Preventing Micro-Condensation in Textile Containers - A Guide to Protect Your Goods

The textile industry is moving at a faster pace than ever, with the rapid change in trends and fashions, everything moves faster, be it design, production, or sales. While these are the aspects visible on the front side, there are hidden problems manufacturers have to deal with on the back side, and if they are not dealt with on time, a huge loss has to be faced! One such issue is condensation inside shipping containers.

This may sound like a small issue, but for businesses, it can lead to serious losses. When Moisture builds up inside a container, it can ruin your products with mould, bad smells, or stains. That means unsellable stock, high return rates, and disappointed customers.

In this blog, we will discuss five effective ways to prevent micro-condensation in textile containers.

What is Micro-Condensation in Textile Containers?

When different types of textiles are being transported from one location to another, temperature changes with the changing weather, leading to changes in the air inside the container. When the warm air inside the container cools down, the water vapour in the air turns into Moisture and settles on cooler surfaces like the container wall, or in a worst-case scenario, it can settle down on the textile material.

Some of the textile materials are very good at absorbing Moisture, such as wool, cotton, and blends, as they are made up of fibres. Micro-condensation takes place in sealed containers or storage units where there is no proper way for air to escape. The monsoon season is the least preferred season for the transportation of these goods.

So imagine, if a shipment takes 10–15 days, and micro-condensation takes place inside the container, it could easily lead to mould and foul smell, eventually damaging the fabric and leading to a big loss as the goods become unsellable! To prevent micro-condensation, companies can unthinkingly rely on solutions such as cargo dry pak, USDA-approved desiccant pack, or Sorbipaks container desiccant bag & strips.

Why are Textile Containers so Sensitive to Condensation?

Textile material is vulnerable to condensation, as it can soak up Moisture from the air and nearby surfaces, and even the smallest water droplets that form inside shipping containers or storage containers can cause condensation. Fabrics such as cotton and wool that are naturally porous and hygroscopic can hold up to 30% of their weight in water. When the water stays for a longer time, it leads to the growth of mould and musty odour, the textiles can stain and lose their colour, leading to huge destruction. So does that mean synthetic materials are safe from moisture damage? Well no! They trap and hold Moisture between the fibres, which creates a damp environment that is best for the growth of bacteria.

What makes it worse is the tight packing, textiles are usually packed tightly to save space during shipping, but it reduces the air flow, making it tough for the absorbed Moisture to escape. These small issues inside the sealed container lead to bigger problems, especially when fabrics are involved!

How to Prevent Micro-Condensation and Protect Your Cargo?

Micro-condensation is a small-sounding problem that can lead to big losses. It's especially dangerous for textiles, which soak up Moisture easily and can be ruined by just a few droplets of water. The good news? You can prevent most condensation damage with simple, affordable steps:

1. Container Desiccant

One of the widely known and effective ways to fight micro-condensation is to use container desiccant, they are crafted to protect and prevent micro-condensation in textiles and other goods from Moisture during long transit for cargo in air, ocean, rail, and road transportation of moisture-sensitive goods.

The exceptional feature of the container desiccant is its high moisture-absorbing capacity, which can absorb up to 300% of its weight in water. This special feature helps absorb Moisture not only in normal conditions but also in situations where humidity and temperature fluctuations and micro-condensation are high. The container desiccants are available in various forms and sizes, so that they can fit different packing and cargo requirements. Large bags, small pouches, sorbipak strips, etc, can be easily used in any container setup.

They can be hung vertically from container hooks or laid flat horizontally on cargo pallets or among goods. However, whenever choosing the right cargo desiccant for your container needs, you need to keep one thing in mind: the materials used in the making of these desiccants should be USDA-approved.

You should always buy cargo desiccant from a supplier/manufacturer that uses non-toxic, food-grade materials such as calcium chloride, silica gel, and bentonite clay, as they are USFDA approved. These desiccants are biodegradable and environmentally safe. The protection period of the cargo desiccant is around 60 days, which means that it will keep your goods dry throughout the journey.

2. Improve Ventilation

Shipping containers are designed to be airtight, so that they can protect the goods inside from external factors during long transport, this work as a pro and con both, because with fluctating temprature the air inside the container change too, for instance if the temperature goes from too hot to cold, it leads to micro-condensation.

Proper Ventilation is necessary so that the air can move in and out of the container, less Moisture builds up, and less humidity. One of the simplest ways is to install vents and fans in your shipping container, as well as roof vents, wall vents, and floor vents. A costly but useful tip is to pair vents with fans, which would work wonders!

3. Wrap Products in Vapor-Proof Packaging

This would work best for your high-value textile material, a vapour-proof packing. Let's begin with what it is. So basically, a vapour-proof packing includes materials like aluminium foil wraps, shrink-wrap with sealed edges, and plastic barrier films, which prevent Moisture from reaching your high-end goods.

While the vapour-proofing packaging is very effective itself, pairing it with small desiccant packets inside the wrapping adds one more layer of safety. This method will prevent your luxury textile garments from going bad, even if the micro-condensation takes place in the container.

4. Choose the Right Pallets to Prevent Moisture

To ease the loading, unloading, and handling of goods, pallets are necessary; now these pallets are made up of wood, which often contains internal Moisture, especially if they are made up of fresh green wood.

The Moisture inside the pallet evaporates over time and becomes a cause of humidity inside the container, so when the temperature drops, it turns into micro-condensation. In such a situation, you could either use dry pallets or switch to plastic pallets that don't absorb or release any moisture.

5. Regular Monitoring

To protect your textile from micro-condensation during shipping, it's very crucial to keep an eye on the humidity levels. Using Moisture and temperature sensors (small devices that you can place inside your container), you can track the condition in real time, including temperature, humidity level, and condensation risk.

The data helps you decide things like where to place desiccants, whether more Ventilation is needed, or how to adjust packaging. By placing the sensors, you can also study how hot or cold it gets in various areas, to be well prepared for the next time!