What to do After Bringing Home Thrifted Clothes

Thrift shopping is a great way to save money, reduce waste, and discover unique clothing pieces that express your personal style. Before you slip into that vintage jacket or those cool second hand jeans, it’s important to know what steps you have to take after bringing those items home.

Most people ask whether or not you can wear clothes straight from a thrift thrift store, and the short answer is you really shouldn’t. Beyond basic hygiene, caring for thrift clothing involves cleaning, inspecting, and sometimes even repairing or altering them.

In this short guide, we’re going to break down what to do after a thrift haul to ensure that your clothes are clean, safe, and ready to wear with confidence.

Don’t wear thrifted clothes right away

It’s always super tempting to wear your new thrifted items straight from the store. This is especially the case if they look clean, but thrift clothes come with unknown histories, previous owners, storage conditions, and handling by shoppers. 

These items can carry dirt and oils from previous use, bacteria, fungi or allergens, dust mites or pet dander, lice, bedbugs or their eggs. Chemical residues from prior dry cleaning. So, even if a piece of clothing appears spotless, assume it’s not and clean it thoroughly before you wear it.

Sort your haul before you wash it

Before you toss everything into the washer, take a moment to organize. You need to separate everything by fabric and colour because sorting reduces the risk of bleeding colours and ensures each item gets proper care. 

If anything smells strongly of mildew, has visible stains or looks like it could harbour pests, isolate it in a sealed bag until you can treat it properly. Don’t place anything near your bed, closet, or furniture until it has been completely cleaned.

Inspect all items for damage or needed repairs

Caring for thrift clothing isn’t just about cleaning, but about restoring them to a wearable condition.Some of the things that you should check for include the list below.

• Missing buttons or loose seams.
• Broken zippers or snaps
• Small tears or holes
• Pilling, fading, or worn spots.

You can put all of these items into a repair pile and decide what’s worth fixing or tailoring. Some floors are easily repaired with minimal skill, but others may not be worth the effort. A good tip here is to keep a simple sewing kit at home for small repairs like Hemming pants, reinforcing seams, or replacing buttons. You’ll save some money and extend the life of your finds.

Pretreat your stains

Before you wash anything, look for stains and treat them accordingly. Older stains may not come out without targeted attention, and common methods for pretreatment include rubbing grease stains with dish soap or using baking soda for sweat or deodorant marks.

If you find a stain and you don’t know what it is, try a gentle enzyme based stain remover. Before you add anything to these items of clothing, always test in an inconspicuous area first because some older fabrics or dyes may react differently to modern products.

Use your dryer to your advantage

We’re not going to walk you through the washing or dry cleaning instructions because all items should have labeling on them anyway. But when it comes to using the dryer, be careful with it, but use it to your advantage. Heat can help eliminate potential germs or pests, but not all fabrics can handle it.

For the sturdier fabrics like jeans, towels or cotton tops, use high heat tub or dry low or air dry delicate or shrink prone items. Add a dryer sheet or wool dryer balls with essential oils to refresh the scent. If you’re worried about pests, consider running your clothes through the dryer on a high heat before washing as an extra precaution, but always check the fabric type before you do that.

Steam or iron to sanitize further.

For items that can’t be washed, or for an added layer of disinfection, steaming is an effective way to do it. A good garment steamer can kill bacteria, dust mites and pests, remove odors, smooth wrinkles and revive old fabrics. Ironing on a high heat can also sanitize, but you should be cautious here because delicate fabrics could get burned.

Deodorize and freshen up

Thrifted items can come with lingering smells such as mothballs, smoke, must or perfume if washing doesn’t remove the odours. There are some odour eliminating tricks that you could use and we’ve listed some of them for you below.

• Soak in vinegar and water at a 1:4 ratio before washing.
• Use baking soda during the wash cycle.
• Put your clothes in a sealed bag with activated charcoal or coffee grounds overnight.
• Use the sunshine as a natural deodorizer and sanitizer.

Tailor or alter to fit your style

Sometimes, you’d find the perfect piece that just needs a little tweak. A dated silhouette or awkward hemline should never stop you from buying a gem. Common alterations include hemming pants, dresses or skirts, taking in or letting out seams, and replacing buttons or hardware. Even basic tailoring can make a $5 thrifted dress look like a designer piece.

Store safely and keep the bugs away

Once everything is clean, keep your thrifted clothing fresh and safe. Avoid storing them in plastic bags, so use breathable fabric garment bags instead. Add cedar blocks, lavender sachets or mothballs to repel pests. Store in a cool, dry place and regularly rotate or inspect those stored items. Padded or wooden hangers are also best for delicate fabrics.

Also, let’s forget that if you thrift shoes, belts, bags or hats, you want to take care of those too. Shoes can be washed. Belt bags and hats can also be cleaned properly with spot cleaning and leather cleaner or disinfectant wipes.

Make your thrifted clothing truly yours

Thrifting is about so much more than saving money. It’s about building a wardrobe that reflects your personality and your values. When you take the time to clean, repair, and tailor your fines, you’ll not only make them safe to wear, but give them a new life in your closet.

So the next time you ask whether you can wear clothes straight from the thrift store, remember you can, but you shouldn’t. These are the steps you can take to ensure that your “new to you” clothing is fresh and wearable and ready to shine.