chemicals kill

FABRICS THAT KILL THE CORONAVIRUS?

I have been reading articles recently about textile companies that are either weavers or knitters producing fabrics that have chemical additives that will kill the coronavirus. These factories I can only assume are working with chemical companies who produce the additives. The idea behind this is to make garments that will give one protection from the virus.

If you are wearing garments made with fabrics that have been treated with these chemicals and you are in a public space and some one with the virus coughs or sneezes will these fabrics kill all of the infected microbes spread into the air? Or will the chemical additive only kill any microbes that land on the fabric?

Now the garment will ultimately need to be cleaned, so, will the chemical additive remain after laundering? Will the chemicals leach into your skin prior to laundering? Do you want to take the chance of having a chemical which kills bacteria being absorbed into your skin?

As you can see the companies starting or wanting to market these materials to manufacturers (?) haven’t given these ramifications any thought; they only know they want to offer what they believe is protection from the coronavirus. I do not care if they took some of their killer chemical and subject the coronavirus microbes to it and they died big deal. That fact will not help anyone wearing a garment made with any of these materials from getting the virus if they happen to be in the wrong place. And if they are not wearing a mask and not staying 6 feet from one and all.

The most appalling of developments still taking place is the building of protective face masks. Some companies are including chemicals that will kill the microbes as they get to the surface material of the mask. Didn’t anyone at any of these companies realize that the person wearing the mask is breathing in the fumes from these chemicals.

The coronavirus is an extremely serious situation we are dealing with world- wide and as a result it has brought out the modern-day snake oil salesman.

Don’t we have enough to deal with when it comes to cleanliness. There are chemicals used to wipe tables and counter tops as well as shelves and various stands in food stores. (I watched a woman doing that at 7;30 this morning at Safeway). She was wearing a mask so she wasn’t breathing in the cleaning agent. A chemical product that is made to kill the microbes so it can kill humans if breathed in, in a large enough quantity.

As I see it, if we are told by the CDC to wash our hands with soap and water that will keep us free of the microbes. If the clothing we wear is subjected to possibly the microbes launder them in your washing machine using what ever detergent you have and that will also get rid of the microbes.

I did see an interview with a doctor who goes home and gets undressed in his basement puts all of the clothing he was wearing in the washing machine and then takes a shower before going up stares to see his family. He does this as a protection for his family. I doubt that he is the sole doctor to do this and I like to think other people of different professions make a similar effort to protect their families.

A NON-FIRE RETARDANT TREATED TENT

For several years I have been asked about Wiggy’s sleeping bag being made with fire retardant treated fabrics and I have always said no. I ultimately wrote an article which is published on the home page and I also made a video demonstrating that my bags self-extinguish.

That said I have been asked about tents made with fabrics that are not treated with fire retardant chemicals. One reader wrote to me saying Hilleberg Tent Company does not use fire retardant treated fabric, so, I have passed that on.

Today I read an article in SGB online magazine about them being in the US marketplace for 20 years. I called them and spoke with a woman named Shannon told me in no uncertain terms they do not use any material that has been treated with any flame-retardant chemicals. It does not say as much on the website but she did tell me that they have someplace on the website a comment about reducing the strength of the fabric if it were treated with a flame-retardant chemical.

She did not know why; I told her to apply the flame-retardant chemical would necessitate drying the fabric over drying drums which would weaken the fabric. Anyway, they don’t do it.

So, anyone wanting possibly the best tents made in the world go to the Hilleberg website; www.hilleberg.com