Spandex Is Terrible, But You Shouldn't Avoid It
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- Опубліковано 15 лют 2017
- Should we avoid spandex? On one hand it's bad for the environment but it also helps our clothes look good, fit longer and wear better which is good for the environment- less waste, resources used, pollution, etc.
I think in many cases the benefits of spandex outweigh the negatives but I'd love to hear what you think!
Thanks for watching!
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Garments, especially shirts, with a lot of spandex in them make me break out in hives. It's so difficult to find clothes with no spandex in them.
Love these videos! ECO HINT for viewers: not only do electric clothes dryers break down clothing and make it sag and wear out, they also take an environmental toll. A clothes dryer uses a lot of energy (which also means pollution). Hanging your clothing near a heater vent, or out in the fresh air makes sense energy-wise. You are making double use of your heating, or taking advantage of free sunshine. Just hang your brightly colored or dark clothing out of direct sunlight so as not to fade them. Shaking the garments out after drying usually takes the stiffness out that people complain about. Before hanging clothes, smooth out any wrinkles or folds in collars, etc. Air drying eally makes clothes last, whether they have spandex or not. :) Drying racks are available in most bigger stores, but you can just hang up clothes on plastic hanger or dry flat on a towel.
Delaney McKnight I like to use soapnuts detergent and I just use the no heat setting on my dryer and I use less energy and have soft clothes that still look good years later.
Fabric softener (conditioner) is a really poor choice because it breaks down elastane, causing more wear and tear on clothing, and is really bad for the environment.
Delaney McKnight: I have found that using commercial detergent, rather than soap-based or natural detergent makes clothes "rougher" when line-dried. If you have really hard water you might need to find another remedy. Also I shake and roll the clothes up a little after drying, which seems to soften them again. That's how the dryer works. :)
Loved this video! I really enjoy your more informational uploads, because while I like clothing I know very little about it. Definitely gave me stuff to think about :)
Glad you enjoyed it! :)
Thanks for this perspective. Some of my trapeze friends were discussing that 100% cotton yoga pants were not possible with circus work. I hate that we have to use the 5-6% spandex, but there really isn't an alternative...I searched pretty hard. Loose-fitting clothing that doesn't snap back would be unsafe. Thanks for your videos - they are great!
I have 100% cotton leggings. They only have a replacable rubber band in the waist seam.
Great video, I always learn new things on your channel. Thanks for sharing⭐️
Great timing for this video. I'm shopping around for winter dress socks. I have two pairs that I've had for a few years and they have lost their elasticity and so when I wear them with my super duper winter boots they roll down and my boot slice into my calves. When socks are on properly they feel great. I was hoping to buy socks without elastic but that stay put. Still searching. Most likely until next winter season.
I really enjoyed hearing your thoughts on the subject!
Elastane is a synthetic fiber I knew very little about, so this video was a great insight. Even though is probably not the best for the environment, I don't mind having some elastane in my clothes, especially considering that since making capsule wardrobes I use my clothes way more and I want things to fit me very well (I've noticed during the years that if my skinny jeans don't have at least 4-5% elastane in them, they stretch out after a few uses and once I wear them they look quite weird in the fit!)
Thanks for these infos! have a lovely day!
This was really informative. I line dry a bunch of clothing I don't want to shrink but now I'm going to start line drying my stretchy jeans so they last longer. Thanks for the info.
I've been thinking about this a lot lately because of some tank top and t shirt purchases I made a few months ago from PACT apparel that are 100% cotton to replace some falling apart fast fashion equivalents. So far they haven't become permanently misshapen and have lasted longer, but I definitely do have to wash them more
you bring up so many valid points, that i never would have thought of! i don't know if i even own any underwear that doesn't have spandex! thank you for the washing tips...will certainly be more aware of how i launder my small clothes. 😀
I found this really useful Erin thankyou!
Thank you for making this video!
Very informative and interesting, enjoyed watching the video 😍👍
It makes the elbow patches on old suit coats make more sense! (Though I suppose that might have been more about them being threadbare than stretched out, but it's a similar issue.)
Yes! The fabric there gets a lot of stress/wear.
this was very helpful because i bought two pairs of men's yoga pants today and they are 50% cotton, 45 modal, and 5% spandex. I wanted something other thin leggings that could go from my homework out to errands, and even to sleep. they are lovely, BUT I have wondered about spandex/lycra a LONG time since 98% of my clothes are soft knits. very helpful. thank you!
I have 100% cotton ones, and they fit nicely as well. Modal can be a tricky fabric, the newer low-impact viscose fibers are very bad at keeping colour and cleaning from grease stains.
I absolutely love your shirt in this video. What material is it?
Hey there! Thanks so much for your videos! I find them quite helpful and I like hearing you talk about things! I have a question: is there a way to promote shrinkage on garments cotton/spandex? I bought an item and it was just a tad loose and I might alter it but I wanted to see if maybe shrinking it would be better? Its 92% organic cotton and 8% spandex.
Also... is there a way to to loosen? It... tried sizing dow and the elastic band was just to snug. (Ps returning or exchange wasnt an option anymore and Ive washed them now)
Thanks for your help!
Kindly, Z
Sooo informative thank you!!!
Happy it was helpful!
I noticed that some wool blends have nylon in them, the nylon helps the sweaters spring back in shape and follow the body. I don't know if the nylon is less damaging to the environment than spandex.
Nylon detoriates way less than spandex, but you will also have smell issues. Nothing wrong with 100% wool, but quality differs a lot Some nice merino sweaters are 10 times as sturdy as basic wool blends.
Thanks for the info.. and You are so gorgeous.
Maybe we should all just go back to clothing designs before the invention of spandex.
My high wasit wide leg pants never have knee bump issues. Totally agree. And if jeans don't stay on your bum, the model is wrong (mostly too low waist) and that should not be fixed by turning the waist into a rubber band.
I love you videos, you always say sth useful and great explain things. I would love to hear you take on black clothes and lint and fluffs that stick to it. I also want to know how to take care of woolen cardigans. The ones I have after washing had lost their shape and started to look worn out. I don't know if it's my fault or the garments'.
Thanks for great work!
Jadwiga Kijak ...you might want to use a clean, slightly damp sponge to get rid of lint. 😀
Cindy Jones thanks I will give it a try. Is it a long term solution though? Because I can make the garment clean with the help of sticky paper roll but it doesn't last. I would put a coat over a cardigan and the game is over. I've tried even to use some antielectrostatic spray to prevent the piece from collecting the lint but it's not very helpful. I really hate to give up on pretty new piece because of this.
Jadwiga Kijak ...it's worked for me--but i live in the tropics, where static isn't an issue. i' ve heard of people using dryer sheets to reduce static, but have never tried it myself.
Thanks! I unfortunately don't have any good tips for lint reduction, one of those reusable lint brushes (with a nap where you brush one way) seem to work ok but it's not a long term solution. For your woolens, do you "block" them (lay flat to dry in their proper shape) while wet? I find that's really helpful because they easily stretch out when hung. Also folding in your closet is always best, hanging usually stretches them out.
I have cats and I find that a silicone brush works to remove the fur or lint. I found these brushes at the supermarket in the pet aisle. The bristle are made of silicone. Just rub the brush in a circular motion and the fur balls up in strands that are easy to pick up.
Great video! do you have any tips on recycling garments that contain spandex once they are worn/stretched out and no longer wearable? I know there are companies that use old jeans to make insulation, but do they accept stretchy jeans as well?
As far as I understand as long as it's less than 5% it's fine for recycling, but I believe it depends a lot on what it is being recycled into (something like insulation shouldn't be a problem) and what kind of recycling process is used. 100% is definitely easier for a lot of recycling but they are also able to recycle certain blends, so it's still possible.
Cool, thanks for the response!! Love your very informative channel. :)
I did not know that less than 5% spandex can be recycled even if it is blended with a natural material. Are you sure about this? There is another youtube blogger who is very informed about materials and their sustainability and she says that blended materials are not sustainable because there is NOT the technology to recycle blended materials. Do you know how common it is for recycling places to be able to recycle blended material? The blogger I referred to is in the UK. So maybe they don't have it there. I would love to see you do a video on this. And to talk about what happens to clothes at the end of their life and how and where to find a facility? That actually recycles clothes. So many people donate their clothes to a thrift shop. I think that is great when you know you have really good items that are still pretty fashionable. But when items are just really outdated then I think it's best to take them somewhere to be recycle otherwise the thrift store will just be the ones sending them to the landfill. But where/how can a person find such a place? Which countries or provinces have the technology for recycling 'blended' clothes if that is even possible. How do you know it is? Where do you get your information from? Is it information about places in Germany (isn't that where your'e living now?). Or is it information in Canada or US? I doubt it would be the same everywhere. I would love to see more information on this. Thank you.
Not even sure how this older video came up, but I WAS searching Google about fabrics and the environment earlier today, so maybe that? But now, in 2024, can I ask if there are better options than Spandex yet? I know rayon CAN be made from sustainably sourced wood pulp, but often isn't, and uses endangered forests instead, plus the process to make it isn't great. And i've heard of "modal" fabrics and Tencel, which are supposed to be better? But I don't know much about them. Any answers, suggestions, or updated videos on this you can link or direct me to? Thanks for this!!
How can you tell if a garment is knit or woven? Will the tag say?
nycgood This article explains the difference between knits and wovens: www.threadsmagazine.com/item/5152/knits-wovens-whats-the-difference
spandex pollutes when you wash?
why underwears that says that are eco friendly still use elastane/spandex?
Because they pretty much have to use spandex otherwise the fabric would quickly stretch out and become unwearable.
@@MyGreenCloset I wear 100% cotton undies now, with a very fine sewn-in elastic band in the seams, and it retains shape very well. So you won't need it.
I'm in the uk and trying to find fair trade (eco friendly) socks, should be simple but I really can't find any! Can anyone help???
Amelia Kennard I have ordered socks and tights from this company and I would recommend them, very good quality: www.wearethought.com/sustainable-socks/
For now I ditched socks. I could not find proper ones. I now maybe wear socks 5% of the time, on long walks and long working days.
I was going to buy $4.00 spandex t shirts but i stopped because of this video. I am a pro-eco guy.
Funny you praise the retention. I find the opposite is reality. Especially on jeans spandex is a nightmare. You buy a pair with waist 32, after a year it becomes size 34. Jeans without lycra just stays the same size forever. Sure, you will see knees in certain models, the stiffer more fitted ones, but is that bad? It only looks bad if you try to fold it to put it back on a shelve. I wear jeans for many days, and I don't care about knee bumps. Another downside of spandex is that the clothes get a bad smell over time that does not go away. Same as clothes with polyester, you can wear a blindfold and pick all polyester/spandex items from your closet just with your nose.
Cotton Jeans never stay the same size as cotton stretches permenantly over time and doesn't shrink back like spandex does.
@@akpersian Weird you encounter that. Mine all return to default after a wash. All my cotton jeans are keeping their label size. On the other hand did I see spandex ones that were like 3 sizes wider than on the label. And I corect for brand-adjustment, like Lee and Wrangler always mention 1 size smaller than factual (they name a 33 inch 32 so you feel better).
GAY! it doesn't fit my man-booty! I'm 46
U r so beautiful