Why you should always wash new clothes and linens – and what happens if you don’t

When buying anything new, be it clothes or household linens, from stores or online, there is an expectation that they are clean, fresh, and ready to be worn or stored. But should you wash new clothes and linens? 

Although it may seem pointless doing laundry for something that is fresh off the rack, it turns out these ‘new’ pieces could have been through a lot of hands, or collected a lot of dust, that we just don't know about. 

Laundry and cleaning experts are urging us to start washing new clothes and linens as soon as we bring them home, but is it really that important? 

Should you wash new clothes and linens? 

The short answer is yes, new clothes and linens should absolutely be washed when we first bring them home or have them delivered, begins Rick Rome, laundry expert, and CEO at WashClub. 

‘During the journey from factory to consumer, clothing, and linen has likely accumulated dust, dirt, and bacteria, which can irritate the skin or activate allergies,’ he explains. ‘In a more superficial sense, many new clothes have a lingering smell from their packaging or just the transportation process. Washing them will help eliminate these odors and leave them smelling fresh, make your home smell nice, and allow you to enjoy your new purchase even more. 

Rick Rome

Rick Rome is a former Morgan Stanley trader who launched WashClub, a wash & fold and delivery dry cleaner in Manhattan. Wash Club provides eco-friendly washing, folding, dry cleaning, and commercial laundry services to New York City, diligently serving the residents and businesses of Brooklyn and Manhattan.

It is not just dirt and bacteria you have to worry about, however, as the team at Heritage Park Laundry warns us: ‘Clothing and home linens are often treated with chemicals to prevent wrinkling and preserve the look and feel of the fabric in the store and washing will minimize any irritation from these chemicals or packaging,’ they explain. 

‘In other cases, washing is actually necessary for your item to look and feel its best! Bath towels, for example, are coated during the manufacturing process with a treatment that makes them feel softer in the store. Washing towels to remove this treatment helps to achieve its maximum softness and absorbency; in fact, it may take several washes for a bath towel to be broken into its peak level of performance.’

Just be sure to check the laundry labels, never wash clothes without detergent, and follow the manufacturer's guidelines when washing any new clothing or home linen, they add. 

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Sometimes washing new clothes and linens when they first come home is also important to help protect your laundry in the future, continues Parveen Garg, manager and cleaning expert at OlaClean. Some fibers may not be colorfast, leading to dye leaks later down the line. Washing them when you bring them home with a color catcher, such as Shout from Walmart, and with like colors will ensure they don't damage the rest of your laundry later on – it's a great laundry hack to save time in the long run, he says. That being said, there are some items that may need more careful treatment, Parveen continues. ‘It's worth noting that some items, especially delicate fabrics or items with intricate embellishments, may come with care instructions that advise against washing before use. In such cases, it's important to follow the manufacturer's recommendations to prevent damage.’  

FAQs

Washing new clothes and home linens before you first use them is certainly a good idea, but it won't be the end of the world if you don’t, concludes cleaning expert Parveen Garg. ‘Ultimately, washing new clothes and linens before use is a personal preference, but it contributes to maintaining cleanliness, comfort, and overall well-being, making it a good habit,’ he says.