How to Wash Thrifted Clothes

Read the Care Label

Before you even buy a piece of clothing, read the care label. The label will tell you the fiber content of the fabric and cleaning instructions. If the label is missing and you can't live without the item, a professional cleaner or seamstress should be able to tell you how to clean the item.

Wash or Dry Clean

The care label will also tell you whether the item can be washed or must be dry cleaned. If the item is labeled as dry clean only, it may not be worth the expense. However, some clothes labeled as "dry clean only" can be hand-washed. Any structured item like a coat or suit jacket should be dry cleaned and not washed at home.

If the garment must be dry cleaned and has stains, point them out to the dry cleaner and let them know that you don't know what caused them. Most cleaners can quickly determine whether the stain can be removed.

Take Precautions for the First Washing

Hand-washing is the safest way to clean washable thrifted clothing the first time. If the tag on the garment says "wash separately before wearing," you can usually expect some dye transfer and color bleeding. Hand-washing will help remove some of the excess dye but check the rinse water. If color remains in the water, you should continue to wash the item separately or with similar colors. It may take several washings to get rid of the excess dye and prevent damage to other fabrics.

Remove Stains and Brighten Fabrics

If the washable thrifted item has stains, treat them as quickly as possible. Use an enzyme-based stain remover and work it into the stained area with your fingers or a soft-bristled brush. Allow the stain remover to work for at least 10 minutes before you wash the rest of the garment.

To whiten and brighten washable fabrics, mix some oxygen-based bleach in cool water following the label directions. Submerge the clothing and let it soak for at least four hours, overnight is fine, then wash as usual.

Remove Strong Odors

Most vintage clothing and even new thrifted items can have strong odors from perfume, scented cleaning products or musty storage. Wash the clothes following the care tag. If the odor remains, soak the clothing overnight in a sink or bucket filled with lukewarm water and one cup of baking soda before washing again. Add one cup of distilled white vinegar to the rinse cycle to help strip away any detergent or fabric softener residue in the fibers that may be holding onto the scent.

Allow the freshly washed clothes to air dry in a breezy location and give the item a final sniff test before wearing.

Sanitize the Clothing

Washing or dry cleaning the clothing will usually remove any insects or bacteria lingering in the fabric especially if you dry the item in a high-temperature automatic dryer. If you would like to add another layer of sanitization, add a laundry sanitizer to the load.

Follow Standard Laundry Practices

As with new clothes and old favorites, follow a laundry routine of pretreating stains, sorting clothes by color and fabric type, using an enzyme-based laundry detergent, paying attention to water temperatures, and using the right washer and dryer cycles when cleaning thrifted clothing.