From shabby to tidy: Which used clothes make the best cleaning rags?
It's hard to avoid the news about the mountains of textile waste we send to landfill every year but ICYMI, that's 260,000 tonnes, or 10kg for every Australian.< /p>
The question of what to do with old clothes is a difficult one. Landfill is a terrible place for them because they are made up of precious resources and most won't biodegrade for decades or more. Ideally, we should sell or donate our old clothes, but this is only possible (or useful for charities) if the clothes are still wearable and desirable.
For clothes that are stained or worn out and beyond hope, another option is to cut them down at home. Turning clothes into dishcloths, tea towels, mops and dusters is one way to reduce waste and save money. But not all fabrics have the same absorbency properties, so your old t-shirt may be better than your old jeans for some tasks, and worse for others. Here, experts suggest which clothes to reuse for different household chores. dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement" class=" dcr-1mfia18"/>Whatever the task: use natural fibers
When cleaning, some amount of absorbency usually helps. For this reason, Nicole Mallalieu, professor of fashion at the Australian College of the Arts, recommends ragged clothes made from soft natural fibers like cotton. When evaluating whether an old garment will make a useful cloth, she says "avoid anything polyester or synthetic because they just don't absorb as well".
Timo Rissanen, associate professor of fashion and textiles at the University of Technology Sydney, says it's important to stick to 100% natural or cellulosic fibers such as viscose to reduce the risk of microplastic pollution due to the loss of synthetic clothing. "I suspect the abrasion when wiping also contributes to hair loss," he says.
T-shirts: good all-rounders
Saniyat Islam, a textile scientist from RMIT University, says that t-shirts are great all-purpose cleaning cloths because they are usually made of cotton, and they are durable, soft and absorbent.This means they work well in the kitchen and can be used to wipe up grease and oil spills around the sink or oven.
Flannels: for dustingGenerally, flannel is a soft cotton fabric with a very slight fluffiness, which makes it very comfortable, which is why it is often used for pajamas. flannels a good candidate for dusting, sa...
It's hard to avoid the news about the mountains of textile waste we send to landfill every year but ICYMI, that's 260,000 tonnes, or 10kg for every Australian.< /p>
The question of what to do with old clothes is a difficult one. Landfill is a terrible place for them because they are made up of precious resources and most won't biodegrade for decades or more. Ideally, we should sell or donate our old clothes, but this is only possible (or useful for charities) if the clothes are still wearable and desirable.
For clothes that are stained or worn out and beyond hope, another option is to cut them down at home. Turning clothes into dishcloths, tea towels, mops and dusters is one way to reduce waste and save money. But not all fabrics have the same absorbency properties, so your old t-shirt may be better than your old jeans for some tasks, and worse for others. Here, experts suggest which clothes to reuse for different household chores. dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement" class=" dcr-1mfia18"/>Whatever the task: use natural fibers
When cleaning, some amount of absorbency usually helps. For this reason, Nicole Mallalieu, professor of fashion at the Australian College of the Arts, recommends ragged clothes made from soft natural fibers like cotton. When evaluating whether an old garment will make a useful cloth, she says "avoid anything polyester or synthetic because they just don't absorb as well".
Timo Rissanen, associate professor of fashion and textiles at the University of Technology Sydney, says it's important to stick to 100% natural or cellulosic fibers such as viscose to reduce the risk of microplastic pollution due to the loss of synthetic clothing. "I suspect the abrasion when wiping also contributes to hair loss," he says.
T-shirts: good all-roundersSaniyat Islam, a textile scientist from RMIT University, says that t-shirts are great all-purpose cleaning cloths because they are usually made of cotton, and they are durable, soft and absorbent.This means they work well in the kitchen and can be used to wipe up grease and oil spills around the sink or oven.
Flannels: for dustingGenerally, flannel is a soft cotton fabric with a very slight fluffiness, which makes it very comfortable, which is why it is often used for pajamas. flannels a good candidate for dusting, sa...
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