Does freezing panty hose really make them last longer?

[raccoon]

I read somewhere to take new panty hose, wet them, freeze them, and they'll last longer. Is there anything to this?

on edit: after you freeze them, let them thaw and dry out.

Then do they last longer? What does freezing do on the molecular level?

[Caoimhe]

1. BRRRRRRRR n/t

[tsuki]

2. Yes, because they will be too cold to wear. n/t

[xultar]

3. Let's contact the Mythbusters!

[soothsayer]

4. If true, here's one explanation I've found

Freezing panty hoses prior to wearing them first will do a "cryogenic stress relief" process on the nylon. Basically you freeze something, then warm it back to room temp. When you get something real cold, the molecules stop moving, then you bring it back to room temp and as the molecules warm up they rearrange and release much of the internal stress between them. This makes the material very uniform on a molecular level. Thus, internal stress is reduced as things warm back up. This reduces the weak spots in the nylon material and allows the panty hose to stand more abuse prior to tearing or "running".

Before everyone starts freezing everything in their house, let me say, normally you must get the material very cold (liquid nitrogen cold, say below -100 F), then warm the item up slowly and uniformly, say over a 24 hour period. If you warm things too fast from an extreme temp., the outside gets too warm, compared to the inside and you create more stress than you are relieving. There are companies who do this process, but normally it is done to cutting surfaces, i.e. knives, drill bits, cutter heads, and they do engine blocks and engine parts so the engine will wear more evenly and last longer. The cost would be say $100 for an engine block. Thus the process cost too much for cheap goods.

I am guessing that the nylon is unique in that zero degrees (typical freezer temp.), is cold enough to affect the material, normally most material would not get much stress relief at such a "warm" temp.

--Robert B.
Atlanta, GA

[raccoon]

8. thanks. nt

[RethugAssKicker]

5. Yeah thats right!!... And hot water in your ice tray will get frozen

faster than cold water will.

[raccoon]

9. I've heard that somewhere and wondered about it. nt

[Viva_La_Revolution]

10. not faster

but there will be less 'bubbles'

[applegrove]

6. I heard that at one point pantyhose were chemically treated to

run after a period of time. Perhaps freezing them put off the chemical reaction.

Don't know if it was true.

Doubt they would try that today. Women have the option of tights. They know the life of their pantyhose. Bet the cheap ones never sell.

Choice. A good thing!

[snacker]

7. I've heard that several times myself. n/t