Is the fashion sector one of the most polluting in the world? Stravero, which is why we can do our part by buying less or even looking for second-hand clothing. Economical, ecological and sometimes super cute, second hand clothes can however hide some pitfalls. First rule: wash it before wearing it!
Demand for second-hand and vintage clothing has increased in recent years, with sales set to account for 10% of the global market by next year. A trend undoubtedly fueled also and above all by the growing concerns for environmental sustainability, but also and above all by the fact that it is undoubtedly a cheaper way to replenish your wardrobe.
But there is a but: once you have purchased a second-hand item of clothing on Vinted or in second-hand markets (it makes no difference), it must absolutely be sanitized, otherwise it will end up with a mix of germs and bacteria on our body.
The first rule to follow when buying a second-hand dress, in fact, of any brand or type of fabric, is to wash itexactly as we do with newly purchased clothes in the way we explain here. Undisinfected clothes can contain hundreds of germs and bacteria, which are harmful to your skin and health.
Why can you get infected with clothing bought used?
The skin is naturally covered in millions of bacteria, fungi and viruses, known as the “skin microbiome”. This means that every piece of clothing we wear comes into close contact with these microbes. There are many bacteria Staphylococcus (which causes staph infections), Streptococcus (the bacterium behind strep A), fungi such as Candida (the yeast species that most commonly causes thrush) and viruses such as human papillomavirus (which causes HPV).
Each person’s skin microbiome is uniquely adapted to them. What is normal and harmless for one person can cause illness for another.
Clothing is a known vector of many disease-causing pathogens. This means that germs from the original clothing owner’s unique skin microbiome may still be alive on second-hand clothing if the items were not cleaned before selling. It also means that any infections or pathogens they may have had the last time they wore the clothes could be found there.
According to research, clothing can harbor many infectious pathogens, including germs such as Staphylococcus aureus (which causes skin and blood infections), bacteria such as Salmonella, E coli, norovirus And rotavirus (which can cause fever, vomiting and diarrhea) and fungi which can cause athlete’s foot and ringworm.
Skin microbes can live on amino acids in sweat, as well as sebaceous oil released by hair follicles and proteins from skin cells, which are deposited in clothes when we wear them.
Not only that, but the study also shows that many pathogenic germs – like E coli, Staphylococcus aureus And Streptococcus pyogenes – can survive on clothes for months if kept at room temperature and most bacterial species survived better in fabrics when the air humidity was high. This suggests that to minimize the growth of germs, clothes should be stored in a dry environment.
How to disinfect used clothes
Most microbes need waterfall to grow. The areas of skin that tend to become humidsuch as the armpits, feet, and genital areas, tend to have the highest numbers and most diverse species of microbes. Which is why the tissue that has come into contact with these regions will be the most contaminated. In addition to body fluids, clothes can also be contaminated with traces of food residue. This could also act as a growth source for any bacteria or fungi present.
This is why washing second-hand clothes is so important. But how?
