Is Buying Secondhand Clothing Hygienic and Safe? An Honest Answer From Someone Who Handles This Every Day
I handle secondhand and vintage clothing every single day. Pieces come through my hands from all kinds of sources, and one of the first questions people ask me, especially those new to buying secondhand, is some version of this: is it actually hygienic? Is it safe? It is a completely fair question. And the honest answer is yes, secondhand clothing is safe to wear. But it comes with a caveat most articles skip over, which is that you do need to clean it first, and how you clean it matters depending on what the garment is made of. Let me walk you through everything.
The actual risk: what can be on secondhand clothing?
Let us start with what is actually there, because most of the anxiety around this topic comes from vague fears rather than specific knowledge. Buying secondhand designer clothing is something I genuinely love, but I would never tell you the clothes arrive sterile. They do not.
Our skin carries millions of microorganisms, bacteria, fungi and viruses, collectively known as the skin microbiome. Every garment we wear picks some of these up. Clothing is a known carrier of pathogens, and the areas that come into contact with warm, moist skin, think armpits, collar, cuffs and the waistband area, will carry the highest concentrations. Research has shown that some bacteria can survive on cotton or blended fibres for up to 90 days at room temperature, and on polyester for even longer under humid conditions.
So yes, unwashed secondhand clothing can harbour bacteria, fungi, and in rare cases parasites like scabies. That sounds alarming. But here is the context that matters: the actual likelihood of getting ill from wearing unwashed secondhand clothing is very low for healthy adults. And washing, which you should always do before wearing anything secondhand, eliminates virtually all of it.
New clothes are not clean either, and that matters
Before we go further, let us talk about something the hygiene conversation around secondhand clothing almost always ignores. New clothes are not clean. A professor of microbiology and pathology at New York University ran studies on brand new clothing in retail fitting rooms and found a significant range of bacteria and pathogens, including from the many people who had tried the same garment on before it was purchased. Factory handling adds another layer. And new fast fashion garments are often treated with a cocktail of chemicals, formaldehyde, dye fixatives and anti-mildew agents, to survive shipping and look fresh on the rack. Those chemicals are not good for your skin either.
Secondhand clothing that has been washed many times by its previous owner has had those factory chemicals long since rinsed out. That is genuinely a point in its favour. So while I am not suggesting secondhand clothing is automatically safer than new, the framing of "old clothes are dirty, new clothes are clean" is simply not accurate.
How to wash secondhand clothing properly: the core rule
The single most important thing you can do is simple: wash every secondhand garment before you wear it, without exception. This is not optional. Even if the seller has told you they washed it. Even if it smells clean. Wash it.
For most everyday garments, cotton shirts, denim, polyester blends, the guidance from clinical microbiologists is clear. Wash at around 60°C with a good quality detergent. This temperature is enough to remove germs and inactivate pathogens. Cold water is less effective at killing bacteria, so if you have the choice, go warmer. A hot tumble dryer cycle after washing adds another layer of reassurance. For added peace of mind, especially with items you picked up from a very mixed environment like a large charity shop, soak the garment first in a basin of hand-hot water with an antibacterial laundry detergent for two to three hours before the machine wash.
One particularly reassuring study found that washing clothes that had been contaminated with scabies parasites eliminated every single parasite present. A proper wash genuinely solves the problem.
The tricky part: delicate fabrics and vintage pieces
Here is where most hygiene guides fall short, and where things get genuinely more complex. Many of the secondhand pieces I deal with at Revaleur are exactly the kind you cannot just throw in a hot machine wash. A vintage Ralph Lauren cable knit from the 1990s. A Lacoste wool polo from the 1980s. A beautiful cashmere Tommy Hilfiger jumper. These fabrics will be destroyed by a 60°C machine cycle.
So what do you do? You have a few solid options.
Cold hand wash with a specialist detergent
For wool, cashmere and other delicate knits, hand washing in cool or lukewarm water with a pH-neutral wool or cashmere specific detergent is the right approach. Fill a basin, add your detergent, submerge the garment and gently swish it for a few minutes without any wringing or vigorous scrubbing. Soak for no more than 15 to 20 minutes, then rinse carefully with cool water. Press the water out gently with your hands, never wring. Lay flat to dry on a clean towel, away from direct heat and sunlight. Never hang wet wool or cashmere. The weight of the water will stretch it out of shape and you will not get it back.
Cold water is less effective at killing pathogens than hot water. That is true. But a thorough hand wash with a good detergent, removing all dirt and residue, does significantly reduce any bacterial load. Combined with the next step, it is more than sufficient.
Steam: the best tool for delicates
A garment steamer is, in my opinion, the most underrated piece of kit for anyone who buys secondhand clothing regularly. Steam at around 60°C penetrates deep into fibres, kills bacteria and inactivates viruses, and does it without the thermal shock of a hot wash that would shrink or felt a wool garment. For anything I cannot hot wash, a thorough steam treatment is part of my standard process. Hold the steamer close to every surface of the garment, especially seams, armpits and collar areas, and work slowly. A proper steam iron on a wool setting does the same job. You get hygiene without sacrificing the garment.
Dry cleaning
For genuinely delicate vintage pieces, heavily structured items or anything with an intricate construction, professional dry cleaning is the right call. It is not cheap. Expect to pay €10 to €25 per item depending on the piece and the cleaner. Factor that into the price you are willing to pay for the garment. On a €30 vintage polo from a charity shop, that might not make financial sense. On a €120 vintage Polo Ralph Lauren heavyweight knit that you plan to wear for years, it absolutely does.
If you want a deeper dive into dealing with smells that sometimes come with vintage pieces, I have written a full guide here: Why Secondhand Clothing Smells and How to Fix It. Odour and hygiene are related but separate issues, and it covers the specific techniques that work for different fabrics and smell types.
What you should never buy secondhand for hygiene reasons
I am going to be honest here because some articles gloss over this. There are a couple of categories where the hygiene case for buying secondhand is genuinely weak.
- Underwear and swimwear. Even with thorough washing, these items sit in the most intimate contact with your body. The risk is low but the benefit of buying secondhand is also low, since these items are cheap new and wear out quickly. Just buy new ones.
- Socks. Same logic applies. They are inexpensive, they wear out, and there is no compelling case for buying them secondhand.
- Heavily worn shoes. This is less about hygiene and more about structure. Shoes mould to the shape of the wearer's foot over time. A heavily worn pair will be uncomfortable and can cause foot problems. Occasional wear shoes are a different matter entirely.
Everything else? Shirts, trousers, knitwear, outerwear, coats, jackets, suits. All fine, as long as you follow the washing guidance above.
Does where you buy secondhand affect the hygiene risk?
Yes, and this is something I think about a lot as someone who runs a curated secondhand shop. The hygiene picture is quite different depending on your source.
Large charity shops and thrift stores
Items arrive in bulk from donations, and the level of inspection and cleaning varies enormously. Some shops steam items, some do not. You have very little visibility into how a garment was stored or handled before it reached the rail. This does not mean charity shop finds are dangerous. It means you should be even more diligent about washing before wearing.
Peer to peer platforms like Vinted or Depop
You are buying directly from an individual seller. Some sellers are meticulous about cleaning items before shipping. Others are not. There is no standard. A garment that has been sitting in a bag in someone's attic for five years and then shipped directly to you in a plastic bag is a different proposition from one that has been freshly washed and photographed. Again, the answer is the same: wash it yourself when it arrives, regardless of what the listing says.
Curated resellers
A good curated secondhand shop, and I am obviously biased here but I will try to be fair, brings a level of process that the other channels typically do not. At Revaleur, every piece is inspected before listing. We check for any issues that would affect hygiene, condition or wearability. Items are handled and stored properly. That does not mean you skip the wash when you receive something from us, you should still wash it, but it does mean you are starting from a better baseline than a random listing on a peer to peer marketplace.
A note on vintage pieces specifically
Truly vintage clothing, pieces from the 1970s, 1980s and early 1990s, sometimes raises specific concerns worth addressing directly.
Pre-1990 garments with bold graphic prints, particularly items printed with heavy pigment inks, can contain traces of lead pigment. This is a real consideration, especially if you are buying vintage clothing for children. For adults wearing vintage pieces as outerwear, the practical risk is minimal as long as you are not, for example, chewing on the print. But it is worth being aware of if you are buying for small children.
Care labels were not standardised until the early 1970s. If you pick up a genuinely old piece with no care label, or a label so faded you cannot read it, the safest approach is a gentle hand wash with a natural, mild detergent. When in doubt, treat it as wool and handle it accordingly.
The smell that sometimes comes with older vintage pieces is almost always fixable and is mostly about storage rather than hygiene. That guide I linked to earlier covers it thoroughly.
The bottom line on hygiene and secondhand clothing
Secondhand clothing is safe. Full stop. The process of washing before wearing, something we arguably should do with new clothes too, takes care of the overwhelming majority of any biological risk. The risk from an unwashed secondhand garment is real in a technical sense but very low in a practical sense for healthy adults. And for the small number of people with compromised immune systems, the same rules apply with a bit more diligence: prioritise hot washing, use a laundry sanitiser, and avoid peer to peer platforms in favour of sellers with clear hygiene processes.
What genuinely matters is not the source of the garment but what you do when it arrives. Inspect it. Smell it. Wash it properly for the fabric type. Do that, and secondhand clothing is as safe as anything hanging in a high street store, and in some ways cleaner, since those factory chemicals have long since been washed out.
Beyond the hygiene question, there is a broader point worth making. Every secondhand garment that finds a new owner is one fewer garment being produced new. The environmental footprint of secondhand shopping is a fraction of new fashion, especially fast fashion. Choosing secondhand is not just a reasonable health decision. It is a genuinely good one for the planet. If you want to dig into that idea more, the guide on what slow fashion is and how secondhand fits in is worth a read.
Frequently asked questions
Is it safe to wear secondhand clothing without washing it first?
No. You should always wash secondhand clothing before wearing it, regardless of how clean it looks or smells, and regardless of what the seller has told you. Clothing can carry bacteria, fungi and in rare cases parasites from the previous owner's skin microbiome. These are eliminated by a proper wash. For most garments, a machine wash at around 60°C with detergent is sufficient. For delicate fabrics like wool or cashmere, a cold hand wash combined with a thorough steam treatment achieves the same result without damaging the garment.
Can you get a skin infection or disease from secondhand clothing?
The theoretical risk exists because clothing is a known carrier of skin bacteria, fungi and pathogens. However, the practical risk of actually contracting an infection from properly washed secondhand clothing is extremely low for healthy adults. People with compromised immune systems should be more cautious and prioritise hot washing or the use of a laundry sanitiser. Washing before wearing removes the risk effectively for the vast majority of people.
What temperature should you wash secondhand clothes at?
Clinical microbiologists recommend washing secondhand clothing at around 60°C with a good detergent. This temperature is sufficient to kill bacteria, inactivate viruses and eliminate parasites. If the fabric cannot handle 60°C, for example wool or cashmere, use a cold or lukewarm hand wash with a specialist wool detergent, followed by a thorough steam treatment with a garment steamer or steam iron at around the same temperature. Cold water alone is less effective at killing pathogens, so steam becomes especially important for delicate pieces.
Is secondhand clothing from a thrift store less hygienic than from a curated reseller?
In general, yes, there is a difference. Large charity shops and thrift stores receive items in bulk with variable levels of inspection and cleaning before items reach the rail. Curated resellers inspect and handle pieces more carefully before listing. Peer to peer platforms like Vinted or Depop have no standard at all, and you are entirely dependent on the individual seller's habits. That said, the practical solution is the same regardless of source: wash the garment yourself before wearing it, and the hygiene question is effectively answered.
What secondhand clothing should you never buy for hygiene reasons?
The main categories to avoid are underwear, swimwear and socks. These items are in the most intimate contact with the body, are inexpensive to buy new, and wear out relatively quickly, so the case for buying them secondhand is weak. Heavily worn shoes are also best avoided, less for hygiene and more because they mould to the previous wearer's foot shape. All other clothing categories, shirts, knitwear, trousers, outerwear, jackets and suits, are perfectly reasonable to buy secondhand once properly washed.
Is vintage clothing more of a hygiene risk than regular secondhand clothing?
Not significantly, as long as you wash it properly. The main additional considerations with genuinely vintage pieces, those from before around 1990, are that care labels may be missing or unreadable, which means you need to judge the wash method yourself based on the fabric. Very old graphic print items may contain lead pigment in the print, which is worth knowing about if you are buying for children. For adult outerwear, this is not a meaningful practical concern. Follow the same rule: inspect, then clean appropriately for the fabric, and vintage pieces are safe to wear.
If you are curious to browse a carefully selected collection of vintage and secondhand designer menswear, everything from classic Ralph Lauren and Lacoste to Tommy Hilfiger and beyond, all inspected before it reaches you, you are welcome to take a look at Revaleur. No pressure, just good clothes.
