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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To wonder why the hell people give me hand me down knickers?

48 replies

theresapotatoundermysink · 01/02/2011 17:02

Whenever I get a bag of hand me down clothes for my DD it always seems to include used underwear. Now don't get me wrong, I always appreciate second hand clothes. But underwear? I wouldn't want to wear second hand pants, I'm pretty sure the person giving them to me wouldn't want to wear second hand pants, so why should my child?

OP posts:
tastetherainbow · 01/02/2011 17:08

i have to partly agree with were u are coming from.... i always accept second hand clothes for myself and children, and i give mine to friends as well but one thing i make a point of is underwear, the way i see it is i wouldnt wear second ahnd underwear so why should my kids the only underwear i have given out are knickers that have been left over in the packet but have never been used as there still in the packet but yes i understand exactly where u are coming fom.

Original poster
theresapotatoundermysink · 01/02/2011 17:15

Good. It's not just me. I always seem to get it and find it really yuck.

OP posts:
LyingWitchInTheWardrobe2726 · 01/02/2011 17:17

You can put it into your clothes recycling bags. The Salvation Army has to send 10% underwear with the clothing so they would be very glad to have it.

maryz · 01/02/2011 17:19

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

tastetherainbow · 01/02/2011 17:20

... i agree with lyingwitchinthewardrobe (thats long) lol...... i suppose there are kids out there that need them but from a personal point of view i agree with how it makes you feel... its not good

lowercase · 01/02/2011 17:20

if its in good condition why not?

school lends the children towels, costumes and pants...whats the diff?

ragged · 01/02/2011 17:23

What's so especially mucky about bottoms? It's not like kids don't puke, wipe snot and occasionally smear poo and God-Knows-What all over their other clothes, anyway.

kepler10b · 01/02/2011 17:25

it's a psychological issue though - you are no more likely to catch something from the pants than any of the other clothes. indeed the other clothes might have been puked on, nose wiped on, pooed on also. as long as they've been in the washing machine there isn't a problem really.

FreakoidOrganisoid · 01/02/2011 17:26

Most of dd's pants are hand me down ones, as are many of ds'.

Any that look manky I don't use but otherwise I don't have a problem with it-it's only been on my friend's child.

Nobody gets pants from us though as by the time dd has finished with them they are disgusting and only fit for the bin.

My dc wore second hand nappies too Grin

ChippyMinton · 01/02/2011 17:26

I have passed on boys pants (which are usually sturdier than girls ones) when I know the recipient would like the design/character. Or, outgrown ones in toilet-training sizes, when we had so many pairs on the go, each pair was hardly worn. Bags are given with instructions to keep or recycle.

LaurieFairyonthetreeEatsCake · 01/02/2011 17:27

I have some lovely vintage 30's peach silk french knickers and I have no probs wearing them

little kids don't have periods and weird fanjo discharge (which seems to mark my knickers) so less likely to be stained/smelly - poo washes off easily too (no skid marks after washing in our pants).

tastetherainbow · 01/02/2011 17:31

LaurieFairyonthetreeEatsCake..... that has just put me off my food but absoultely hilarious and as much as knowone wants to admit it your so right!!!!! hahaha classic

KurriKurri · 01/02/2011 17:34

I gave my friend some of my DS's outgrown pants, I asked if she wanted them and she said yes - they are useful when you are potty training.

Her little boy was chuffed to bits with them, - he kept announcing 'I'm grown up because I'm wearing kurriDS's pants' Grin

Blackeyeddog · 01/02/2011 17:38

Ds wears hand me down pants occasionally. I would probably happily wear some myself if anyone decided to give me theirs. I am quite disgusting though Grin/.

BuntyPenfold · 01/02/2011 17:43

Give them to nursery/preschool for spares?

TastesLikePanda · 01/02/2011 18:10

I had a blue fit once when my mother gave me hand-me-down pants from my brother - I now steal DHs boxers all the time (so comfy!) but that feels different because ... it just does!

SixtyFootDoll · 01/02/2011 18:13

I dont give Ds2 hand me down pants from DS1 and was a bit meh when a friend gave DS2 some of her sons clothes and it included very faded pants and nearly worn out school socks.

I dont mind hand me downs at all but I do feel DS2 deserves his own pants!

Gogopops · 01/02/2011 18:18

My MIL often forgets to bring clean knickers with her when she comes to stay and always asks if she can borrow a pair of mine!!
(If I were her I would just turn the same pair inside out and have a good wash).
Nevertheless I feel obliged to give her one of my 'good' pairs if you know what I mean (with no strange gusset marks) but she never gives them back - not that I would want to wear them afterwards!! I bet she's hoarded a load of my knickers.
Come to think of it, if I gave her a pair of my old manky ones she might not forget her own in future!! Confused

TheVisitor · 01/02/2011 18:21

My 11 year old boys share pants and have done since they were potty trained. They're only just developing a preference for different styles of boxers. Grin

orangepoo · 01/02/2011 18:27

Just a perception issue I think, nothing at all wrong with 2nd hand pants. I give DS's to nursery/school to change kids into for accidents. None of my kids' pants have marks in but if they did, I'd put them in the clothes recycling rather than giving them to someone. I pass on DD's old (but nice looking) knickers with the rest of her clothes.

ashamedandconfused · 01/02/2011 18:28

see, I won't even advertise them on freecycle, even though i am sure someone would be grateful, cos you never know what wierdos might be watching. Have handed down vests though, and swim trunks/costumes, so why not pants?

mine go to school for spares now, thats the kids', not mine, you understand

any a bit too tatty go in the clothing recycling bank

Original poster
theresapotatoundermysink · 01/02/2011 20:27

I do get they're clean...but just the thought.

OP posts:
Rosebud05 · 01/02/2011 20:36

This is interesting. Someone gave us a bag of much appreciated hand-me-downs just before Christmas, which had some worn Charlie and Lola knickers in it. I felt a bit weird about them, but put them in dd's stocking and they were her favourite present.

Wouldn't pass knickers on though. Don't really know why. Socks, swimming costumes, shoes yes but not knickers.

ElectricSoftParade · 01/02/2011 20:44

Slightly off-topic but I was given a lovely bag of maternity clothes from SIL, including her large knickers which I binned. When she became pregnant again she asked for them back! I feel there is just a touch too much sharing going on there.

GwendolineMaryLacey · 01/02/2011 20:44

Funny, I've never thought about it. DD only has about 4 pairs of hand me down pants but I've never given them a second thought. Everything that's handed down (lots, oodles of older cousins) gets inspected for cleanliness, the pants passed the test so not a problem.

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