If you are really into style and convenience, creating a non-toxic wardrobe can be quite the challenge, but I’ve got five simple tips that will have you building your non-toxic wardrobe in no time.
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Let me be the first to admit that my wardrobe is not entirely non-toxic. Don’t get me started on non-toxic bras for us curvy ladies. It. Is. Impossible. Actually, that’s pretty much the entire conversation … sigh!
Despite a few exceptions, my wardrobe is largely non-toxic these days, which really means low toxin as it’s nearly impossible to make something 100% non-toxic. It helps that I work from home and live in a rural area. Wearing cotton 90% of the time isn’t as odd for me as it would be for some.
Why Create a Non-Toxic Wardrobe?
Reducing the toxins in your wardrobe and introducing more natural and sustainable pieces, is good for your health and good for the environment. Unfortunately, most clothes are chalked full of toxins from the fabric itself to the dyes to the substances used during the manufacturing process.
Manufacturing fast fashion, which most of our clothes are today, isn’t just bad for us and the environment, but it creates serious health issues for factory workers and those living in nearby communities.
I think if we all saw first-hand what we are doing, we’d think twice before swiping that polyester shirt from the discount store. Me included! Whenever I write a post, it almost always inspires me to do better.
You’ve likely heard before that our skin is our largest organ, so some of the toxins in our clothes are absorbed via the skin. Toxins are not always under the allowable limits, and it’s impossible to know the long-term effects of even low exposures to various toxins.
What Clothing Fabrics are Healthiest?
Natural fabrics are healthiest to wear. Some of these fabrics include cotton, linen, hemp, cashmere and wool. Natural fabrics go through less processing and contain less toxins than synthetic fabrics. They also tend to be more breathable making them healthier for the skin.
Which Fabrics are the Most Toxic?
Pretty much any synthetic fabric like polyester, rayon, nylon, acrylic, etc. Polyester is a microplastic that is made from petroleum and treated with formaldehyde. Microplastics are responsible for a great deal of ocean pollution.
Rayon, which is sometimes called “fake silk” is made from recycled wood pulp and treated with chemicals like ammonia, acetone and sulphuric acid to make it more durable.
Rayon was in the headlines a few years back for its toxicity to workers.
Nylon is a petroleum-based fabric is typically finished with chemicals like caustic soda, chloroform, terpineol, limonene, pentene, and sulfuric acid. Yikes!
Acrylic is produced through a synthetic polymer known as acrylonitrile. Acrylonitrile is derived from petroleum or coal-based chemicals and synthesized to for acrylic resin pellets.
You get the idea. Most synthetic fabrics are best avoided at least as much as possible. Some things, like swimsuits for example, just have to be made of synthetic materials, but wearing something occasionally is much different than wearing something daily or even around the clock depending on what you sleep in.
Where to Start Cleaning Up Your Wardrobe?
I tend to think very systematically, so I would stay start with what you wear the most. Underwear and bras are also great places to start. Supportive bras can be challenging as I mentioned earlier, but these are likely on your body the most.
Underwear, pajamas and whatever your lifestyle demands the most of are great places to start building your healthier wardrobe. Things like coats and sweaters, which are typically worn over another layer can wait until later in your journey.
Now, let’s walk through five simple steps to create a non-toxic wardrobe.
5 Steps to Create a Non-Toxic Wardrobe
Buy Natural Fabrics
This is one of the most powerful measures you can take. Switch to as many natural fabrics as possible. Adding more natural fabrics will naturally reduce the number of synthetic clothing items in your wardrobe. Cotton is my go-to. It’s comfy, cheap and easy to find.
Many natural fabric brands now offer Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) and Standard 100 by OEKO-TEX clothing, which leads me to my next point.
Shop GOTS and OEKO-TEX
Some affordable places to find OEKO-TEX certified clothing are GAP, Kohl’s and Land’s End. Pact is one of my personal favorites for GOTS socks, underwear and lounge clothes. They are a little pricier than the others I mentioned, but they have great sales.
GOTS and OEKO-TEX certifications typically guarantee that low impact dyes are used. Standard fabric dyes come with serious health risks to workers, and they aren’t doing us any favors either. Check out this detailed article by The Guardian.
If you are buying clothing that is traditionally dyed, lighter colors tend to be a safer bet.
While GOTS clothing can’t be synthetic, OEKO-TEX certified items can be made of synthetic fabric. If you have to buy something synthetic (e.g., raincoat, swimwear), it’s a great idea to look for OEKO-TEX on the tag.
Read the full details on GOTS vs. Standard 100 by OEKO-TEX in my bath towels post.
Avoid Super Fabrics (stain resistant, wrinkle resistant, etc.)
As a general rule of thumb, if something is resistant to wrinkles, liquid, flames or stains it contains something to make it so. Some fabrics are naturally flame resistant due to their make-up, but in most cases an undesirable ingredient has been added to the fabric.
For example, the secret ingredient in those cool wrinkle-free men’s dress shirts is formaldehyde. No thanks! And think before you buy Thinx, who just settled a bit lawsuit! I don’t know about you guys, but I knew those had to be toxic the moment I heard about them.
These super fabrics often test positive for PFAS (forever chemicals). PFAS never break down. Because of that, they can build up in animals and humans over time creating posing serious health risks.
If it creates any type of super effect, it’s likely toxic!
Buy Second Hand
Some toxins, like pesticides and finishing chemicals, can be partially washed out over time making secondhand clothing a bit less toxic. This is why many sources recommend washing new clothing prior to wearing it.
This option works well for adult and child clothing. One thing you may run into is clothes that have been washed in strong synthetic scents. A vinegar cycle can do wonders to remove unwanted smells from clothing. Read more about the dangers of synthetic fragrances here.
Depending on where you are shopping, you may need to confirm the clothes come from a non-smoking home. Smoke residue is not something I would count on washing out nor would I want in my washing machine. Same goes for vaping, of course.
Create a Non-Toxic Laundry Routine
It’s a bit counterproductive to buy non-toxic clothing then add toxins to it, so you’ll likely want to create a non-toxic laundry routine utilizing natural laundry detergent, stain removers and fabric softeners.
You also want to avoid taking clothing to the dry cleaners as it is a toxic process. I personally don’t buy anything that requires dry cleaning.
Final Tips to Create a Non-Toxic Wardrobe
Start small! Not everything has to go at once unless you have a really large budget. Continue to buy things you love! I have bought things before just because they checked all the boxes, and I didn’t wear them much.
You don’t have to spend a ton. You don’t have to buy the $80 GOTS cotton tees to create a less toxic wardrobe. Even Wal-Mart and Aldi offer some OKEO-TEX clothing these days. Save your money for investment pieces that you are sure to wear for years and years.
As always, thanks for stopping by. Best of luck on your clean-living journey!
