Does the Moon really bleach clothes?

When the weather is good, laundry is hung on our neighbors’ balconies and gardens. Indeed, the heat emitted by the Sun is an ecological alternative to the dryer. However, its UV rays can fade fabrics and dull colors over time. And what about the Moon and its effect on our textiles? On the Internet, opinions on this topic differ. So it’s time to find out everything. no, the moon has nothing to do with fading our clothes. However, some scientific elements must be considered to qualify this statement.

Accused dew

At night, when the moon illuminates the sky, the atmosphere cools. Humidity, even more so on full moon evenings, damages clothing. And, in this sense, reduces their life span. Morning dew will therefore be the main cause of fabric fading. “It’s not so much the effect of the moon as it is the effect of the dew. The night is colder, so there may be more dew,” explains astronomer, astrophysicist and president of the Paris-PSL observatory, Fabien Cazzoli. The scientist reminds that the dew is rich in hydrogen peroxide (or water saturated with oxygen). Understand, the chemical compound is slightly more viscous than water, superior to bleach. This is, among other things, used in water treatments or hair bleaching products. Conclusion. therefore, we avoid leaving our red sweater outside overnight unless we want to preserve its color as long as possible.

Can the moon damage the textiles on the window?

And what about the textiles left inside? Can we leave clothes and accessories against the window in the middle of the night without risk of damage? A legal question when we know that the Sun’s rays “attack” them even through windows. “If they block UVB (the rays responsible for sunburn, therefore useful insofar as they warn of excess UVB of all kinds), windows allow UVB and visible light to pass through,” the article states. Western France . UV rays are the rays that penetrate deeper into the dermis and contribute to skin aging. Unlike UVB, UVA rays pass through windows. That’s why clothes can be damaged by the sun even when you’re at home.

As for the Moon, let’s be sure. the satellite reflects only 7% of the Sun’s light. “This is called albedo, the difference between the flux of reflected light and the flux of light from the sun that reaches the surface of the moon,” explains Frédéric Moyier, a researcher and geologist at the Institut de Physique de la Globe in Paris. The moon. And continue. “The moon’s albedo is very low because its surface is on average very dark, like a lump of coal. So I find it hard to believe that it can discolor clothes…” Therefore, the percentage of sunlight captured by the Moon to return to Earth is very low. Just like the chances of finding your clothes discolored by the moonlight. Even if people can “try it for themselves, no one prevents them from checking”, concludes Fabien Casoli, not without humor.