Chemical Clothes

New summer colours with a bit of Chromium VI, DMF, Phthalates, Alkylphenols, Dispersion dyes, Azo dyes, Chlorinated Phenols (PCP, TeCP, TriCP) and Formaldehyde.  Maybe a bit of lead too

Have you ever walked into a department store and felt slightly nauseous? Do you notice that certain 'smell' cheaper department stores seem to have? 

It's not the promise of high fashion coming toward you

If you have, believe me, it's not the whiff of 'high end' fashion wafting over you, but more likely the chemicals cladding the clothes, the back packs, the shoes, the toys and well, pretty much everything in the store. And now also circulating the air in your lungs and caressing your skin.

And I am not exaggerating. Take a look at the list of chemicals listed by Choice Australia in Science Notes. And that is just the main ones. All kinds of chemicals in dyes, anti wrinkles, anti fungals, solvents, waterproofers, anti stainers etc etc..

DEPARTMENT STORES SELLING FAST FASHION | CHEAP CLOTHES, TOYS, BAGS ETC EXUDE THAT CHEMICAL 'SMELL' FOR A REASON. BECAUSE THEY ARE FULL OF CHEMICALS. AND YOU ARE WALKING THROUGH A CHEMICAL COCKTAIL MORE FULL THAN THE COCKTAIL LIST AT THE BAR ON FRIDAY NIGHT.  AND AT LEAST YOU GET TO SEE THAT LIST... WELL, FOR AS LONG AS YOU CHOOSE.

The thing is that if you purchase any of these items, you will note that the chemicals you are potentially being doused in aren't generally listed on the garment or product - either by name or by potential health hazard.

• Wash new clothes in warm water. 
• Buy natural fibres when you can - cotton, hemp, linen and wool.
• Buy organic fabrics.
• Buy clothes made with natural and vegetable dyes.
• Bamboo fabric is still highly controversial. Much of it is made using the viscose process, which means the use of a toxic solvent, Carbon Disulfide. Unless  you are confident of where  your bamboo product comes from and the closed loop manufacture process, best don't buy it.
• Avoid clothes, backpacks and lunch bags labelled stain or water resistant unless you are confident in the chemicals used.
• Secondhand & Upcycled is a great option. (Or search in the recycle box on the right or at Recycle > Clothing for a local Op Shop). If you are a brand snob, there are increasing numbers of pre loved luxury brand stores around. 

In the end, there are literally thousands of better options online for pretty much anything you could ever want.. Most honest manufacturers are transparent and make it easy to uncover what is in their products, where they were made and how. (If it seems too hard, it probably is.)

There is also an excellent app called Good on You which rates the 'ethical-ness' of garments and accessories. It was developed by a Sydney team and now has thousands of brands and growing globally. 

Pics: Unpslash | Igor Ovsyannykov & Matt Seymour 

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