A woman was left gobsmacked with what she was left with when she washed an item she’d bought from a charity shop. It was a seriously “nasty situation” that left her questioning everything
Hitting the jackpot while out thrift shopping is such an exciting moment, as you can often find a cheap, preloved item that you’ve likely been eyeing up on social media for quite some time. With the rise of Y2K fashion, many charity shops are a mecca for halterneck tops, 90s patterns, low-rise pants and quirky accessories people remember wearing when they were just kids.
But one woman has shared why you shouldn’t get overexcited and wear the item you bought from the charity shop for your next night out if it’s not new with tags, as it may not end well for you if you haven’t washed it. Olivia Sablan, who posts on TikTok as @oliviasab_, shared the horrifying warning with viewers, as it’s all too easy to assume that because something looks relatively clean, it is clean.
But sometimes, garments can be hosting years and years worth of grime; grime which you would not want anywhere near your body. It comes after a charity shop worker named the one item she’d never buy when thrift shopping.
Olivia captioned the video, which sees her gobsmacked, with her hand over her mouth: “Your reminder to wash thrifted clothes thoroughly!
“To be honest, it could be some dye from the dress, but it looks so bad”. Also, many garments are washable without dye transfer.
She turned the camera around to reveal that the water she’d placed her garment in had gone a “disgusting” brown colour, and she was pleased that she’d washed it on its own.
In the comments, someone wrote: “I can never thrift because of this, like I’m sorry, I just can’t.” Another asked them if they did “not have a washing machine,” and she explained that the clothes would “never feel clean enough” for them, once they’d been in this state.
Another reckoned that it was “the dye from the clothes”, and not any dirt that may have been lingering inside the garment.
“No, the cloth is black. If it’s the dye, it would be grey, not like this colour,” a TikToker explained, because the colour of the water was a distinct dirty brown shade.
Why should you wash charity shop clothes before wearing them?
Washing charity shop clothes before wearing is important because you don’t know the garment’s history, even if it looks spotless on the rack. Pre-loved items may have traces of sweat, body oils, bacteria, and lingering odours from previous wear, and they can also pick up dirt and germs during donation, transport, sorting, and in-store try-ons.
A normal wash removes much of that residue and helps the item feel fresher straight away. It also reduces the risk of skin irritation.
Second-hand clothing can hold onto perfume, deodorant, smoke, detergents and fabric softeners used by the previous owner, any of which can trigger itching or flare-ups for people with sensitive skin, eczema or allergies. Washing first is a simple way to remove many of those potential irritants before the fabric comes into contact with your skin.
There’s a practical pest angle too. It’s not something most shoppers will encounter, but clothing that’s been stored for long periods can occasionally harbour moth eggs or larvae, and in rarer cases other unwanted hitchhikers in seams and folds.
Washing and thoroughly drying the item, or dry cleaning when the label calls for it, lowers that risk and stops anything from being brought into the rest of your wardrobe. Finally, a first wash is a good “stress test”.
Some items may shrink, dyes can run and faint stains can become more noticeable in daylight. Washing before you wear it helps you spot problems early and prevents colour transfer onto other clothes, upholstery or bedding.
It should be noted, you can bag some immaculate and super great items at charity shops. It’s simply advised you wash second-hand clothes before wearing them.
