Many mistakenly believe that new clothes are absolutely clean, because they are fresh from the store. However, even before an item reaches the buyer, it goes a long way – from production to store shelves, contacting many surfaces, packaging and hands.
Details
UNN spoke with designer-constructor-technologist Alina Yatsenko about why, even if an item looks perfect, washing it before the first wear is not just a matter of cleanliness, but also a matter of health.
To answer this question, one must think about the chain of the manufacturing cycle. Namely, what happens to clothes before they get into your hands and analyze how they then come into contact with your body.
According to Yatsenko, everything starts with a roll of fabric, which must first be manufactured, packaged, delivered to production, unpacked, unwound, cut into pieces (layers), cut, formed (laid out in detail according to sizes), manufactured, checked for quality, packaged, and sent to warehouses and stores.
Then this clothing awaits the sales process, where it is also unpacked, hung or laid out, and tried on. And only then does it reach the buyers.
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That is, at each stage, clothing comes into contact with countless hands, surfaces, boxes, containers, packaging, tables, sales floors, racks or mannequins.
By minimal estimates:
- clothing passes through at least 15 pairs of hands (and taking into account logistics, marketing and warehousing – even more);
- comes into contact with more than 30 different surfaces.
"If outerwear undergoes wet-heat treatment in the process, which eliminates half of the contacts in this chain, then underwear and knitwear do not.
After all, the production of the latter does not require a wet-heat treatment process," Yatsenko notes.
Also, washing plays an important role in reducing the allergenicity of fabrics, especially for people prone to allergic reactions. In particular, it helps remove potential allergens such as dust mites, pollen, animal dander, and chemical residues that can accumulate on fabrics.
"So we see that the number of allergens, dangerous dirt particles and microorganisms (bacteria and fungi) on new clothes can be off the charts," the designer added.
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From a health and hygiene perspective
For underwear, children's clothing, home clothing, and knitwear, washing after purchase before wearing is mandatory, and heat treatment in addition to it is highly desirable.
If it's a dress, skirt, pants, or shirt, washing is desirable but not mandatory. However, pre-ironing or heat treatment is highly recommended.
If it's outerwear, washing is most likely not necessary. After all, it usually undergoes wet-heat treatment during manufacturing and does not directly contact the skin surface.
The effect of the first wash on the appearance of the product
There are many nuances here that depend directly on the fabric itself, the complexity of the model, and your personal choice. Separately, I would highlight clothes sewn from expensive natural fabrics and custom-made. It is better not to wash them immediately.
"Because such products, unfortunately, lose at least a little, but still lose the 'new gloss' of newly made clothes. After all, they usually have a more complex cut and processing of details, which are very difficult to iron to their original state after washing," the expert adds.
However, as an alternative, the specialist recommends using an iron, steam generator, or contacting a trusted dry cleaner.
Washing new clothes before the first wear is not only a matter of cleanliness, but also safety. This is especially important for items that directly contact the skin. In some cases, heat treatment may be sufficient, but for hygiene and health, washing remains the best solution.
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