Question Of The Day, Friday, January 26

[Winchester]

Good morning! And Happy Friday!

Our question today deals with items we buy, such as towels and bedding, clothing, etc. Do you wash clothing items before you use them? What about towels and washcloths? How about bedding items?

Other than underwear, we don't, although perhaps we should. What about you?

 

[Katie M]

No, I'm too lazy

 

[Columbine]

No - I just use everything as bought. It's never occurred to me to wash things first

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

yes, i wash every new thing before using them -- clothing, towels and such, and bedding. i don't wash comforters and quilts though (because the filling many times gets bunched up in random areas of them), instead i use duvet covers over them and wash the duvet covers.

 

[neely]

yes, i wash every new thing before using them -- clothing, towels and such, and bedding.

Ditto, same here. I probably didn't think as much about it when I was younger but now I always wash new linens and towels before using them.

 

[blueyedgirl5946]

Most of the time, I don't. A lot of things come packaged like men's underwear and tee shirts. I open them up and put them in the drawer. I buy some things at thrift stores. I inspect them closely before I bring them inside my house. I take the bag to the washer and go ahead and wash those items.

 

[foxxycat]

Nope. Too lazy and water is expensive. I do the sniff test. If it's been packaged in plastic-it's probably fine. If it smells like storage-I wash it. Most times the sniff test works-and I don't buy anything that doesn't pass the sniff test unless it's free - which it goes right into the washer. Most towel/sheets I buy second hand-that way I can't shrink it anymore than it already was.

I can't tell you how many times I bought new clothes-wear it-great! then wash it=never fits the same=so I figured if it's second hand=already washed-I can't ruin it-kind of strange..plus it goes with my motto- use it up or do without- I don't like wasteful consumption-if theres still good working items second hand-I will buy those over new. I must have been in the Great Depression in a prior lifetime..

 

[di and bob]

About the only thing I don't wash is socks. I guess I figure the bacteria on my feet will kill anything. Everything else I do, most are made in factories that are manned by almost slave labor, and the hygiene would gag a maggot. Even if a lot of it is machined packed it is still handled by people who could have just went to the bathroom and didn't wash their hands, gagged, spit, sneezed and coughed all over everything, and I shudder to think of the rats and roaches that come out at night. I do buy almost everything with a USA tag, and I got to admit SOME sweaters I don't wash because, like said above, never fit the same. Even the big factories here in the US can't be much better. If they allow so many roach parts in peanut butter here in the states I don't want to know what they allow over there!

 

[foxxycat]

About the only thing I don't wash is socks. I guess I figure the bacteria on my feet will kill anything. Everything else I do, most are made in factories that are manned by almost slave labor, and the hygiene would gag a maggot. Even if a lot of it is machined packed it is still handled by people who could have just went to the bathroom and didn't wash their hands, gagged, spit, sneezed and coughed all over everything, and I shudder to think of the rats and roaches that come out at night. I do buy almost everything with a USA tag, and I got to admit SOME sweaters I don't wash because, like said above, never fit the same. Even the big factories here in the US can't be much better. If they allow so many roach parts in peanut butter here in the states I don't want to know what they allow over there!

thats why i prefer second hand. New clothes get tried on by 100 bodies. ewwww. At least at thrift stores only a handful of people-and most people wash their clothes=put in closet-then sit for years or months=then donated. much safer this way. not to mention the bed bugs and other stuff that comes from new crates on the ships-I really should wash all new-but its been a long time since I bought new. the mall used to gross me out-i didnt want to try on pants that dozens of other sweaty bodies tried on, the makeup stains, armpit odor/deoderant...people gross me out lately...they seem less hygienic than they were 20 years ago...or maybe it's me.

 

[di and bob]

Years ago we just didn't care!

 

[maggiedemi]

No, I don't wash new stuff, except for towels and washcloths, they seem to have a film on them when they are brand new.

 

[Willowy]

Always, except for dry-clean only items. I dont like the sizing odor or the stiffness of new fabrics. Plus once my aunt got a rash after wearing a new item without washing, so then I looked it up and found that the chemicals they use cause irritation to a lot of people, and I just know I'd be one of them!

 

[cassiopea]

I ALWAYS wash new undies before wearing them, whether packaged or not.

Not taking the risk even if packaged they still were in many people's hands prior to that.

Towels too, as they also may leave some fuzzies after a first use. And again don't want to rub something all over my body that might have been already handled/stroked by many people.

Everything else, like clothing, for the most part is Ok, although may depend on the item at times and/or where I bought them.

I do always wash clothing if I buy them from a thrift store, since sometimes they can get a little funky from being manhandled for awhile.

 

[jcat]

Underwear, towels, washcloths/dishcloths and sheets get washed before they're used, and sometimes tops if they smell odd. Otherwise I don't bother.

 

[muffy]

I wash everything when it's new. I don't buy used things.

 

[nansiludie]

I wash everything new or used before I wear or use it.

 

[betsygee]

I wash everything new or used before I wear or use it.

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

I wash everything new or used before I wear or use it.

Yep, me too.

 

[Boris Diamond]

I wash everything before I use it. Sheets, towels, shirts, pants and underwear. I even washed a new fabric baseball hat once. It fell apart! If something is not of good quality, you can sometimes find out quickly by washing it! If something unravels, you take it back right away, while it is fresh in your mind!

 

[amysuen]

Interesting question! I wash towels and bedding before using them but usually not clothing unless it feels stiff. We buy most of our clothing online so I don't worry that things were tried on before we bought them.