer?
First, wearing new clothes directly will cause cancer?
New clothes will indeed contain a certain amount of formaldehyde, because the dyeing and styling of clothes during the processing process will use some chemicals containing formaldehyde >. Formaldehyde is listed by WHO as a class 1 carcinogen, that is, a substance that has a clear carcinogenic effect on humans. Long-term exposure to formaldehyde will increase the risk of human cancer.
However, there is a great relationship between carcinogenicity and exposure dose and time, and national standards have different requirements for formaldehyde content for different types of clothing.
①For infant products, the formaldehyde content should be ≤20mg/kg;
②Shirts, underwear and other products that directly contact the skin, the formaldehyde content should be >≤75mg/kg;
③For products that do not directly contact the skin, such as outerwear, the formaldehyde content should be ≤300mg/kg.
Senior engineer of the National Textile Products Quality Supervision and Inspection Center, Director of Inspection Sanbujing Tingting said that in life, you only need to buy clothes that pass the inspection, even if it is clothes It contains a small amount of formaldehyde, which will quickly volatilize under the premise of not exceeding the standard, and will not pose a threat to health, let alone cause cancer.
The peak formaldehyde that causes cancer should be >4.0ppm, and the average concentration is >1.0ppm. Unwashed clothes that have passed the inspection may release formaldehyde at a concentration of about 0.012~ 0.426ppm, which is far from the carcinogenic concentration. Therefore, in life, you don’t need to worry that formaldehyde on new clothes will cause cancer. What we need to pay more attention to is to buy qualified products. Since new clothes do not cause cancer, does this mean that they can be worn directly without washing? Second, do you want to wash new clothes after buying them?
Under normal circumstances, it is recommended to wash newly purchased clothes before wearing them. Although new clothes do not cause cancer, they still have potential threats to their health.
1. Prevent allergy
The pH value of different types of textile products is also different, and the pH value is determined by the production and processing process. Some people who are prone to allergies may irritate the skin and cause allergies when the pH value of the clothes does not match that of human skin. Washing the newly purchased clothes twice before wearing them will generally not cause this problem.
2. Remove dust and mites
The newly purchased clothes are not clean. , I don’t know how many people try it on before it arrives in your hands, and it also needs to go through multiple steps in the production process, It will inevitably be contaminated with dust, etc. in the process. Clothes washing can give you more peace of mind.
Different clothes require different cleaning methods. It is recommended to check the label of the clothes. It is best to wash with water, and the same steps as usual for washing clothes can be done. Some clothes that are not suitable for washing can be hung in a ventilated place to dry for a few days.
Many people struggle with what products to use to wash their clothes. There is no result. 3. Further reading: Is it better to use laundry detergent or laundry detergent when washing clothes?
In fact, in terms of cleaning strength, As long as it is a qualified product, the cleaning strength of laundry detergent and laundry detergent is not much different. However, compared with laundry detergent, the price of washing powder will be cheaper. Its main component is surfactant, which will cause more damage to clothes and is more likely to remain in the laundry. clothing, especially in cold weather.
The price of laundry detergent will be relatively expensive. Compared with laundry detergent, it is easier to dissolve and rinse, and it will be more convenient to use. Under normal circumstances, it is recommended to use ordinary laundry detergent for intimate clothing without special cleaning requirements.. Clothes that are worn close to the body are generally clean and free of stubborn stains. Now that you know the difference between different products that you use to wash your clothes on a daily basis, let’s take a look at some of the clothes that may pose a risk to your health and see if you’ve ever stepped on a thunderbolt. Fourth, when shopping online, it’s best not to buy these “new clothes” In daily life, It is not recommended to buy some unlicensed foreign trade clothes from unknown sources. These clothes have not undergone quality inspection, and many of them are old clothes that are regarded as garbage abroad. After sorting and refurbishment, they are directly sold in the domestic market. These clothes have not been disinfected, and there may be a lot of germs.It is easy to cause skin allergies and other phenomena, which is very detrimental to health.
Of course, it does not mean that all foreign trade final orders are not recommended for purchase. The key point is to keep your eyes open to prevent those shoddy products.
So, how do we differentiate?
1. After unpacking, the peculiar smell is obvious
Most manufacturers of this type of clothing will not wash it, and they are afraid of trouble. I am afraid that some bacteria on the clothes will threaten my health, so there will be a lot of odor on these clothes. Be careful if you notice that the clothes you buy have a strong odor.
2. One piece, no other number of the same item
“Foreign garbage” generally appears in the form of a single piece, a unique piece , seldom have the same style and size, not recommended to buy 1 or 0 items. Of course, with the exception of some designer limited editions.
3. The trademark is old, the main label and the wash label are curled and yellowed
“Foreign garbage” clothing, because it is worn by other people, so trademarks, number plates, etc. will be curled, yellowed, and blurred. Some businesses will cut these “fractures”, and we can observe the remaining parts that have not been subtracted. If we find yellowing and curling, then it is likely to be “foreign garbage”.
4. Elbows, necklines, etc. are worn out
The clothes worn by people may appear on the elbows, underarms, neck, etc. There are obvious signs of passing through, and some sweaters will have obvious pilling marks. In life, it is still recommended to wash the new clothes you bought back before wearing them, which will be cleaner. Of course, some people who hate the trouble and don’t want to wash can also do it. Some formaldehyde remaining on new clothes is not enough to cause cancer, so there is no need to worry too much.
References:
[1] “Stinky! 300 tons of old clothes thrown away abroad were intercepted in China! See the famous brand goods you are shopping for”. Xinmin Evening News. 2018.7.27
[2] “How dirty are the new clothes for the New Year? ! People who haven’t been to a garment factory may really not know…”. Shangguan News. 2020.4.28
[3] “New clothes contain formaldehyde, will it cause cancer if you wear them without washing? 》.People’s Daily Online.2019.4.27