LOVE YOUR IRON

Hidden danger lurks in non-iron clothes N

By Fiona Nicholson

ON-CREASE textiles are a boon to modern families, saving hours of

ironing.

But, according to new medical studies, for around three people in every hundred, wrinkle-free shirts, sheets and other items cause a daily misery of contact dermatitis.

Symptoms range from mild irritation in areas prone to sweating, such as the groin, backs of knees, neck and elbow folds, to a whole body allergic reaction, says one of the studies.

The main culprit is a chemical called formaldehyde, beter known for its role as an embalming fluid. Formaldehyde occurs naturally, and widely, from sources as diverse as coffee and caviar, wood smoke, tobacco and natural gas.

As a powerful antibiotic, formaldehyde is a component of many cleaning and industrial agents, such as paints, adhesives, lacquers and cuting oils.

It is also used in hair dyes and cosmetics and in the textile industry as a resin to provide the world with non-iron sheets and shirts, and antibacterial bedding.

As a powerful antibiotic, formaldehyde is a component of many cleaning and industrial agents, such as paints, adhesives, lacquers and cutting oils.

But a report by scientists at the Dermatology Department of the Hospital General Universitario de Alicante in Spain says that, although use of formaldehyde has decreased in recent years, due to health concerns, there is another danger.

Formaldehyde releasers - chemicals which convert over time to release formaldehyde - continue to exceed the levels which cause dermatitis.

Under EU regulations, items containing high-risk concentrations of formaldehyde (more than 0.5%), must be labelled to indicate the danger.

But, once sensitised, dermatitis sufferers may react even to these low levels. Women are most affected, possibly due to heavy use of formaldehyde-containing cleaning agents which breach the skin barrier. Men, too, are oſten exposed to formaldehyde in the workplace.

Once having become susceptible to formaldehyde, sufferers have difficulty in avoiding the allergen. Treatment is difficult, due to its widespread use and also to its natural occurrence.

Another study from the Department of Dermatology at Ohio State University, USA, recommends measures to alleviate the condition.

These include avoiding rayon, corduroy and wrinkle-free, non- iron clothing and bedding; washing all new clothes at least twice before wearing; and avoiding toiletries and cosmetics which contain formaldehyde releasers.

Safe fabrics, the Ohio study says, include denim, silk, linen and wool.

August 2015

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