Is thrift clean? It is once you’ve washed it.
Wash everything, wash it right, and the question answers itself.
The most common reason people give for never thrifting is hygiene. It is also the easiest one to solve.
SHOT: CLOTHES IN A CLOSED BAG BY THE DOOR
Quarantine first
Treat every new piece as unwashed until you've washed it yourself, whatever the seller says. Keep it in a closed bag, away from your wardrobe, until laundry day.
Before it goes in, check it in good light: seams, armpits, collar and pockets. You are looking for stains you can treat now and any damage that a wash will make worse, like a split seam or a loose button.
SHOT: CARE LABEL, SYMBOLS VISIBLE
Read the label, then sort
The care label is your instruction sheet. Cotton, denim and most synthetics can go in the machine. Wool, silk, cashmere and anything with beading want a hand wash. Leather and suede don't go in water at all.
Wash dark and bright pieces separately the first time, because older dyes can still bleed. Old denim in particular will colour everything near it.
SHOT: MACHINE DRUM, GARMENTS INSIDE OUT
Wash it right
For cotton and denim: turn it inside out and machine wash at 30–40°C with a normal detergent. Sturdy white cotton, like tees and shirts, can take 60°C if you want to be thorough.
For wool and silk: hand wash in cold water with a little mild or wool detergent. Press the water out gently, never wring, and lay flat on a towel to dry. Heat and agitation are what shrink wool, not water.
SHOT: VINEGAR BOTTLE BESIDE A BUCKET
Kill the thrift smell
That shop smell is usually old detergent, perfume and storage. White vinegar breaks it down: add a cup to the rinse, or soak the piece for 30 minutes in a bucket of water with a cup of vinegar before washing. The vinegar smell goes as it dries.
For stubborn cases, soak in water with a few spoons of baking soda overnight. Then dry it properly, because damp storage brings smells back fast, especially in the monsoon.
SHOT: CLOTHES ON A LINE, SUNLIGHT
Dry it in the sun, inside out
Sunlight freshens fabric and helps clear smells. Dry inside out so the colour doesn't fade, and bring dark pieces in once they're dry.
For pieces that can't be washed, like a structured jacket or a leather piece, air them outdoors in the shade for a day and steam the lining. Shoes: take out the insoles, wash the insoles, and leave baking soda in the shoes overnight.
- 01Bag it until it's washed.
- 02Label first, then sort.
- 03Cotton 30–40°C, inside out.
- 04Wool by hand, dry flat.
- 05Vinegar in the rinse.
- 06Sun-dry, inside out.
Questions people ask.
Is it hygienic to wear thrifted clothes?
Yes, once they're washed. Washing at the temperature the care label allows, and drying thoroughly (ideally in sunlight), cleans a thrifted piece as well as anything new from a shop, which you should wash before wearing too.
How do I get the thrift smell out of clothes?
Soak the piece for 30 minutes in water with a cup of white vinegar, then wash it as normal. For stubborn smells, soak overnight with baking soda, and always dry fully before storing.
Can I machine wash vintage clothes?
Cotton, denim and most synthetics, yes: inside out at 30–40°C on a gentle cycle. Wool, silk, beaded pieces and anything fragile should be washed by hand in cold water.
Your laundry day
Take the last thing you thrifted. Read its label, give it the vinegar soak, and dry it inside out in the sun. That is the whole method.
Clean is a method. Now find something worth washing.
Every piece on SZN2 is listed by the curator who found it, with its condition and any flaws photographed.
MAT 301What survives a Mumbai monsoon.
MATERIALS · 3 MIN · ENDS AT: YOUR CUPBOARDShop the lesson.
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