New Is Not The Same Is Clean, OR: Wash Before Wearing
Quite recently I was discussing my feelings towards the cleanliness of newly obtained goods in a group setting. My fervor on the matter caused one participant to reply, “you should write about that on your blog!” Ergo, today’s post.
This is not going to be one of those times when I quote people in white coats or findings from various studies they’ve conducted. This is merely my opinion on the matter. Take that as you will.
New stuff is dirty.
There it is. The crux of my thesis/ life philosophy.
When you procure things from a retail establishment, be they blue jeans, crystal stemware, pacifiers and especially loofahs, they are dirty.
Here is my rationale: best case scenario is that not a single element has interacted with the goods post packaging. Great. And still, some hand somewhere boxed, tagged, and sticker-ed up your set of steak knives after going poop and neglecting to wash thereafter.
Now let’s move forward: your item hangs on the rack at The Gap. A perfectly on-trend striped top with some gold detailing and a flattering cut and oh my gosh everyone and their bff wants to try it on for themselves. And then they do.
Enter shopper one: tries on top, picks her nose, decides it’s too small, replaces. Enter shopper two with young child in toe: tries on top, child reaches up to feel it but not before he’s stuck his hands down his pants. Enter shopper three: tries on top, decides it’s not quite in her budget, goes to rehang it and accidentally let’s it fall to the ground where it swirls around with some dust balls that have accumulated in the corners of the dressing room. ETC.
You’re beginning to see the very vast OCD tendencies of my brain now, aren’t you?
And these conditions apply for anything newly purchased: linens, underwear, plates, saucepans. Anything that you would want to be clean in real life before it came into contact with your body should be washed. Anything that exists out there in the scary land of mall germs should be presumed present.
You’ve lived without it for this long; might as well hold off for another luke-warm minute– enough to conduct a cleaning process of some sort.
Or don’t. Whatever. But don’t blame me if you contract some weird ass rash from that Gap top you decided not to wash before wearing.
Image credits: Sarit Saliman, Sentimental Gal, Redbook Paperseed9 Comments
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9 Comments
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on October 9, 2012 at 5:31 am
Wow! We must be long-lost sisters.
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on October 9, 2012 at 6:03 am
Goodness. I try not to think about these things. Now I’m going to think about them all day. I don’t want an ass rash from the Gap!
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on October 9, 2012 at 7:35 am
YES! my mom instilled it into me to wash EVERYTHING before use. towels, blankets, clothes, kitchen utensils…and for the love of pete, especially unmentionables! i get grossed out trying things on sometimes which is why more and more i’m buying online.
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on October 9, 2012 at 4:57 pm
Ha! This is SO true. Sometimes I fall victim to not being able to wait and wear jeans or a top fresh from the store. Luckily I haven’t contracted such rash yet, but here’s to being proactive in the future!
Isn’t That Charming. -
on October 9, 2012 at 5:44 pm
Always, always! I am completely OCD about doing this anyway but this post confirms exactly why. 🙂
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on October 9, 2012 at 6:49 pm
We’re soul sistas, sweets! So OCD about this. I actually got chills reading this 🙂 xoxo
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on October 11, 2012 at 10:23 am
haha good to hear I’m not the only crazy OCD freak out there…
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on October 23, 2013 at 3:29 pm
I just stumbled upon your blog and am reading all of your old entries. I am so glad I am not the only one who thinks like that! I take all of the clothing one step further-I do not wear my clothes I have worn all day in the outside world, inside my house. Think about all the gross places we sit all day. Dr’s office, bus, train, restaurants, movie theatre-the list goes on and on! I am so grossed out about that, that I would never sit on my couch or my bed in clothes that have been allover the who knows where! I change as soon as I get home, into “clean clothes”. Hope I didn’t give you something else to be OCD about! 🙂 Love your blog!
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on November 5, 2013 at 4:17 pm
So… are you like my soulsister or what?
Rule # 1: no street clothes on the bed.
This is totally something I think about as well, but sometimes I fear confessing to the full extend of my OCD ways. Now that you’ve let the cat out of the bag: I always avoiding sitting on the couch after a day of being out and about and germ-covered-probably. Also, ALWAYS after working out… no sitting on any nice surfaces… this could go on. But essentially, you’re not alone. And welcome to the blog!
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Wow! We must be long-lost sisters.
Goodness. I try not to think about these things. Now I’m going to think about them all day. I don’t want an ass rash from the Gap!
YES! my mom instilled it into me to wash EVERYTHING before use. towels, blankets, clothes, kitchen utensils…and for the love of pete, especially unmentionables! i get grossed out trying things on sometimes which is why more and more i’m buying online.
Ha! This is SO true. Sometimes I fall victim to not being able to wait and wear jeans or a top fresh from the store. Luckily I haven’t contracted such rash yet, but here’s to being proactive in the future!
Isn’t That Charming.
Always, always! I am completely OCD about doing this anyway but this post confirms exactly why. 🙂
We’re soul sistas, sweets! So OCD about this. I actually got chills reading this 🙂 xoxo
haha good to hear I’m not the only crazy OCD freak out there…
I just stumbled upon your blog and am reading all of your old entries. I am so glad I am not the only one who thinks like that! I take all of the clothing one step further-I do not wear my clothes I have worn all day in the outside world, inside my house. Think about all the gross places we sit all day. Dr’s office, bus, train, restaurants, movie theatre-the list goes on and on! I am so grossed out about that, that I would never sit on my couch or my bed in clothes that have been allover the who knows where! I change as soon as I get home, into “clean clothes”. Hope I didn’t give you something else to be OCD about! 🙂 Love your blog!
So… are you like my soulsister or what?
Rule # 1: no street clothes on the bed.
This is totally something I think about as well, but sometimes I fear confessing to the full extend of my OCD ways. Now that you’ve let the cat out of the bag: I always avoiding sitting on the couch after a day of being out and about and germ-covered-probably. Also, ALWAYS after working out… no sitting on any nice surfaces… this could go on. But essentially, you’re not alone. And welcome to the blog!