When buying new clothes _do you wash them before wearing them?

[BeCraftyFatball]

No Not normally.

Aren’t new clothes steamed eg after they’ve been tried on?

In the shop I mean.

It depends what they are. Sometimes they have such a strong smell of the stuff they put on fabric as it goes through the machines or the dye process that you have to wash them.

That's because after you've washed them a couple of times there's less of the chemicals in them from manufacturing.

New towels sometimes have starch or silicon on them. There's no need to wash them before first use but they will become better at drying after washes.

Clothes and towels are not sold covered in dangerous chemicals which need to be washed off. I'm not going to waste water and energy washing new, unused towels.

I iron nothing I wash.

I just stick it in the tumbler or hang it straight out on the line.

Unless it was something like linen, which I won't buy anyway as it always needs ironing!

No. Just put back.

I'm busy too, and my life is interesting, but I can smell the chemicals and prefer not to. I find it no bother to wash them.

Exactly it’s no hassle - it just goes in the basket to be washed the next time I’m doing a load anyway! I can’t see how it would be a burden to wash a new item of clothing.

Yes, I have eczema and there can be all kinds of things on them - from other people’s perfume from the changing rooms to cleaning products from warehouses. When I worked in retail stock sat out the back where workers ate their lunch.

So I wash it to prevent a rash.

Not everybody has the same body. What’s not dangerous to you is to others. I can eat peanut butter but it kills my mother in law… peanuts wouldn’t be classed as dangerous but can be. So too can the things on clothing.

The thing is, all the reasons give for washing clothes - the factory, other people trying them on, chemicals from manufacture - apply just as much to clothes that are dry clean only and I simply refuse to believe that anyone ever takes an article of clothing to be dry cleaned before they first wear it.

No

Or, say, something with the kind of pleats that needs careful ironing to ever look right - I just don't believe people are wasting those first, bonus wears where you get to have it look perfect without the ironing by washing it unworn!

I used to only wash them if they had a strong smell but few years ago, a friend of mine had an allergic reaction to the chemicals on some clothing she bought so I’ve washed everything before wearing since then. The skin on her chest, stomach and legs started going red and swelling and it ended up like burns. She had to be hospitalised and has some scarring. I presume that sort of reaction is rare though, but not worth the risk for the sake of just washing first.

No they're just put back or re-packaged if it's an online order. Who do you think would have the time to steam them either in a store or at a warehouse?

Always!

No, I like the newness and crisp feel. Clothes are never the same once they been washed.

Yes. They’re dirty.

I wash towels , bedding, pyjamas and knickers but nothing else, even if it’s next to my skin… so I wouldn’t wash a bra or a blouse for example

Never.

Yes from a shop but no from
Vinted!!

No

Yes. They stink and you don’t know whose foosty fanny, rank feet and sweaty pits have already tried the clothes on. That and they’ve been kicked around a dirty floor and likely sat in storage rooms and containers.

I always do as I have very sensitive skin and some new clothes, especially jeans, make my skin itchy. I don't buy dry clean only clothes so that doesn't affect me. Dry cleaning would probably make my skin itch anyway!