How to Get VOCs Out of Clothing
VOCs, Volatile Organic Compounds, are toxic and harmful to humans. Learn how to remove these VOCs from your clothing
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Video Transcript:
I'm Anjie Cho and this is how to get VOCs out of clothing.
Did you know that conventional clothing off gases VOCs? VOCs stands for Volatile Organic Compounds. Toxins are released into the air by VOCs from synthetic materials found in buildings, in traditional paint, furniture and even clothing. VOCs are found in even what you might consider natural fabric like cotton. Many fabrics are treated with VOCs during the washing, dyeing and printing processes. VOCs can cause health problems such as headaches, dizziness as well as skin and respiratory problems.
Clothing is especially problematic because of the direct skin contacts, and we can easily absorb toxins directly through our skin. So, how do you get the VOCs out of your clothing? First, air the clothing out outdoors, in sunlight if possible.
The most effective way to reduce VOCs is to allow the clothing to off gas in a well-ventilated place in sunlight. This allows the VOCs to dissipate and leave the fabric. If you don't have outdoor space, set a fan up or make sure you have a breezy room. Setup some indoor green plants which will help to absorb the off gas and chemicals.
Second, after you've aired out the clothing, be sure to soak and wash them thoroughly with a non-toxic eco-friendly laundry detergent with an additional cup of baking soda added. I suggest soaking the clothing overnight, then wash and air dry the clothing. Again, make sure you use eco-friendly non-toxic laundry detergent, so you don't add back in more toxins. Repeat these two steps as required, but for most of us one round should be enough.
Although VOCs can be harmful to our health, we can use natural methods to remove the VOCs from our clothing.
