New clothes may look ready to wear, but washing them first is key to making them safe to wear. While new clothes haven’t been out of the store, they may carry potential contaminants, chemical residues and germs from manufacturing and handling. When you wash new clothes before wearing them, you ensure they are cleaner, softer and safer.
Every item from an online store, secondhand shop or physical retailer undergoes different stages before reaching your closet. New clothes can carry chemical traces from their time in the factory or contaminants from other shoppers who tried them on in the store.
Some key reasons why washing new clothes is important include:
Preventing dye bleed and protecting the fabric: Some bright colors may bleed onto your skin or other fabrics before the first wash. To prevent color bleeding in new clothes, wash them in cold water to remove excess dye. This also helps prevent shrinkage and extends the garment’s useful life.
Washing away harsh chemicals and irritants: Fabrics can have residual chemicals from the dyeing, finishing and production processes, like formaldehyde resins. These processes and finishing treatments help preserve clothes and enhance their texture or fire resistance, but they can cause skin irritation or allergic responses.
Eliminating microbes and unwanted guests: Clothes can be contaminated during manufacturing, handling and try-ons. Whether you got them from a charity shop or new off the rack, they may harbor bacteria, fungi and microscopic parasites that can be easily removed with the proper washing cycle.
Here is a comprehensive, step-by-step guide on how to wash new clothes:
Checking the label on your items is the first step to a successful wash. The instructions will include key information for washing, drying and ironing, as well as specific guidance for trims and decorations. Following these directions will help you keep the item in good condition for longer, preventing shrinking, color bleeding or texture loss.
Separating whites, lights and darks or washing new items separately is key to preventing color transfer from new clothes. By grouping colors into their own loads, you can prevent other items from picking up stray dyes.
Water temperature is also a defining factor in cleaning new clothes properly. While hot washing cycles are more effective for disinfecting heavily soiled items, warm and cold temperatures are ideal for new items. They can remove contaminants from the fabric and prevent color transfer, which is especially important when washing new jeans for the first time.
Using a gentle wash cycle minimizes stress on new clothes, protecting seams, delicate stitching, finishes and the overall fabric structure. Soft washes also reduce pilling caused by the friction of harsher cycles.
Quality detergent is also important for effectively removing manufacturing residues and ensuring clean rinses. Modern detergents are also optimized for cleaning in cooler temperatures and have color protection qualities.
At Caldwell & Gregory, we understand the importance of cleaning your clothes properly while ensuring they look good for longer. We help commercial laundry rooms with the technology and services they need to provide a quality, streamlined laundry experience. Contact our team online to learn more about our commercial laundry solutions or browse our blog for more tips on laundry care.
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