Why You Should Wash Your New Clothes Before Wearing Them

It’s essential to wash new clothing because often new clothes are coated with chemical finishes that enhance the colour or texture of the clothing.

These finishes can contain potentially irritating chemicals like formaldehyde. Like dye, these chemicals won’t bother everyone but can cause rashes, itching, and dry skin in some people.

It’s also crucial to alleviate the fabrics of any intense chemicals that could irritate the skin. Washing new clothes removes extra dye that can transfer onto other materials.

It is always recommended to wash new clothes before you wear them. Most of us love new clothes. “The smell is nice. So why would you wash them and risk changing the look before you even get a chance to wear them?

3 Reasons Why New Clothes Should Be Washed Before Wearing

There are three good reasons why you need to wash your new clothes, particularly pieces like underwear, t-shirts and shorts that are worn in direct contact with your skin before you wear them.

1. New Clothes May Transmit Dye To Your Skin

One of the major reasons one needs to wash new clothes before using them is to wash out extra dye that can be passed along to your skin or other garments.

Most fabrics are made from synthetic fibres (polyester) and are coloured with azo-aniline dyes. These dyes can cause severe skin reactions in people, especially small children, who are allergic to them.

If the allergy is severe, the rash will be similar to poison ivy. But even less severe reactions can cause dry, itchy inflamed patches of skin.

2. New Clothes Can Contain Chemical Irritants

Most importantly, new clothes should be washed to remove the chemical finishes like Urea-formaldehyde that manufacturers put on clothes to enhance texture and reduce wrinkles.

The finishes won’t bother everyone, but if you have sensitive skin, you can develop a rash, especially in constant contact areas like armpits, collars, cuffs, trouser waists and thighs.

New Clothes Can Contain Bacteria, Fungi And Insects

It is possible to transfer lice, scabies, bacteria, and fungus from one person to another when clothes are tried on. Dressing rooms can become breeding grounds for everything from viruses to athlete’s foot.

Step-By-Step Guide On How To Wash New Clothes

To wash your new clothes, sort the garments into dark and light colours or delicate items. Set your washing machine’s cycle, load the clothes that are similar in colour, and add your detergent.

It is important to wash new clothes according to the instructions attached to the cloth. This label will tell you what the garment is made of and advise you on how to care for it.

Water temperature and wash or dry cycle may be recommended, as well as tips such as avoiding a tumble dry in a machine. Additionally, it will recommend handwashing or gentle cycles when useful.

Wash New Clothes Separately

Washing separately first will help remove all the excess dye before transfer occurs. After washing, check the rinse water to see if any colour remains. If so, continue to wash separately or with similar colours until the water rinses clear. It may take multiple washings to get rid of the excess dye and prevent damage to other fabrics.

Clothing from thrift stores should always be washed or dry-cleaned before wearing for hygienic purposes and to prevent skin irritation. Even though these clothes have probably been cleaned before being placed for sale, washing with your regular detergent will ensure better results for your family.

Soak the clothing overnight if it has an excess odour or scent. Add one cup of baking soda before washing. Add one-half cup of distilled white vinegar to the rinse cycle to help strip away any detergent or fabric softener residue in the fibres that may be holding onto the scent

Why You Should Wash New Bed Linens And Towels

Washing new bed linens and bath towels should be done to remove applied chemicals since these come in direct contact with the skin. The best way to wash bed linens and towels is to separate them into like colours and wash them in warm to hot water regularly, depending on the type of fabric.

Dry linens on a clothesline or tumble dry them in the machine. Shake out damp towels before placing them in a dryer or sun drying to prevent them from bunching up and use a low to medium heat setting.

To keep your dark-coloured clothes looking their best and continuing to have their deep dark colour, it’s actually recommended to wash them with cold water. Washing your dark attire with cold water as opposed to hot water will ensure they keep looking in top shape.

Jeans

Darker jeans should be washed in cold water to help keep them in tip-top shape. Washing your jeans with cold water prevents the colour from oozing onto your other clothes, and also helps prevent them from shrinking.

Bright Colours

For clothes that are bright and bold, cold water is the best. The cold water helps stop bright colours from exuding and also helps conserve the colours. Hot water will cause the colours to run.