An important part
of a gardener’s sun-protection defense is clothing, your own or
clothes made out of new space age fabrics. My sun-defying gardening
outfit consists of a lightweight T-shirt and shorts, sweat band,
and sandals, but that’s only during the safe window of early morning
and early evening. If I were foolish enough to be out at high
noon, such clothing would equate to a SPF 5 or 6 sunscreen, and
about a 3 when it got soaked with sweat.
The ultimate sun-protective
garb for high noon would be a tightly woven head-to-toe black
fabric. Tightly woven to allow a few rays to reach the skin and
black because dark colors have dyes that absorb more UV rays.
Obviously that’s not practical but a combination of the right
summer clothes and sunscreen can do the trick.
With clothes, the bottom
line is the more skin you cover, the better. And if you know what
to look for, your wardrobe most likely has items in it that would
provide good sun protection. Unbleached cotton, which contains
pigments that act as UV absorbers, is a good choice. Shiny polyesters
and satiny silk are perfect because they reflect radiation. Forget
the bleached cotton, stretchy knits and loosely woven materials
and anything that's threadbare or really worn.
There are easy ways
to improve the sun protection of your favorite clothes. A laundry
additive called Rit SunGuard, available in supermarkets, drugstores
and online, works like magic. A single package, which I purchased
at a local supermarket for about $3.50, treats an entire load
of laundry. The active ingredient, Tinosorb FD, penetrates clothing
fibers and absorbs UV light instead of letting it pass through.
Adding it to a hot wash can boost the UPF (Ultraviolet Protective
Factor) of a favorite white T-shirt to 30, a very good rating
by the standards of the American Society for Testing and Materials.
That applies even when it’s wet.
The ultimate amount
of protection a particular garment will provide depends on such
things as density of the weave, the fiber type and color. There’s
no noticeable effect on the garments, as my husband’s golf shirts
can attest. SunGuard works its magic on white and light color
cotton, linen, rayon and silk but not on synthetics like polyester
or acrylic. The manufacturer promises that the protection lasts
for more than 20 washings.
Most laundry detergents
that make clothes look whiter or brighter also improve the UV
protection of ordinary clothes. The optical brighteners they use
act like colorless dyes to absorb UV rays.
If you’re willing to
spring for new duds as part of your sun-protection strategy, there
are lots and lots of choices. Unfortunately they’re all pricey.
The big names include Solar Eclipse, Solarweave (Sun Clothing),
Solumbra (Sun Precautions), and Sun Solutions.
Sun-protection clothes
are rated according to an Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF),
which measures the ability of a fabric to block UVA and UVB. UPF
30 means that 1/30 of UV rays can penetrate the fabric to reach
the skin. UPF between 15 to 24 provides good UV protection;UPF
25 to 39, very good; UPF 40+, excellent.
The new garments promise
to retain their UPF protection for the typical life of the garment.
However, very old, threadbare or faded garments are likely to
offer less protection.
Is it possible to wear
this special clothing in the garden and still be comfortable?
I decided to find out. I selected styles appropriate for garden
work — button-up-the-front, long-sleeve shirts, what I call
work shirts. They are all priced in the $50-to-$60 range. Midsummer
garden tasks like mowing while the neighbor boy was on vacation,
planting replacement annuals, digging a hole for the new fruit
tree, weeding and spreading mulch allowed me to get up close and
personal with these shirts in south Florida’s summer heat.
All the shirts provide
excellent sun protection, were lightweight and effortlessly wicked
away perspiration.
Sun Clothing Hook &
Tackle Women's Air/X-100 Shirt
One of my favorites for its soft feel against the skin and excellent
ventilation. Drips dry. Zipper vents below the arms and across the
shoulders allow maximum ventilation. Multiple storage pockets with
mesh drainage. CoolMax® mesh lining. Roll-up collar for added sun
protection and roll-up sleeves with a tab. $65. www.sunclothingetc.com
Solumbra Safari
Shirt
This shirt got extra points for it’s silky feel and excellent
ventilation. Choose one size up to get the roominess needed for
gardening. Needed the dryer briefly to get out the worst wrinkles.
Two front-button pockets. Vented back yoke backed by mesh panel;
wide mesh inserts under the arms. $56
www.sunprecautions.com
Solar Eclipse Cover-Up
Excellent roominess in this smock-like shirt with a long tail.
34'' length. The finish the the fabric was very dirt resistant.
Not quite as nice against the skin as Sun Precautions and Solumbra.
Needed the dryer briefly to get out the worst wrinkles. Two front-button
pockets. Made with a patented fiber called Supplex nylon. $65.
www.solareclipse.com
Sun Solutions Clothing
Casual Outdoor Shirt
Fabric feels like hi-tech sportswear. The finish the the fabric
was very dirt resistant. Needed the dryer briefly to get out the
worst wrinkles. Two front-button pockets. Tab roll-up sleeves.
$52. SunSolutionsclothing.com
Resources
Skin
Cancer Foundation
The US Department of Labor's Occupational
Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
Cancer
Foundation
American Academy of Dermatology
Environmental
Protection Agency
Iowa
State University Textiles and Clothing Extension
Medscape
(requires first-time registration)
Return
to Sun
sense for gardeners
Part One: Skin and Eye Protection
