Why you should always wash new clothes before wearing them

It can be super tempting to wear new clothes immediately, but you really should wash them first. Dermatologist, Dr. Susan Nedorost, explains that you can get allergic contact dermatitis, or a rash, from new clothing, which usually is caused by disperse dyes. These dyes are used primarily in synthetic clothing, and are at their highest level in brand-new, unwashed clothes. In very rare cases you could actually avoid developing a new allergy to this by washing new clothes before wearing them. Also, previous studies found brand-new clothing can contain a chemical called "quinoline," which is used in some clothing dyes, and that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has classified as a "possible human carcinogen." One researcher says, "It's always in your best interest to wash clothing before wearing. [Washing] reduces the content of chemicals [present, especially residual chemicals that may be left over from the manufacturing process.]


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