The real answer to the question you Google every time you buy new clothes

Every time I buy new clothes, I Google the same question, and then promptly ignore the answer it gives me. 

The question? “Can I wear new clothes without washing them?” 

Listen – I know it’s kind of gross, and some people may break out in hives just thinking about it. But what’s the worst that can happen? 

I asked laundry and cleaning expert Nicole Gibson for a more precise answer. 

What’s the worst that will happen?

Gibson urges Aussies, especially those with any skin or respiratory sensitivities or allergies, to “definitely” wash clothes before wearing them.

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She explains to nine.com.au that the closer these unwashed materials are to the skin, the more likely they are to set off any sensitivities and allergies.

“Through the manufacturing process, they can carry residual dyes [and] chemicals from treating the fabrics. They can all trigger rashes, itching [and] dermatitis.

“From the factory through to the shopfront where the clothes are tried on, they’re handled the whole way through in the warehouses in the stores. 

“The actual fabrication, through the production of these items, have that chemical smell. Similar to the new car smell, you have that new clothes smell, which is synthetic fragrance, and it’s actually really quite toxic and can be damaging for the endocrine system.

“People could be coughing and spluttering all over them in store, or when they’ve tried them on, they can pick up bacteria, sweat, and skin cells.

“Who knows where their hands have been and what they can pick up?”

Why do we think we can get away with it?

Gibson says much of the reason we feel comfortable wearing clothes straight off the rack is they look pressed and presentable, and thus we think they are clean, but this couldn’t be further from the truth.

“Under a microscope ... there’d probably be some grimy things on those new clothes, even though they look all wrinkle-free in the shop,” she says, noting this is different from our perception of clothes from op shops, which we tend to wash straight away.

She adds it is also because we have become “lazy” with our lack of laundry knowledge.

“A lot of today’s society is so busy, they just throw everything in the washing machine and hope for the best, and that’s why their whites turn grey … they get pilled, they overload the washing machines, they don’t actually look at the types of fabrics to launder and take care of their clothes,” she saod.

“It’s such a disposable fashion industry that people will buy clothes and then discard them just as quick as they buy them, so that’s why we do have a textile landfill problem in Australia and around the world.” 

What we should be doing 

Unfortunately for us lazy people, it is always a good idea to wash clothes before wearing them, especially if you have sensitive skin. 

This is especially true for clothes that make direct contact with your body, such as underwear, socks, and gym wear, or clothes that bleed colour, for which Gibson recommends doing a salt set to ensure the colour stays throughout multiple washes.

Some fabrics we can get away with not washing, such as outerwear, which doesn’t make direct contact with our skin, or denim, which you should only wash every 10 wears as you want to preserve the shape of the garment.

There are some workarounds to outright washing your clothes, says Gibson.

Using a garment steamer, or even hanging an item in a hot shower, can help reduce those odours.

“But let’s go back to basics – fresh air [and] sunlight will help reduce those smells from being in plastics and boxed up for a long time.” 

Using something like an odour eliminator or even a mattress spray that contains live enzymes that target, organic matter, and dust mites can also work to get the clothes somewhat clean.

One thing Gibson wouldn’t bother with is spot cleaning: “Wou may as well just put it on a wash.”