Is it better to wash clothes or expose them to the sun to remove formaldehyde? How to remove formaldehyde from newly bought clothes?

We all know that formaldehyde is a common harmful substance. It usually exists in some materials, such as fabrics, decoration materials, etc. Therefore, most newly bought clothes contain formaldehyde and need to be washed to remove it. So if clothes contain formaldehyde, is it better to wash them with water or expose them to the sun? Let's take a closer look!

Is it better to wash clothes or expose them to the sun to remove formaldehyde?

1. Molecular formula of formaldehyde

2. Formaldehyde smell

After formaldehyde evaporates, it has no odor, but it is irritating. The lack of odor and irritation are not contradictory. Only when the formaldehyde level is seriously exceeded can the human body feel the irritation. Therefore, it is not possible to judge whether the formaldehyde level exceeds the standard by smelling the odor and feeling the irritation.

3. The relationship between formaldehyde and water

Formaldehyde is easily soluble in water, but it will not actively react with water. After formaldehyde dissolves in water, the liquid produced is the preservative formalin.

4. Relationship between formaldehyde volatilization and temperature

There is a direct relationship between formaldehyde volatilization and temperature. The higher the temperature, the faster the formaldehyde volatilizes, and the lower the temperature, the slower the formaldehyde volatilizes. Therefore, in summer, formaldehyde volatilizes the fastest, and in winter, formaldehyde volatilizes relatively slowly, of course, when there is no heating in winter.

5. The relationship between formaldehyde and sunlight

The volatilization of formaldehyde has no direct relationship with sunlight, but light can increase the temperature, thereby accelerating the volatilization of formaldehyde. There is no way to remove formaldehyde if it is exposed to light alone.

Formaldehyde removal - sun exposure vs. water rinsing:

Based on the above characteristics of formaldehyde, rinsing in water is more effective in removing formaldehyde, because formaldehyde is easily soluble in water. Although it will not actively react with water, directly placing items containing formaldehyde into water will help remove formaldehyde.

For example:

For clothes containing formaldehyde, the best way to remove formaldehyde is to use hot water to wash them. Exposure to sunlight will cause the temperature of the items to rise, but the temperature can never catch up with the hot water which is close to 100 degrees.

What to do if clothes contain formaldehyde

Normal operation is generally like this:

1. Wash and dry in the sun

Formaldehyde is a volatile substance and has good water solubility. Therefore, wash it and then dry it in the sun. Generally, clothes produced by regular manufacturers only have a small amount of residual formaldehyde, so it can be removed cleanly.

2. Try soaking in white vinegar

Some clothes may not work with plain water, so it is recommended to wash them with white vinegar and soak them for 15 minutes. If the vinegar smell is too strong, soak them in plain water and wash them several times.

3. Dissipate the smell in a ventilated place

For newly bought clothes, place them in a ventilated place to let the odor dissipate and allow the formaldehyde to fully dissipate.

4. Use professional formaldehyde-removing laundry detergent

This can be purchased on Taobao.

Tips for removing formaldehyde from clothes

For new clothes, wash them before wearing. Formaldehyde is easily soluble in water, and its aqueous solution is very stable. Washing can help remove 70% of the formaldehyde content in clothes.

In places like closets, you can place one or two bags of activated carbon or leaf mud. Through the adsorption of solid particles, the formaldehyde and benzene molecules around the product are reduced, thus having a subtle influence on the entire environment. It can generally be used in places that are not often ventilated. It can effectively prevent the occurrence of formaldehyde exceeding the standard.

It should be noted that because the adsorption area of ​​activated carbon is limited, adsorption saturation may occur. The problem of the carbon bag not being able to continue to work can be solved by exposure or replacement. However, there is no need to worry about Ye Guangni, as Ye Guangni can decompose the adsorbed substances to avoid adsorption saturation.