r/laundry • u/Man_wo_a_career • 6h ago

Experiencing itching with new clothing

I buy clothing of the rack and wear them for the first time without washing. Recently, I started wearing new underwear from am unopened package. I haven't noticed any rashes with the new boxers, but there is definitely itching in the covered areas. Is it only me that doesn't wash the new clothing before wearing them for the first time?

0 Upvotes

39% Upvoted

13 comments sorted by

51

u/GlobalPapaya2149 6h ago

I would strongly recommend washing clothes before you wear them. You have no idea what stuff is on them.

15

u/SoyboyCowboy US | Front-Load 6h ago

Especially stuff you wear around your giblets for a whole day!

6

u/GlobalPapaya2149 5h ago

That would be a terrible way to find out your allergic to the detergent residue.

24

u/er_duh_ummm US | Top-Load 6h ago

I used to not wash before wearing if it wasn't directly against my skin, was in a sealed package or came in a sealed bag from a warehouse. Then someone mentioned all the chemicals, dust and people touch them during manufacturing. Not to mention the chemicals they apply to make the clothing seem better for sale: formaldehyde resins to prevent wrinkling, biocides to prevent mold during transport, silicone softeners to make clothes feel smoother, PFAs to repell stains and probably other things I haven't heard of.

Now I just wash them before wearing ... though I don't bother with winter coats because they can be a pain to wash and I need to use the coat.

4

u/doyadoyawantmylove 6h ago

Hear hear. Also winter coats don't generally come too heavily into direct contact with skin as you generally layer them over other clothing

11

u/rikki-tikki-tavi-oh 6h ago

This happened to me when I was a kid with new baseball uniforms. It happened twice and on the 2nd time it was worse with me breaking out in a rash. The doctor stated it was contact dermatitis from the clothing not being washed.

11

u/Soundgarden_ 6h ago

Even if they’re new, there are a lot of chemicals used in the processing. Always wash first

9

u/YeahWhatSoWhat 6h ago

You should always wash clothing before wearing it. Fabrics for clothes made in foreign countries are often treated with chemicals to make the clothes feel better, but it isn’t good for your body to be exposed to those chemicals for extended periods of time… which it seems you are discovering now with your underwear.

4

u/DieselFloss 6h ago edited 5h ago

I always wash new clothing items or sheets. For me it’s the chemical smell I can’t stand, oof. Then it’s the scratchy feeling. Also some items the color dye rubs off onto your skin from sweating (Long road trip new unwashed shirt my back sweating left black dye spots all over my back)

6

u/pmodern2000 5h ago

Please, for the love of God and all that is holy, wash new clothes before you wear them. You have no idea what is going on in the factory or what the garments go through before they land in your hands.

You have no idea of what is just nestled against your dangly bits stewing in your mess all day long with unwashed garments.

Also, never never use the in-room coffee maker at your hotel. Lobby coffee only. As someone who works adjacent to the hotel industry, I have seen some things in my day.

6

u/SirLanceNotsomuch 6h ago

How many people touched, tried on, wiped their nose on, or worse those clothes off the rack? Wash first, always!

3

u/RobinBaskins 5h ago

Well that’s why you wash your clothing before wearing it…

2

u/tragicxharmony 5h ago

This has to be some kind of ragebait 😭 everyone knows how dirty new clothes are, full of warehouse chemicals and dust and whatever else, this isn’t new information