Is it necessary to wash clothes you buy from the store before wearing them?

Question

Is it necessary to wash clothes you buy from the store before wearing them?

Answer 1

it makes sense to beacuse other ppl might hav tried them on. but i dont wash them unless its like a swimsuit or something.

Answer 2

Generally to get the wrinkles and stiffness out, it is necessary to wash the clothes. If they were hanging, then it may not be necessary. If you don't mind the "new" smell you can do without. I wash all new pairs of jeans because almost guaranteed they are too stiff to wear without washing first. Business and formal attire should always be cleaned before wearing either dry clean or machine cleaning.

It is not necessary to clean new underwear directly out of the package unless you feel like it.

Answer 3

Having worked in the textile business for about 15 years I say that you most defiantly need to wash anything that you buy before you wear it.  First of all, just because it says that it is made in the USA doesn't mean that it was.  Other countries don't carry the same standards as we do here in the USA.  Secondly, a lot of clothes have that "new smell" in them.  In lots of dyes that is formaldehyde.  You know what that is right?  The stuff that they put into your dead body to keep it from decomposing after you are dead.  Thirdly, I have seen people blow their nose, wipe sweat, and all kinds of stuff on the clothes that are folded, packaged, and shipped of to major chains.  What chains you ask?  Well the chains we were making garments for were Sears, JC Pennies, Gap, Banana Republic, Polo, Nike, and Ocean Pacific. Just to name a few.  All of this and I didn't mention mice having babies, snakes shedding their skins, or all of the bugs that I have seen in those crates.  Take it from me, WASH THE GARMENTS.

Answer 4

I always wash new items unless they are dry clean only (and I even wash some of them too - carefully).  

I want to get any chemicals that were used to manufacture the clothing off and I also don't like wearing something someone else has put on. Often the clothing is pretty wrinkled anyway.

Without a doubt I would absolutely wash anything that directly touches my skin.

Answer 5

Oh no - I like the new clothes smell!  If I wash them first, they seem not new any more.  I would agree with the swimsuit, though.  That I would wash, in case someone had tried it on before I bought it.  Really, it is your call.