It’s wet and cold outside, so we dress nice and warm. And, we put on a warm scarf before we go out. This way we cannot catch a cold and we do not get the flu or cold. At least we think so. Because let’s say that scarf is a great source of bacteria that can make us sick and cold.
Humid and warm
Often you wrap the warm scarf high around the mouth to keep yourself well warm. As a result, you will breathe against the scarf and in cold weather it will also become slightly damp from the air that you blow past it. Of course we also sneeze and cough with our scarf. Or think of that drop of snot that comes loose during a cold bike ride. That drop that is neatly (whether or not unnoticed) is caught by your scarf.
Breeding nest for bacteria
Thus, this fine warm scarf quickly becomes a lovely warm nest for bacteria to multiply in abundance. So the idea that a scarf protects against a cold or flu is not valid. The scarf ensures that the nose is between the (potentially pathogenic) bacteria. But what kills bacteria?
Washing scarf….? We don’t often think about that
A scarf is generally washed only occasionally. People often just forget about it. Just like the coat, the scarf hangs on the coat rack and rarely disappears into the laundry basket for a good wash. Often the scarf is only washed when it is visibly dirty, then people only think about it. What also does not help is that a scarf often cannot rotate with the normal washing, but must be washed by hand. We no longer do that every day.
Regular washing is therefore important!
So wash your scarf more often! Preferably in lukewarm soapy water with neutral soap. If necessary, use baby shampoo, which also seems to work well and is gentle on the fabric. Leave it on for 10 minutes and then rinse gently. Do not rinse under a strong running tap, this can make the fabric less beautiful. After (well) rinsing, squeeze out the water (do not wring) and hang the scarf to dry nicely unfolded.
Alternate more often
Do you have a low resistance and don’t want to catch a cold or flu? Then it is advisable to wash your scarf weekly. This of course also offers a good excuse to have various nice scarves in the range.
We are curious; are you going to wash your scarf right now?