flemmings | (no subject)

Was surprised, the other day, at my coworkers' surprise that I don't wash newly bought clothes. Why would I? These tops and trousers have one chance to be smooth and crisp and unwrinkled. Why start them going limp before I've even worn them once? My coworkers' argument seemed to boil down to 'but someone else has touched them!' and who knows where those hands have been? I dunno. It seems that someone in my profession, with its close adjacancy to various unsavoury body fluids, is in no need of such delicacy. If my hands are clean, as they are and mustbe given our protocols, I don't care what's covering the rest of me.

So I will not prewash the two shirts, two t-shirts, and two tank tops I bought at Mark's Warehouse today. I don't have high hopes of them anyway. Tops bought anywhere other than at my departed dollar store seem prone to developing The Stink that only super-smeller I can detect, even the ones that cost three times as much, and the material is never anywhere near as good in quality. But my dollar store shirts grow ragged from much washing- can't wear them two days in a row at work- and worse, begin to exhibit The Stink as well. So this is at least a start at replacing them.

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I have recently had an unpleasant surprise with two newly bought tops shrinking after their first wash. At least I did get one decent wearing out of them before they changed from graceful body and full-length-sleeve to tight sack body and three-quarter-length sleeve . . .

(Fortunately the store took them back and gave me a refund.)

Horror stories from the fashion frontlines. I'm not sure this store would do the same, is why I wear and wash.

Huh, we were always taught to wash newly bought clothes because who knew what chemicals or contaminants might have gotten on them in the shipping/manufacturing process. And also because the dyes might run if they aren't washed first.

Both of those are less likely in this day and age, I admit, and I've gotten a bit lazy about it.

Dunno if they're less likely with mostly everything coming from third world sweatshops. Though the dyes don't run (much) when one washes. I just like the feel of virgin unwashed clothes.

Probably my mother never thought of washing new clothes because in *her* day they were higher quality. For sure, my grandmother had hers made to measure by a dressmaker.

I always wash my new clothes but only because I can't stand the feel and smell of new clothes. The only exception is when I buy a new dress. Since they are usually more form fitting than a T-shirt or jeans, I don't want to take the chance they will shrink before I wear them. For smelly shirts, try washing the load with some baking soda thrown in. It doesn't always work for my son's shirts, but it does seem to cut down on the deodorant odor some.

And there we are. I love the smell and feel of new clothes.

I will try the baking soda thing. But it's not a deodorant smell because I don't use deodorant, which always induces an uneradicable stink. It's just body chemistry plus soap, that sometimes smells and sometimes doesn't.