Help Help! I'm Allergic to Fabric! AKA The Importance of Fabric Washing

HI, my name is Brenna, and I am allergic to everything. If, like me, you are a person with a wide range of allergies, you may be allergic to Joann’s: and worse, you may think you are allergic to all fabric. Do not fret. Unless you react to a specific kind of fabric post washing (this is rare, but usually it's wool or burlap), that most likely means you are allergic to dust (Joann’s tends to be full of it, don’t get me started on downtown LA), sizing, flame retardant, or a combination of all three.

Dust is exactly what you would expect. Many fabric designs are done a season or two ahead, and wait in a warehouse until shipped. Other fabrics that are part of a store's consistent line are often made in bulk, then stored until needed to be shipped out. 

All fabric has some degree of flame retardant sprayed on it. It’s a safety issue. If you are allergic to flame retardant, you may also find yourself having allergic reactions to cheap clothing stores: multiple shippings from overseas places like China, Vietnam, etc, often mean a ton of flame retardant has been applied to keep the clothing and vehicle safe. 

You may also be sensitive to sizing. Sizing is a chemical applied to commercial sale fabric to help it keep its shape on the bolt, rather than shifting and potentially damaging the fibers or warping the pattern. As a side effect, it often also makes the fabric stiffer: if you’ve ever washed a fabric that was stiff and icky and it comes out happy and soft, that was most likely sizing coming out (I see you Joann's linen. I know your stiff lies). It is also present in commercial clothing, but less so than in fabric.

How Do I Know If I’m Allergic to Sizing/Flame Retardant?: 

You may experience what feels like seasonal allergies when you enter places that have a high concentration of sizing or flame retardant, like clothing or fabric stores. Symptoms can include coughing and sneezing, ranging all the way to throats closing. Some people with allergy triggered intestinal issues can’t make it through Joann’s without a trip to their dreaded bathroom. Others will find that handling or wearing these unwashed pieces for long periods of time give them a rash or hives. These are all signs you may be allergic to these chemicals. 

You can also somewhat build up a resistance to this, like some people do with pet allergies, but I wouldn’t recommend intentionally trying to do this, especially if your symptoms are dangerous or painful, like throat swelling or hives/rashes. Especially when there are solutions, like washing fabric.

How Do I Know I’m Not Just Allergic To X Kind of Fabric?: 

Assuming your symptoms aren’t deadly, you can have a friend help you do a test. Get a small amount of the suspected offender, and cut it into two sections. Wash one section in a detergent you know you have no reaction to (I like Tide Free and Clear or Cheer Free and Gentle, but if you are having issues with detergent, consider Ivory Snow or a baby detergent). Wash one swatch, leave the other unwashed. If only the unwashed one gives you a reaction, you are probably allergic to the chemicals. If both give you a reaction, you may be allergic to that fiber. Common fiber allergies include Burlap and Wool, but technically you could be allergic to anything. Ah, the magic of the human body.

What Can I Do If I Am Allergic To These Chemicals?: 

Here’s where the magic washing guide comes in. You must become a master of washing to overcome these issues. You see, Joann’s is a LIAR. Many of their fabric labels state “do not wash, dry clean only, or Satan will come and ferry you away to the circle for disobedient cosplayers and costumers.”

This is not exactly true. Whereas you probably should not throw vinyl into your hot wash, you can wash a lot of fabrics on cold, then hang them dry. Hell, some can even be dried, if you get an extra half yard or so to account for shrinkage. I have successfully washed: linen, cotton, satin, organza, many upholstery fabrics, most knits, and more. I have failed at washing leather (it was an accident I swear) and faux fur (it mats up. Which is great for distressing if you need it).

To test this, cut two even swatches. If you can spare it, I like 4inch by 4inch, because that tends to catch whatever the pattern of the fabric, so you can see if it's warping. 2inch by 2inch will also work. Wash both in cold water with your detergent, then dry one of those in a dryer and hang the other one somewhere warm and dry to finishing drying. Compare to the original fabric.

If both are unshrunk and undamaged, you can wash and dry your fabric. If the dried swatch is damaged, you can wash but not dry your fabric. If both are damaged, you cannot wash or dry that fabric, skip this next paragraph for advice (or if your fabric is one of the unwashables, like leather or vinyl).

If the dried swatch has shrunk but is not damaged (fraying doesn’t count) but you wish to be able to wash and dry your garment, calculate the percentage of shrinkage (new size divided by original size of swatch) then apply that to the amount of fabric for your final fabric size after washing and drying. So if my fabric shrunk 25% and I need 1 yard for my fabric, I need 1.25 yards of fabric total. 

If you are dealing with an unwashable evil beast, I would recommend you line your garment. YES, it is more work, YES, it is more money, but given the choice between hives and an extra 10$ I'll skip the pizza for a day and get the fabric. Do not let Joann's deceive you, that poly stuff that is labeled as "lining fabric" is not your limit. You can line garments in almost anything, as long as its lighter than your outer fabric. I personally like lining my winter coats in polyester satin: its soft, its washable, and on top of all that its warm. I line my other costumes in cheap cotton: the $1.50 a yard stuff at walmart is good for this stuff. As long as you can wash and dry it and it isn't itchy, it will make a good lining.

Any further questions? Ask them in the comments below!

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