Month: March 2022

Are you someone who likes to wear new clothes straight from the store or the delivery package, without washing them first? While it might be difficult to resist the perfect feel of wearing new clothes, it is recommended that any clothing worn in direct contact with your skin (especially things like underwear, t-shirts or shorts) be washed before wearing. Here’s why:

New clothes can be home to pathogens or germs.

After clothes are made in a factory, they are packaged and sent from one place to another through various modes of transport before they reach the store. In this process, your new clothing item may have encountered pathogens and germs along the way. While you may not be able to see these microscopic organisms, but that does not mean that they don’t exist.

New clothes may have lingering bacteria.

Depending on how long clothes have sat in the store, and how many people have tried them on, it is possible that bacteria can linger in the fibers and be transferred from one person to another through the fabric.

New clothes can contain chemical irritants.

Many manufacturers include chemical finishes on clothes to enhance their texture and reduce wrinkles, which can irritate sensitive skin.

New clothes can transfer dye to your skin.

Fabrics made from synthetic fibers can be colored with dyes that can be transferred to your skin or other garments leading to irritations or stains.

Running your clothes through the wash cycle a second time without the soap will help get rid of any residual detergent and help your clothes last longer. You’ll be amazed at how much soap is still in the drum during this second “wash.”

While you likely will not experience any serious health issues by not washing clothes before wearing them, more than anything – washing clothes before wearing is just good personal hygiene. Before washing, make sure to follow the instructions on the care tag.

Here’s What to Wash from Your Bathroom and Why.

While experts recommend washing your bath towels every few days to keep them fresh & clean, here are three other bathroom essentials you should consider washing more regularly.

1. Bathmats

Whether they’re in front of your sink or next to your tub or shower, the mats in your bathroom spend a lot of time on the floor in one of the most high-traffic germ areas of your home. For this reason, it is recommended that you clean them once a week. For best results, take bathmats outside and shake out any clinging dust or debris prior to loading them in the washing machine. Make sure to follow the manufacturer care instructions on the label and air-dry them if they have a rubber coating or backing.

2. Fabric or Plastic Shower Curtains

Since fabric shower curtains don’t often come in direct contact with shower water, washing them every several months is usually enough to keep them looking clean. Before you place them in the washing machine, check the tag to make sure the material is washable. Then remove the curtain off the rings or hooks, use a minimal amount of detergent and then hang it back on the rod or rings to air dry.

And while plastic shower curtains and liners may be more affordable and easier to replace when they get dirty or accumulate soap scum, the cost can add up over time. Instead of throwing them away, you can extend the life for months or years by washing them. Because liners come in direct contact with water and soaps, they should be cleaned more often. Once a month is recommended to stay ahead of any mold or mildew growth. Make sure to switch the washer settings to cold and add a bath towel or two to the machine to prevent the curtains from wrinkling. After washing, make sure to air dry – so that it doesn’t melt in the dryer.

3. Scrubbing Poufs & Loofahs

Yes, you read that right! Whether natural or synthetic, bath and shower sponges, poufs, loofahs, or exfoliating scrubbers can provide the perfect environment for bacteria – and should be washed on the regular. Whether you decide on weekly or monthly, make sure to put these scrubbing devices in a mesh laundry bag with a load of other bath towels – then leave them to air dry.

While bathrooms are where we all go to get clean, they can also be home to lingering germs, molds/mildew, and bacteria – which is why experts recommend washing more than just your bath towels on the regular. Before washing bathmats, shower curtains or scrubbing tools, make sure to follow the instructions on the care tag.g germs, molds/mildew, and bacteria – which is why experts recommend washing more than just your bath towels on the regular. Before washing bathmats, shower curtains or scrubbing tools, make sure to follow the instructions on the care tag.