Yay or nay - Should you wash new underwear before wearing it?
If you don't wash your underwear before wearing it for the first time, you might want to start doing so. Here's why...
Do you pack away new underwear in a drawer after buying it, or do you throw it into the washing machine or a basin to be cleaned before you wear it?
Some people do, and some people don't. The debate has been raging for years, and it is time we settle this once and for all.
X user @tr_elzaa recently brought up the topic again when she asked, "QUESTION... when y'all buy underwear, do y'all wash [them] before y'all wear them or do y'all just put them on?"
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Her question was shared on The Shade Room, and more than 27,000 people had a lot to say about the topic.
The answer to the question, some social media users believe, depends on whether you are a man or a woman.
"There’s a difference between men's and women’s underwear. Women’s underwear just lay out like produce and everyone touches and feels them to see which ones they like. Men’s underwear comes sealed in a plastic bag in basic colours, three to a pack, sealed up like sandwich meat," one man joked on Instagram.
Some women say they have not washed new underwear and are doing just fine.
"I grew up drinking water out of the hose and playing outside… I put them [underwear] right on with the certainty that my Flintstone vitamins are still fighting for my life."
Many were shocked that grown men and women did not wash their new underwear in 2024.
"Why are [people] acting like the ones saying they wash are lying?? I 100% wash all my new clothes before I put them on my body. Y'all are forgetting ppl can try on clothes & you don't know if they're clean when they do. Then clothes [are] all over the place, on the floor getting stepped on etc. I've worked at a few clothing stores, so I've seen the way they're handled. I'm also the person that washes my hands 2-3 times in one washing so maybe imma lil OCD," one woman wrote.
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While underwear doesn't get tried on—we hope—by multiple people like other clothing items do, it can still be exposed to different hands touching it, especially if it is not in packaging.
An anonymous Quora user who worked in a retail store's fitting room 100% recommends washing clothes that you bought.
"What about the new inventory that just hit the shelves? Those had to be processed on a grimy counter-top in the back room that hasn't been wiped down since it was installed. Clothes constantly slip off the hangers onto the dirty floor and are put back on the rack after a quick pat-down to get rid of the dust bunnies. Ditto for scarves and hats."
The user added that returned items are also just sent straight back to the sales floor.
"People buy and return clothes after they wear them and decide that they don't want them anymore. It's easy to tell since the tags have been detached or are missing. We simply re-attach or make a new tag and the item goes back onto the sales floor almost immediately. The above are pretty generic examples but I have seen worse, some of which are barf-worthy."
What about if your underwear is packaged in plastic or a fold-over box? Wash them anyway!
According to SELF magazine, new clothes can contain leftover chemicals. Some of these chemicals can cause skin irritation, such as contact dermatitis.
These chemicals are usually used to protect clothes from mould, mildew, and even wrinkles during production, storage, and shipping.
Leftover dyes, which can rub off onto the skin, can also be a problem if you don't wash your new clothes. A university lecturer specialising in textile science told the publication that bleach, fabric softeners, and stain-resistant or water-repellent coatings are all used during the production process.
"Residual chemicals from any of these treatments could remain in the textile, and, as garment labels do not identify chemicals used in production or dye types, it’s best to launder to reduce exposure,” Frances Kozen, MS, told SELF.
So, there you have it - wash your new underwear, as per the care label instructions, before you wear it!
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Main image credit: iStock/NineLives