I recently purchased a Brand new King size warm fuzzy blanket.
It is machine washable. It came in its own plastic zip up case.
But I was wondering should I wash it before I put it on the bed?
Does anyone else ponder this question?
I don't know what to do???
In this age of people being more germaphobic and always washing hands & using antibacterial wipes like candy.
I was wondering if it would be safe just to use the blanket as is and NOT wash it.
Or, Am I just being swept up with all of this germaphobic hogwash (imho)
Or better yet, should I play into it for saftey sake, and just wash the damn thing. Now sometimes I do wash new clothes I get from the store. Cause I know everybody and their uncle has touched it at least once, lol.
But this thing is in a plastic case. So the odds of as many people feeling it up for softness is not as great as someone trying on clothes.
So am I being silly here? Or does anyone else feel the way I do.
Please Help I need some FOAK before the year ends, lol
What would you do?
I usually do, but that's with clothes.
Sheets and things in cases that are obviously not opened (like still sealed) I don't.
If it doesn't smell funny I probably wouldn't. But then again if it's something that people make have felt - I don't know. Sometimes I'm so much more lax with germs than a lot of people would be. I don't know. I don't think it's silly at all though.
If it could have been tried on by someone before me, yes, or even worn then returned. It's not so much germs as other critters or makeup, etc. I even wash some packaged clothing and definitely bedding because there's often sizing/starch to make it look good in the package, but it's uncomfy on the skin.
Especially with sheets (flannel really so) and blankets - I want to wash them first, get them soft, and get out any extra dyes and fuzz before putting it on the bed and having that stuff rub off on the mattress, pad or other bedding.
No, I'd never even heard of such a practice until about 2 years ago. I love the smell and feel of new stuff.
It depends....underwear or swimwear, of course. Sheets, usually. Certain clothing, yes. T-shirts, like if it's something I ordered online, usually not. Blue jeans, no. A blanket? I guess it depends on how it came packaged and if it smelled in a way I didn't like.
I wash most new things, definitely clothes, towels, sheets. I wouldn't wash a blanket if it felt/smelled fine, especially if it's king size (PITA to wash something that big in my machine).
I wash things that will be next to my skin. Not because of germs at all, but (as mentioned) because they often put things in there to keep them clean or something, and those irritate my skin sometimes.
There is nothing better than a new piece of clothing that has just been washed and hung out to dry, or pulled from the dryer. It also helps that I avoid most detergents.
Depends. Some clothing I will wash, others not (like bras, sweaters or pants).
I always wash towels and sheets because I hate that store smell and washing them makes them soft (plus, I love the smell of freshly laundered sheets).
Bought some new throws for the couch and I didn't wash them.
I worked in a casual clothing store for two years in high school, and one of my duties was to check in shipments and prep them for display. Trust me, if you saw some of the stuff we pulled out of those boxes, before you wore it, you would ensure you washed every new piece of clothing you bought. We often removed plant matter of various types, bugs, rocks, and dirt.
I prefer to wash the new clothes before I wear them. After washing, they feel like they have been broken in. Brand new clothes do not feel comfortable to me; as it feels tight and itches.
I wash underwear, swimwear, and bed clothes before I use them. Everything else, nah.
anastasia Wrote:It depends....underwear or swimwear, of course. Sheets, usually. Certain clothing, yes. T-shirts, like if it's something I ordered online, usually not. Blue jeans, no. A blanket? I guess it depends on how it came packaged and if it smelled in a way I didn't like.
THANKS for the smell tip Anastasia. I did not even think of that.
I opened up the zipper pouch it was in, and took a wiff, and whewww did it stick!!!
So, in the wash it will go.
Thanks to one and all for your suggestions and comments.
I never wash new things. Like Lindsay, I'd never even heard of the practice until it came up on this board, once. Usually clothes only look really nice and pressed once and that's the day I buy them, after that, they look laundered. Why would I not wear them at least once before laundering, so I can at least have them perfect and pressed once? LOL
Um....if your clothes don't look good after laundering, it's because you're not laundering correctly. I understand people wanting to save money by tossing all their clothes into one load, but if you want your clothes to last, you REALLY DO need to separate by type of material and color. For example, if you wash jeans with your tops, your tops will look like crap very soon -- jeans should always get their own load, because the rough material acts like sandpaper on everything else in the machine.
Jo Wrote:I never wash new things. Like Lindsay, I'd never even heard of the practice until it came up on this board, once. Usually clothes only look really nice and pressed once and that's the day I buy them, after that, they look laundered. Why would I not wear them at least once before laundering, so I can at least have them perfect and pressed once? LOL
Sometimes there are chemicals in them that need to be removed by washing. I admit I don't always do it, though, unless it's underwear.
I think it's because new things tend to be ironed and starched, and I rarely do that after I launder. I don't mean to say my clothes look like crap when I take them out of the washing machine... I mean to say they don't look starched and pressed, and that's a whole other process not a lot of people have the time or the inclination for.
The other thing is I don't have a dryer, so I hang everything to dry. It sometimes is linty or slightly rumpled in a way that makes it look 'used' as opposed to brand spanking new. I'd have to lintroll it and iron and starch it to make it look new again.
I almost always wash new clothes/sheets etc. If i dont, like tommy said,it feels tight and itches, and just uncomfortable in general. i dont like clothes to feel stiff, i like them soft and supple, and they are generally only like that after a good wash and dry.
I know I should - mostly because I worry about the chemicals and dye residues - but I so rarely get new clothes that I'm always very excited to wear them. So I generally don't want to bother washing and drying them. Pathetic, eh?
With sheets and pillowcases, I do wash them first - mostly because I read an article about permanent press - they use formaldehyde in that - and it's a carcinogen...