Chlorination has been the subject of, let’s not say debate, let’s say discussion, for many years. There are some companies that sell their clothes chlorinated, or offer it as an additional service at extra cost, but most do not.
You can also do it yourself. There are many sets of instructions and videos available, but we’ve never tried. We don’t believe it’s very dangerous, just messy and unpleasant. Certainly you need to do it outside and wear some protection.
We have owned chlorinated clothes, though, and know what they are like.
What is chlorination?
Basically, the clothing is treated with a (usually) liquid containing chlorine. This affects the surface of the latex.
Why, and why not?
Fans of the process will tell you that the surface becomes smoother. It becomes harder and less sticky, meaning it does not stick to itself and you don’t need talcum or lubrication liquids to put the items on. Taking things off also becomes easier.
Others have suggested that it may help people with a latex allergy. We have no idea if that’s true, but maybe one of our readers knows?
On the negative side, chlorination costs money, no matter who does it, so there’s expense. Doing it yourself is messy at best, and get it wrong and your item is lost.
Since the latex is materially affected, it won’t smell like latex but chlorine, so you’re wearing a swimming pool.
It’s possible the colour may change slightly.
The squeaky noise goes, and many people suggest the item is less shiny. If you are a fan of latex, these properties may be important to you. If you are interested, some places offer chlorination on one side only.
Some people have reported it can be uncomfortable to wear, but we did not find that ourselves.
Would we do it again? Should you?
We had an item that had been chlorinated, and, while it was very nice, for us, it wasn’t quite right. We love the smell. We have no problems using talc or whatever to get in and out of our items. It was interesting to try, but no, we wouldn’t do it again. But that’s our choice.
Should you? Well, it’s entirely up to you. You may love it, you may hate it. If you want to experiment, fine, tell us how it goes. Share your experiences.