Do You Need To Wash New Clothes Before Wearing Them?
I mean, if they're new they're clean. Right?
I'll be real with you, I don't normally wash my new clothes before wearing them, but after reading this article by Alia Hoyt I'm probably going to start.
According to How Stuff Works, even though the clothes look brand-new it doesn't necessarily mean they are clean. New clothes can be covered in bacteria from other costumers, chemical finishes or excess dye, a lot of which can cause skin irritation or even infections. And don't even get me started on the stuff they found in "new" underwear.
So basically, yes, you should wash your new clothes before you wear them.
Now, as a self-proclaimed new clothes non-washer I can tell you that I haven't personally experienced anything after wearing clothes right off the rack. But, let's be real, I'm not trying to test my limits here and will 100% be washing my new clothes from here on out.
For an even more in-depth breakdown of the perils of wearing unwashed new clothes take a peek at the full article on the How Stuff Works website.