Is formaldehyde in work uniforms and scrubs safe to wear every day?

What's actually in it

Wrinkle-free, stain-resistant, and "easy care" clothing is treated with formaldehyde resins. The resin cross-links the fibers so the shirt stays smooth out of the dryer. The catch: formaldehyde keeps coming off the fabric for the life of the garment. Body heat and sweat pull it out faster.

Formaldehyde is a known human carcinogen. It also causes rashes, itchy eyes, headaches, and asthma flare-ups. People who wear treated uniforms all day, like flight attendants, nurses, and hotel workers, breathe it and wear it on their skin for eight to twelve hours a shift.

What the research says

A 2025 review in Rev Environ Health tracks repeated clusters of rashes, breathing trouble, and autoimmune flares in flight attendants and other uniformed workers. In multiple cases, testing showed formaldehyde and other chemical finishes leaching from the uniforms.

The authors make the bigger point plain: the U.S. has no federal limit on formaldehyde in clothing. Japan and parts of Europe cap it; the U.S. does not. So a "compliant" shirt in the U.S. can carry levels that would be illegal elsewhere.

You can't smell low levels of formaldehyde. The "new shirt" chemical smell is one clue, but a garment can release it with no obvious odor. Washing before wearing helps a little, but the resin is cross-linked into the fiber. It doesn't fully come out.