Negative formaldehyde release from textiles washed with a formaldehyde-containing laundry soap according to manufacturer instructions: An application of chromotropic acid testing.

Abstract

Formaldehyde is a common preservative used to prevent microbial growth in water. It can be found in personal care products and household cleaning products, including laundry detergents. Formaldehyde has frequently been recognised as a cause of allergic contact dermatitis, but whether it remains present in textiles washed with formaldehyde-containing laundry detergents is unknown. This study aimed to utilise the chromotropic acid method (CAM) to assess formaldehyde release from textiles washed with a laundry detergent known to contain formaldehyde. Textiles were laundered with a detergent containing calcium formate at four concentrations (0×, 0.5×, 1× and 5× the recommended amount per manufacturer label) and kept wet or allowed to dry. Select textiles were subjected to an additional rinse cycle. Textiles were then tested utilising the CAM. A sample of the pure laundry detergent was also tested using the CAM. The CAM was positive only for wet textiles washed at 5× the recommended concentration of detergent and pure detergent. All dry textiles were negative. Formaldehyde release was not detected from any textiles washed following the manufacturer's recommendations. Once dry, it is likely safe for formaldehyde-allergic patients to wear textiles washed with formaldehyde-containing detergents.