Wash Before You Wear
Washing brand-new clothes before you first wear them can often feel like a chore. You don’t want to have to do laundry before you feel like you’ve even gotten the item dirty, and you absolutely don’t want to risk shrinking or damaging your new clothes before you’ve even had the chance to wear them. But you absolutely do want to make sure that your clothes are clean and safe to wear before putting them on.
When you are buying clothes off the rack, there is no way of knowing who or how many people have tried them on before you did. This means that bacteria, including strep and staph, can potentially be held within the clothes and then transferred onto your own skin. It is also possible for other things like lice and scabies to be transferred through clothing and make your its new home. When you wash your clothes before you wear them you are eliminating these germs and bugs from your clothing and giving yourself added peace of mind. While it might be rare to have these levels of infections from new clothing, it is both an added and unnecessary risk that you are taking. The main way that we spread germs is through the respiratory tract and if you are touching those germs and then touching your mouth, eyes or nose, you are increasing your risk for infection.
Oftentimes we think that because we have ordered something online, it is safer to wear without washing because no one else has tried it on. However, it’s not just germs that you need to watch out for. The other main concern when wearing new clothes without washing them comes from the chemicals that might have been used to dye or tan the clothing, prevent wrinkles, or to keep mold from growing on them during the shipping process. These harsh chemicals can cause or worsen severe skin irritations, especially if you already have sensitive skin. You might find yourself breaking out in a rash or developing new or worsening eczema.
To lessen the concern of damaging your clothes before you’ve worn them, make sure you thoroughly read the label for proper care and washing instructions. This will help to ensure you don’t shrink, damage, or fade your clothing, which will also help them to last much longer! Washing in cold water with designated cold water detergent is a great way to extend the life of your clothes. Another helpful tip is to turn your clothing inside out before you wash it. This will also help to protect your clothes from being damaged or torn in the washing machine, and faded in the dryer.
Depending on the fabric of your clothes, the care instructions might be lengthy or seem hard to decode – or maybe you just don’t have the time to separate your laundry or the space to hang those items to dry afterwards. This is where SUDS Launderette comes in! We use only the highest quality products in our loads and we customize your washing to fit your needs. With our Wash ‘n’ Fold Service, we pick up your dirty laundry and return your clean, fresh laundry back to you. This stress-free service takes the guess-work out of doing laundry and takes one more chore off of your To-Do List. Knowing that your clothes (whether new or old) are washed with no added phosphates, chlorine or fragrance, also gives you the peace of mind that your skin will be protected and free from irritation. For your more delicate items, SUDS Launderette also offers dry-cleaning in partnership with our trusted service provider, with options for both drop off and pick up so you can set your laundry around your schedule instead of setting your schedule around your piles of laundry!
