Washing new clothes before wearing them

mahamageehad · 11-11-2017 05:11PM

I came across this recently with a friend. We brought baby clothes and then the baby puked all over herself and I laughed and I said something like "good thing that we have these new clothes right here". Well, she recoiled in horror and explained that obviously they'd have to be washed before putting them on the baby. I never even considered that before. She was further shocked to learn that I just wear new clothes instead of washing them first. I can kind of understand it with the baby I guess, but with regular adults? She's the kind of person that irons her knickers so I just thought she was being OTT as usual so I'm surprised that so many on this thread seem to do it! It's never killed me or made me sick yet anyways.

suicide_circus · 11-11-2017 05:20PM

In this the practice of the kind of people who can't sit down on public transport and bring their own cutlery to restaurants?

LirW · 11-11-2017 05:32PM

I always do, same reason why the others here do. I also hate the stiffness new clothes have, I'm very OCD about this to be honest.
Got a little bit traumatized when I went to fashion school, shipments and warehouses are not particularly nice things, people throw that stuff around in the shops, no way in hell that I would put that stuff on my body straight away.
Other customers are just nasty and don't care about stuff on display, doesn't fit and people will drop it on the spot.

And yeah, I'm the kind of person that absolutely obsesses over washing hands.

whoopsadoodles · 11-11-2017 05:34PM

What about dry clean only stuff?

LirW · 11-11-2017 05:38PM

Don't buy it, don't really come across it because I'm not really needing it. I know it refers to business clothing, which I don't really need, at the moment I don't even have.
Would I bring it to the dry-cleaner? Probably not but putting it would certainly be in the back of my head.

I just know it's the thing with sewing, fabrics are stiffer when bought and that makes it so handy to work with.

lilsparkle69 · 11-11-2017 06:05PM

Only wash towels and bed linen before using. I'm quite picky with towels as you see people in shops feeling them and picking them up to check them. You don't know what's on it after......

Wouldn't normally wash new clothes though, unless they had a strange smell from them. Didn't think so many people do this.

corner of hells · 11-11-2017 06:37PM

I do all the time.
If I'm out in public I bring my own toilet seat with me too in case I need a dump somewhere strange.

corner of hells · 11-11-2017 06:37PM

I do all the time.
If I'm out in public I bring my own toilet seat with me too in case I need a dump somewhere strange.

LynnGrace · 11-11-2017 09:37PM

LirW wrote: »

I always do, same reason why the others here do. I also hate the stiffness new clothes have, I'm very OCD about this to be honest.
Got a little bit traumatized when I went to fashion school, shipments and warehouses are not particularly nice things, people throw that stuff around in the shops, no way in hell that I would put that stuff on my body straight away.
Other customers are just nasty and don't care about stuff on display, doesn't fit and people will drop it on the spot.

And yeah, I'm the kind of person that absolutely obsesses over washing hands.

I think I had no idea what OCD must be like for those diagnosed with it, until I watched some programmes about those who suffer with it, over the last while.
It must be very difficult

11-11-2017 10:06PM

New clothes are packed and sprayed with all kinds of things before transit, never mind touched by any number of people who may have been scratching their behinds before they folded them, and 'dressed' in more chemicals to give the material shape and hand and make it feel better quality than it is.

A friend used a duvet set she bought before washing it. The side of her face she (mostly) slept on developed a raised, swollen and itchy red rash that took weeks to resolve. It looked like a serious skin disease. As it cleared, her skin flaked very badly and the whole thing was very disfiguring while she had it. That put me off using things before I wash them for life.

I'll always wash underwear before wearing it, always anything next to my skin in terms of clothes, towels and bedding.

freshpopcorn · 11-11-2017 10:19PM

I love the smell of new clothes. I never considered it to be a bad smell.
I wouldn't buy clothes that looked manky on the shelf. I never had an issues either with wearing new clothes.

shoegal1 · 12-11-2017 06:57AM

Aspadeaspade wrote: »

Prune Tracy wrote: »

I assume it's the "new smell" stuff. I particularly notice it on bedding. I presume it's what "stiffens" new sheets.

I reckon sheets are steamed industrially before packing. Don't think it's chemicals. I was asking the poster of that comment if they know what the reason is.

Formaldehyde and other chemicals are sometimes used to keep the clothes crease/wrinkle free. A friend of mine is highly sensitive to formaldehyde in clothing and hotel bed sheets. Who knew?

12-11-2017 10:09AM

Yet again I'm surprised at the level of insanity of people, I really struggle to believe people really wash new clothes.

I wouldn't wash new clothes under any circumstances, aside from the fact it's idiotic I love the smell and feel of new clothes from the shop a feel that's gone after washing and never to be had again. In fact I'd usually wear a new item more times before washing than I'd normally wear something between washes because of this.

Same goes for towels, bedsheet, (or kids clothes if I had them) etc no way on earth would I wash them before use and I've never heard of anyone doing it before until I read this thread.

KERSPLAT! · 12-11-2017 10:12AM

Seth Sweet Handshake wrote: »

Yet again I'm surprised at the level of insanity of people, I really struggle to believe people really wash new clothes.

I wouldn't wash new clothes under any circumstances, aside from the fact it's idiotic I love the smell and fee of new clothes from the shop a feel that's gone after washing and never to be had again. In fact I'd usually wear a new item more times before washing than I'd normally wear something between washes because of this.

Your inbetween washes and most other people's wildly differ though.

I wouldn't generally wash new clothes u less they're dark jeans.

CalamariFritti · 12-11-2017 10:12AM

I think my mother used to do it, reason being that they'll be fresh out of production and there is all sorts of chemicals involved plus you don't know how and where its been stored and moved around etc. Makes sense.

I'm too lazy to do that and nothing bad has happened.

ongarboy · 12-11-2017 12:21PM

I was in a beach wear type shop abroad recently and was just looking at swimming togs and the assistant asked would I like to try them on??? I politely declined!!

barneygumble99 · 12-11-2017 12:47PM

I usually try things on in the shop and then buy them online if it's free delivery.

Carlos Orange · 12-11-2017 12:49PM

Candie wrote: »

never mind touched by any number of people who may have been scratching their behinds before

Do you wear gloves outside? Pretty much everything in the world has been touched by other people.

12-11-2017 02:28PM

psinno wrote: »

Do you wear gloves outside? Pretty much everything in the world has been touched by other people.

Indeed it has, but you don't put your face down to sleep on everything outside, or cover your genitals with stuff people have touched outside. You wash your hands before you eat, so what's so bizarre about washing underwear that has been in contact with heaven-knows-what before you cover your intimate areas with it?

I don't know why people get so uptight about others doing it, it's not like I think it should be made compulsory.

If you don't want to wash things and see no good reason to, then don't. I do, because I think there are good reasons to for me.

12-11-2017 02:29PM

I generally don't, though a top i got recently from dunnes had such a strong, strong chemical smell I did have to wash it first

12-11-2017 02:32PM

I have better things to do with my limited spare time so I treat this much like ironing and don't bother.

12-11-2017 02:36PM

bluewolf wrote: »

I generally don't, though a top i got recently from dunnes had such a strong, strong chemical smell I did have to wash it first

Another thing it depends on is how sensitive your skin is, it can be a bit of a risk if you don't wash babies things first, or if you have skin that flares up easily yourself.

suicide_circus · 12-11-2017 02:40PM

This chemical menace people think theyre avoiding by washing new clothes in more chemicals...can someone elaborate on this please. Do these people eat foods bought from super markets? Do they breathe air? Do they use personal hygiene products like deodorant or shampoo? Do they clean their homes with detergents or disinfectants?

12-11-2017 02:43PM

suicide_circus wrote: »

This chemical menace people think theyre avoiding by washing new clothes in more chemicals...can someone elaborate on this please. Do these people eat foods bought from super markets? Do they breathe air? Do they use personal hygiene products like deodorant or shampoo? Do they clean their homes with detergents or disinfectants?

The difference between personal hygiene products and what might be on clothes is that the stuff for use on the human body has been tested to be safe - to a certain extent - for use on skin or hair, and the kind of pesticides and preservatives found on clothing is simply safe for use on clothing.

Fine if you have resilient skin, but if you have allergies or sensitive skin, it could cause a nasty reaction.

_Dara_ · 12-11-2017 02:45PM

DeanAustin wrote: »

Never have and never will. And never had a problem.

Makes me laugh that people are saying “Jaysus you wouldn’t know who touched them” when most people I know would happily go out on a Saturday, pull someone and stick body parts into each other without much of a second thought.

Indeed. Or are carrying around their germ-ridden phone with them and tapping on their filthy laptop keyboard. People’s hygiene rules seem wildly inconsistent to me.

tomwaterford · 12-11-2017 02:46PM

Candie wrote: »

The difference between personal hygiene products and what might be on clothes is that the stuff for use on the human body has been tested to be safe - to a certain extent - for use on skin or hair, and the kind of pesticides and preservatives found on clothing is simply safe for use on clothing.

Fine if you have resilient skin, but if you have allergies or sensitive skin, it could cause a nasty reaction.

I would have sensitive enough skin

Never occurred to me,to wash new clothes before wearing them

Can't say I've ever had too much problems either. ...but alot of my new clothes would be rushed purchase day of/before I needs it

suicide_circus · 12-11-2017 02:47PM

Candie wrote: »

The difference between personal hygiene products and what might be on clothes is that the stuff for use on the human body has been tested to be safe - to a certain extent - for use on skin or hair, and the kind of pesticides and preservatives found on clothing is simply safe for use on clothing.

Fine if you have resilient skin, but if you have allergies or sensitive skin, it could cause a nasty reaction.

Do the authorities know that clothes are being sprayed with hazardous materials?

retro:electro · 12-11-2017 02:49PM

My skin is extremely sensitive. So much so that I frequently break out in contact dermatitis which no over the counter cream will cure. I can only use one brand of shower gel and only certain skin products. It never even entered my head that the chemicals on new clothes could be contributing to my irritation. I always love new clothes from the shop! They always look so neat and just hang better on you before you have to wash them! Maybe I'll try washing them first anymore and see.

_Dara_ · 12-11-2017 02:49PM

Candie wrote: »

Indeed it has, but you don't put your face down to sleep on everything outside, or cover your genitals with stuff people have touched outside. You wash your hands before you eat, so what's so bizarre about washing underwear that has been in contact with heaven-knows-what before you cover your intimate areas with it?

I don't know why people get so uptight about others doing it, it's not like I think it should be made compulsory.

If you don't want to wash things and see no good reason to, then don't. I do, because I think there are good reasons to for me.

Sure but people are allowed to think it’s completely over the top.

Your wallet, your keys, your phone, any change you are carrying - these more than likely are carrying a huge bacterial load and you handle them multiple times a day. And I doubt anyone washes their hands enough to offset that.

Carlos Orange · 12-11-2017 03:14PM

Candie wrote: »

You wash your hands before you eat, so what's so bizarre about washing underwear that has been in contact with heaven-knows-what before you cover your intimate areas with it?

12% of people wash their hands before eating according to the survey Google found me on the internet.

Washing new clothes before wearing them

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