10 Best Rated Bbq Tongs

Best Rated Bbq Tongs in 2023

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How to Dress for Yard Work: 5 Sun Protection Strategies for Outdoor Safety and Comfort

The clothes you put on your body are just as important as the sunscreen you put on your skin when you're headed out to mow the lawn, garden or even indulge in some weekend grilling. Here are some tips for comfort and sun protection.

Well, you're still going to want to wear sunscreen, of course, to avoid burning your exposed skin, but be honest, who mows the lawn in a bathing suit? Who gardens in a bikini? If this is you, ticks and chiggers are your best friend and your worst enemy. What I'm saying is that the dress code for yard work and yard activities is usually somewhat different than for the beach or boat, unless you're the Bubba I see on the riding mower with shorts and no shirt, using his bald head for a solar panel, as the T-shirt humor would have it. (Don't laugh too hard'"I see this all the time down here in the sun-soaked Tennessee Valley).

UPF (Ultraviolet Protection Factor) is a relatively recently devised value that is a measure of the amount of UV radiation that penetrates fabric and reaches the skin. This measure takes into account both UV-A (the penetrating ones that give you skin cancer) and UV-B rays (the ones that bake you like a chicken). A UPF rating of 50 means 1/50 of the total of the sun's ray will penetrate the rated fabric, and thus you will get 2% of the full dose on your skin underneath the fabric.

Predictably, the heavier, darker fabrics with tight weaves, such as dark blue denim, will provide the greatest protection. Light cotton, translucent weaves will offer very little protection. Interestingly, the lignins in natural, unbleached cotton have sun-absorbing qualities in themselves, so they're a better choice than bleached cotton or even some of the lighter colors of dyed cottons. Lustrous silks and polyesters reflect much of the sun's radiation back into the atmosphere, so they afford a level of protection as well. Polyester isn't very comfortable in 90-degree heat, though.

So, how do you split the difference and dress for safety without making yourself into a walking sweatbox?

1. Dress in layers. A light cotton undershirt can absorb sweat, while a slightly heavier long-sleeved over shirt will provide a measure of physical protection. Also, a fabric's UPF will decrease if the fabric becomes wet. You know the "wet T-shirt effect?" Well, if you can see what's underneath, it means the greater transparency is allowing more sun through. So layers will help you keep a dry top, even if your undershirt becomes soaked.

2. Buy UPF-enhanced clothing or UV cutting laundry additives. There is a laundry additive called Sun Guard that adds a UPF of 20 to clothes washed in it. The protection lasts for about 20 washings. There are more and more boutiques and online stores that specialize in sun-protective clothing (the UPF must be at least 15 to qualify as sun-protective). But beware: even high-tech clothing loses UPF effectiveness if it is worn out, stretched out and over washed. So take care of your high-tech clothes!

3. Think about heavier, darker clothing combined with an ice-vest and a sweat-absorbing headband or a gel crystal band (dry gel that expands when soaked and cools your forehead as the water evaporates). Consider the dark denim shirt. Its UPF rating is 1700; if it gets wet, it'll still be better protection than a dry white shirt. Ice vests can be found in most sporting goods catalog, especially at this time of year.

4. A broad-brimmed hat with chin strap (for that unexpected wind gust). I have an old, beaten up Mexican hat whose diameter must be about 2 feet across! This provides a solid layer of physical protection that can block much sun exposure but not all. From experience I'll tell you that the sun does reach your face if you're having to turn around and around with a mower or perform chores that require you to be all over the yard.

5. Do your mowing just after the dew evaporates in the morning to avoid getting noonday sun or the dreaded peak-heating afternoon sun. If you're cooking out, you can do it in the morning or in the evening, after the worst of the sun's rays have passed. Here in middle Tennessee, it is light until almost 8:00 p.m., so I try to time grilling for about 6, after the sun is muted near the horizon and before the dusk onslaught of mosquitoes and biting flies. Keep in mind, this advice is for comfort. Full sun precautions should still be taken, because UV-A rays are constant throughout the day, whether it be cloudy, rainy, or sunny.

A warning to "Florida room" porch sitters and drivers: You don't actually have to be out of doors to sustain skin damage from the sun. UV-A can also penetrate through glass, whereas UV-B cannot. Thus, you can get the penetrating deep skin damage without the telltale UV-B sunburn to alert you to the fact that you've been exposed to the sun for too long!

The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends a minimum clothing UPF of 30, while a rating of 50+ is considered excellent protection. And even with clothing, don't overexpose yourself to the sun. Even 2% of the sun's rays, taken over several hours, can do damage that adds up over the long term.

For a list of sun-protective clothing that has earned the Skin Cancer Foundation Seal of Approval, see this link:

A list of likewise approved UV cutting laundry additives is here:

Here is a site with instructions on making your own water gel crystal headbands! (I used a commercial version and it provides needed relief during hot mowing sessions)

References:

Skin Cancer Foundation, Protective Clothing: , accessed 5/27/2020.

Renew Total Body Wellness Center, Laser Physics: , accessed 5/28/2020.