August 2005 | Co-op America’s Living Green
“New” Smell Is a Real Stinker
Dear Co-op America,
I love the “new” smell that my children’s back-to-school clothes have, but I’ve heard it’s actually a sign of chemicals on the fabric. Is that true? —Stacey Andrews, e-mail
“That ‘new’ smell is a potent mixture of chemicals such as formaldehyde and urea resins,” says green living expert Annie Berthold-Bond, author of Better Basics for the Home. “The chemicals are used to ‘finish’ fabric for a range of purposes including stain resistance, mercerizing, keeping them from wrinkling and even sometimes for disinfecting. Most contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which, like formaldehyde, are often sensitizers and suspected carcinogens.”
To get rid of those “new fabric smell” chemicals, Berthold-Bond recommends this treatment: Place new clothes in the washer with enough water to cover. Sprinkle one cup of baking soda into the washer. Soak the clothes overnight. When convenient, agitate the machine for a few minutes. Launder as usual. Repeat until clothes don’t smell.
Some clothing importers are now dousing their wares with long-lasting disinfectants, warns Berthold-Bond, and these cannot be removed with a simple washing. If the clothing you’re about to purchase smells more pungent than usual, put it back on the rack.
To bypass finishing chemicals altogether, look for clothing made from eco-friendly fabrics like organic cotton, linen, wool or hemp. These materials are grown with few or no chemicals, and usually don’t contain synthetic dyes or finishers.
Dear Co-op America,
I’ve been hearing that Fair Trade fruit has arrived in the US. What types of fruit are available, and where can I find them? —Jean in LA
While bananas are the most prominent Fair Trade fruit, markets are also stocking certified mangoes, grapes and pineapples.
Fair Trade ensures that fruit farmers receive a fair price for their crops—one that allows them to meet their basic needs, feed their families, employ eco-friendly production methods and improve their communities—and that they work under healthy and safe conditions. “Without Fair Trade, fruit farmers often receive only a few cents a pound for their crops, far below the cost of production,” says independent Fair Trade certifier TransFair USA.
To find a seller of Fair Trade Certified™ fruit near you, visit Transfair USA’s website at transfairusa. org/content/shop/bananas_wheretobuy.php. If your local store doesn’t carry Fair Trade fruit, join Co-op America’s campaign to make Fair Trade products available locally. Adopt a nearby supermarket and ask the manager to stock Fair Trade bananas, as well as Fair Trade coffee, chocolate and tea. Co-op America has articles on Fair Trade products available online at real money.org, which you can distribute to educate store managers. For more information, visit Co-op America’s Fair Trade site, fairtradeaction.org, and click the “Fair Trade Alliance” link.
Living Green is brought to you by Co-op America, a national nonprofit that provides green living, purchasing, and investing tips and resources. To join Co-op America and get a free copy of the National Green Pages™ directory of green businesses, call 800.58-GREEN, or visit coopamerica.org. E-mail Living Green questions to [click to e-mail].
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