Boiling Clothing for the Chemically Sensitive

I have found that boiling clothing is an effective way to remove some chemicals from clothing so that they are wearable for a person with Chemical Sensitivity. Boiling clothing can remove Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and other chemicals that cause problems for people with Chemical Sensitivity.

Here are some tips for boiling clothing:

• I usually put clothes through the wash two or three times before I boil them. Then I boil the clothes all day, two days in a row. After that, I wash the clothes a few more times. If the clothes are still really toxic after all of that, I usually give up on the clothes. Some chemicals cannot be removed from clothing with boiling. I have not had good luck with clothing that is “wrinkle free.”
• Do not boil different items of clothing together unless you are sure that chemicals from one piece of clothing will not contaminate other clothing.
• I put some ingredients into the pot prior to boiling. I use one cup of salt, one cup of baking soda, and a little bit of soap or detergent.
• Do not let the pot of boiling clothing run out of water! I put a tissue on my bed to remind me that my clothes are boiling so that I do not go to sleep without turning off the heat.
• It is best to start with clothing that is as chemical-free as possible. Organic clothing is quite pricey, but I generally do better with organic clothing. However, I have found I cannot wear a lot of clothing that purports to be organic. I previously wrote a post in which I listed the clothing that has worked well for me.
• Do not boil shoes that are held together with glue. I tried this once and my shoes fell apart. I will note, however, that my shoes were much less toxic after boiling them.

Options for heating the water:

1. A 220V hotplate.

You will probably need an electrician to install the wiring and outlet. It should be installed outside or in the garage so that the fumes from the clothing do not come into the house. This option could cost $400 to $500 for the hotplate and the wiring. I purchased a 110V hotplate a while back and it could not even bring eight quarts of water to a rolling boil. Check the specs on the hotplate to make sure it can boil the amount of water you need. Also, let your electrician know the specs on the hotplate so he or she can install the right wiring and outlet.

2. Use the kitchen stove.

Do not boil clothing inside your house unless you are not sensitive to airborne chemicals. I tried boiling clothes on the kitchen stove once and it made me ill. Perhaps someone else could boil the clothing while the chemically sensitive person is away. After the clothes are done boiling, the house could be aired out.

3. Use a roasting oven.

Roasting ovens generally cost $20 to $70. I have used a GE roasting oven to boil clothing successfully for many years. The downside is that the water does not get as hot it would if I were to use a 220V hotplate. The water does not come to a rolling boil until much of the water has steamed off. But it has worked really well to remove chemicals from my clothing. My roasting oven can hold about six t-shirts at a time. I also like my roasting oven because there is a removable roasting pan that I can put through the dishwasher if it becomes dirty or acquires chemical residues.




Amazon.com has a variety of roasting ovens. Click here to see their selection.

4. Use a propane stove.

Propane makes me ill but since the clothes would be boiling outside, maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

I learned some of the principles above about boiling clothing from the following site: http://planetthrive.com/2010/08/washing-clothes/. The aforementioned planetthrive article is very good, but I also wanted to share the roasting oven idea, as well a few other ideas, so I did this post.