# Do you wash new clothes before wearing them for the first time?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wash-new-clothes-before-wearing-them-for-the-first-time/565609>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [December 28, 2010, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wash-new-clothes-before-wearing-them-for-the-first-time/565609 "2010-12-28T16:06:14Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 4

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**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\
**Post date:** [December 29, 2010, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wash-new-clothes-before-wearing-them-for-the-first-time/565609/61 "2010-12-29T21:22:04Z")

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It never occurred to me before.

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**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\
**Post date:** [December 29, 2010, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wash-new-clothes-before-wearing-them-for-the-first-time/565609/62 "2010-12-29T21:37:27Z")

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I used to not, but SDMB bedbug expert **mozhron** has made me paranoid, so now I do.

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**Author:** ![Chum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3ab097/32.png) [@Chum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chum)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2010, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wash-new-clothes-before-wearing-them-for-the-first-time/565609/63 "2010-12-30T23:43:46Z")

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> [@Jeneva](#):
>
> Doesn’t it smell like Thrift Store when you bring it home, though? I always try to wash that off before wearing stuff.

If the clothes smell like Thrift Store, I wash them first. Well, I typically give them a little while to air out and then decide. Usually, they just smell like fabric softener or dryer sheets, which means they smell _better_ than my freshly-laundered-with-eco-friendly-detergent clothes do.

I highly doubt that clothes are laundered by the thrift store before being put on the racks. But I think many people donate clean clothes.

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**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\
**Post date:** [December 31, 2010, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wash-new-clothes-before-wearing-them-for-the-first-time/565609/64 "2010-12-31T00:48:31Z")

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> [@twickster](#):
>
> Jeans or other clothing that needs to be softened up for comfort only.

Just bought some new jeans, which came with a “wash before wearing” tag (though I would have anyway).

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**Author:** ![causticsubstance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ba8739/32.png) [@causticsubstance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/causticsubstance)\
**Post date:** [December 31, 2010, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wash-new-clothes-before-wearing-them-for-the-first-time/565609/65 "2010-12-31T04:44:01Z")

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For what it’s worth re: thrift stores cleaning clothes before putting it out. I recall a girl who said she worked for Goodwill years ago, and she said that they ran everything through the laundry before putting it out. So at least some thrift stores do launder everything.

So, if you think that perusing the underwear rack there is icky, imagine being the one who had to put them through the washer before they hit the floor.

Back the the OP-- no, usually not I love getting new clothes and I can’t wait that long to put them on! So far, no ill has come of it.

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