Why should you wash new clothes before wearing them?

Some clothes have tags that say "wash before wearing" or "wash separately." Find out why it's sometimes a good idea to wash new clothes before you wear them in this episode.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
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(00:28):
Brain with today's question, why do some clothing items have
a tag saying to wash the item before wearing? There
are a couple of reasons to wash new clothes once
before you wear them for the first time. One is
to remove the chemical finishes that manufacturers put on clothes
to make them look new, and the other is to
rinse out the excess die finishes won't bother everyone who

(00:52):
puts on a new pair of pants or a new shirt,
but there are some people with sensitive skin who could
develop a rash. Baby's cloth should always be washed before
they're worn, because babies can be particularly sensitive to chemicals.
New clothes that have been washed once will be softer,
and that makes them more comfortable to wear. One common

(01:12):
question that many people have at this point is, wouldn't
it be better if the clothing makers didn't put any
extra chemicals on their new clothing. One common reason to
apply the chemicals is mildew. Clothes that are made of
natural fibers like cotton and linen can mildew if they're
exposed to moisture. Manufacturers used formaldehyde to tree clothes that

(01:34):
have to be shipped a long way, say from Asia
to the United States, to prevent that mildew. Sometimes, new
clothes that carry formaldehyde based resins will give off a
smell until they're washed. Formaldehyde is also blamed for allergic
reactions in some sensitive people. If you have allergies, it's
a good idea to wash your new clothes once before

(01:57):
wearing them. You won't wash the finishes out completely, but
you'll reduce them quite a bit. Another tag that appears
on clothing suggests that you wash separately before wearing. The
clothes that carry this tag often have dark or bright
dyes that could run off on other clothes or even
on your skin. Washing these items once before you wear them,

(02:20):
we'll get rid of that excess dye. For more on
this and thousands of other topics, because it how stuff works,
Dot com Jack Threads is the online shopping destination for dudes.
Everything on the side is up to off, All styles
are curated, so buyer's remorse just doesn't happen. What's more

(02:40):
is if you were brain stuff, you can skip the
membership wait list and get instant access at jack threads
dot com slash stuff