ISU Extension News

Extension Communications
3614 Administrative Services Building
Ames, Iowa 50011-3614
(515) 294-9915

9/12/02

Contacts:
Janis Stone, ISU Textiles and Clothing, (515) 294-6712, jfstone@iastate.edu
Barb Abbott, ISU Extension communication specialist, (515) 294-4843, babbott@iastate.edu
Tonya Shinn, ISU Extension intern, (515) 294-5597, tonjacoy@iastate.edu

How Shady is Your T-shirt?

ALLEMAN, Iowa -- You may not think of your shirt as offering shade, but when the summer sun is bearing down, it may be your best defense against sunburn and other unpleasant sun effects.

At the 2002 Farm Progress Show, you can learn more about protecting your skin from the sun at the "How Shady is Your T-shirt?" exhibit in the Iowa State University (ISU) tent. This exhibit will focus on clothing choices that can provide great protection from ultraviolet radiation (UVR). In addition, several medical professionals will provide free skin cancer screenings each day of the show.

The Farm Progress Show is set for Sept. 24 through Sept. 26 near Alleman.

When spending time in the sun, take time to protect yourself by covering your skin with clothes, using sunscreen and wearing a full-brimmed hat.
"To prevent sunburn, dry skin, premature aging, cataracts and skin cancer, everyone should follow their skin protection ABCs," says Janis Stone, ISU extension textiles and clothing specialist.

A = Apply sunscreen
B = Bask in the shade
C = Cover up with clothes

According to Stone, some clothes are more protective than others. Tightly knit or woven fabrics are better than loose knit or open weave fabrics that let UVR through. Fabric thickness also is important because the sun can penetrate through lightweight cottons. Dark colored fabrics include dyes that help absorb UVR.

Clothing manufacturers soon may label clothes for sun protection according to their ultraviolet protective factor (UPF). The American Society for Testing and Materials recently approved a labeling system for manufacturers to use for clothes tested to determine their UPF. If labeled, consumers can select UPF clothes to provide greater protection.

UPF for clothes is similar to sun protective factor (SPF) that is used to show levels of protection offered by sunscreen products. UPF ratings are similar to SPF ratings because the higher the number, the better the level of protection. When clothing is UPF labeled, the numbers will mean the following:

15 - 24 = good protection
25 - 39 = very good protection
40+ = excellent protection

Currently, most clothing manufacturers don't list a UPF rating with their garments. However, according to Stone, marketers are beginning to show interest in marketing clothes for sun safety.

A whole new wardrobe isn't necessary; your current clothes can be improved with a little help. Many detergents contain fabric whiteners and brighteners that essentially act like colorless dyes, boosting the protective power of your clothes by just washing them. Also, a new product, Sunguard* by Rit® provides a UPF of 30 with just one wash.

The illustration shows the effect of dye on UPF ratings. The white shirt fabric is thick and more closely knitted, with a UPF of 24. Many white jersey t-shirts have a UPF of about 5. The medium blue shirt was 61 UPF and dark blue 100 UPF.

According to the American Cancer Society, skin cancer has been steadily increasing by 3 percent each year since 1981. In 2002, more than 1 million people are expected to be diagnosed with skin cancer.

"Ninety-six hundred people are estimated to die this year alone, from a cancer they might have prevented by making better clothing choices, " says Stone.
Apply sunscreen any time you expect to be in the sun, for work or fun. Sunscreen is most effective if applied 30 minutes before going out and must be reapplied when your skin is wet from perspiration or swimming.

In 1996 and 1999, extension presented a sun safety exhibit at the Farm Progress Show that encouraged people to change from baseball caps to wide-brimmed hats for better sun protection. The 2002 exhibit takes the sun safety skin cancer prevention educational effort a step further.

Learn more at Iowa State University's Sun Safety Exhibit at the Farm Progress Show September 24, 25 and 26 at Alleman, Iowa. For more information, check out the ISU Extension Web site at www.extension.iastate.edu/pubs/ for extension publication PM 1862, Consumer Choices: Shirts and Stuff for Sun Safety.

The ISU exhibit is located at the west end of the Farm Progress Show grounds.

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