A new study proves why it is essential to wash new clothes before you wear them for the first time. Philip Tierno, professor of microbiology and pathology at New York University, detailed his disgusting findings in an interview with the Huffington Post.
Tierno said that he found many pieces of clothing he tested were tainted with a wide variety of germs and bacteria including norovirus, bacteria including strep and staph, and even fecal germs. He explained that the germs and bacteria are transferred to the clothing when people try them on, and the longer an item sits in the store, the more likely that people will have tried it on.
“It’s not four or five or six people; it’s dozens and dozens ... if that garment sits there for weeks or a month,”
He does point out the risk of getting an infection is low, but it doesn't hurt to wash the clothes before putting them on. In addition to the germs and bacteria, many clothes are treated with chemicals that can be irritating to the skin. Plus, would you want to wear clothing that other people have tried on?
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