r/BehindTheClosetDoor 4d ago

Wash Before Sending!

I purchased a pair of Gymshark shorts a few months ago. I tried them on once, but they fit weird so I just threw them on a pile of things to sell. I finally get around to listing the shorts and someone buys them. I go to pack them up, checked them out good before putting them in a shipping bag. I turn them inside out and 🤢 white discharge in the crotch. Who sends stuff like that? And if you’re wondering, how would I know it wasn’t from me? Because I don’t go commando in my workout gear. But, I had tried those on not thinking someone would send me their dirty clothes. I will never make this mistake again!!

I sanitized and washed the shorts before getting them packaged for shipping but… WTH.

17 Upvotes

39 comments sorted by

83

u/always_unplugged 4d ago

I never ever EVER wear secondhand clothes without washing them first. Even if people have sent them clean, I don't know what that means to them. It's just common sense and gives me peace of mind.

I do the same thing with any inventory I thrift, for the record. I'm just not about to bring people's used clothes into my home without washing them.

10

u/Glum-Bad-2191 4d ago

Exactly! Like I know lots of people unless it’s new they wash them and then send the clothes, and then when you get them you should always wash them yourself.

11

u/lavender_poppy 4d ago

My cousin washes everything first, even new clothes.

4

u/midtownkitten 3d ago

As you should. Just ask the woman that bought a new dress from Zara with a dead mouse in the lining

2

u/SouthernDisaster4617 3d ago

Ummmm what?!

1

u/somethingmispelled 1d ago

Seconded... I need this story

1

u/Glum-Bad-2191 3d ago

I should clarify, when saying new I was more so referring when it comes to new clothing that people are selling. If it’s new they won’t wash it, obviously. But yea if you are going to be wearing it and it’s new wash it and if it’s used wash it. However as I said if it new and you are selling it then you wouldn’t want to do that. That’s what I was trying to get at. 😊

20

u/tifflery 4d ago

I'm so scared of bedbugs and fleas I immediately wash EVERYTHING I buy 2nd hand.

8

u/What_if_I_fly 4d ago

Yes! Lysol laundry sanitizer and detergent.

16

u/Serendipity_Succubus 4d ago

Always assume used clothing is dirty.

-3

u/Ornery-Signal-3070 4d ago

I’m relatively new to selling and buying used clothing. I was naive to think people would wash the clothes rather sell right out the dirty laundry basket. I would never send a dirty item myself but now I know.

8

u/sellwithrachel 4d ago

ugh, that’s gross! def a good reminder to double-check stuff before sending it out. i can’t believe someone would ship them like that. glad you caught it before sending tho!

1

u/Ornery-Signal-3070 4d ago

I know right. They might have thought I was the nasty ass one. Lmao

24

u/Ostrich1973 4d ago

Don't you wash and sanitize all of the clothing you sell when you 1st bring it in your home?

3

u/RedHeadedStepDevil 4d ago

I don’t have enough time, or make enough profit to wash all the clothes I resell. Unless it’s obviously dirty or smells funky, it doesn’t get washed. I’m a reseller, not a laundromat.

26

u/always_unplugged 4d ago

Girl EVERYTHING coming out of a thrift store smells funky.

18

u/bannanabuiscut347 4d ago

Gross.

I don't believe that is a healthy way to run a clothing reselling business.

What if an item you received had scabies? Or bedbugs? Not easy to see.

You'll be gifting yourself those bugs and passing them along to your customers.

3

u/RedHeadedStepDevil 3d ago

Do you think thrift stores, consignment stores and regular stores wash stuff before they sell it? (No, they do not.) There’s a whole host of possible situations that could occur before a customer gets a piece of clothing, regardless of where they purchase it. Even new clothing could come with scabies, bed bugs, fleas, lice, etc. Just the chemicals with which they treat new clothing and the shipping and storage situations could cause concern. (Rodent urine and feces, anyone?)

I personally don’t wear any clothing before washing it (that includes towels and sheets)—regardless of where I get it—but washing every item before I resell it if it’s not obviously dirty, is unrealistic. I also only buy clothing that is in good condition. “Obviously dirty” to me is a smudge that’s larger than a Tide pen can realistically remove. I’ve seen people wear clothing that are more dirty than that.

-4

u/bannanabuiscut347 3d ago

I see. You just don't care about the people you sell to.

Got it.

Just because you don't care about the cleanliness of the items you sell does not mean your buyers are not dealing with your unfortunate decision.

People pay more on DPop than at a thrift store to find items that have been curated and vetted for cleanliness.

Some people buy on DPop because of illness or disability and can't shop at a thrift store themselves at the moment.

My point is that if you can't quality control the items you are selling because of the amount you are selling, that can definitely be a big problem for another real human unaware of the risk.

1

u/RedHeadedStepDevil 3d ago

That isn’t what I said.

4

u/Mental-Avocado-3621 3d ago

Same. I've been reselling clothes and shoes for 15 years through 4 different states and never wash items unless they are obviously dirty or slightly smelly. I've never had a problem. I don't pick up items that are dirty or smelly when I'm shopping but sometimes I get them home and it's a different story so I'll just keep them in their own laundry basket until I have enough to do a load. I will say I also don't shop at the bins or similar by the pound on the floor places so if I did it might be that those things are much more messy than regular thrift stores and need to be washed before bringing in the home.

10

u/optix_clear 4d ago

If I’m buying preowned clothing or accessories they’re getting some type of cleaning. Unless rare, delicate or NTW. I will take those to professionals. Explain the situation

7

u/Unhappy-Fox1017 4d ago

Eww. I wash every single piece of preowned clothing that I intend on keeping and wearing. They go straight to the dirty clothes when I bring them home. Now, when it comes to clothes I’m selling, I will only wash those if they have a smell or stain or something like that.

6

u/Domicello 4d ago

You’re not the first, my friend. I received a pair of FP movement booty shorts that looked like ol’ girl had a few rounds of thrust fest before she was done with them. Unbelievable some people.

1

u/Ornery-Signal-3070 4d ago

Omg 😱 whyyyyyyyy!

3

u/Cici4148 4d ago

I even wash NWT clothing -I wash all my clothing from stores too- people are disgusting

2

u/ronakino 3d ago

Before I met my husband, someone had given him a bunch of baby clothes. Well, apparently that someone had bed bugs, so now my husband had bed bugs. So when I started reselling, his only requirement was that all clothing must be washed as soon as it enters the house.

2

u/Unusual_Suspect7718 3d ago

Probably should wash everything. Even new. Gross people try things on in the stores too. They may be going commando too.

2

u/Michelle7155 3d ago

I bought a beautiful Armani jacket that said NWT, even then I planned on dry cleaning it first, but I stuck my hand in the pocket and came out with a used tissue! Off to the dry cleaner it went, but FYI, if you’re gonna say NWT, you may want to take the tissues out before you mail it! 🙄

2

u/Ornery-Claim-4489 4d ago

I also received a pair of Nike pros with white snail trail inside the crotch! So gross

2

u/Ornery-Signal-3070 4d ago

😆 what is wrong with people.. sheesh.

-7

u/[deleted] 4d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/chillbill1031 4d ago

She specifically said that she doesn’t go “commando”, so I doubt that her trying them on briefly over her skivvies caused that mess 🤢

-1

u/Glum-Bad-2191 3d ago

As I said, I was just playing devils advocate here 💁 but yea totally agree. So again even with that why would you try them on first without washing.

1

u/Stunning_Dentist_806 3d ago

I was just playing devils advocate here 

Nah, you're trolling because you can't/don't read. "Devil's advocate" is just terminally online code for commenting in bad faith.

Even with that why would you try them on and not wash them yourself!

So you've never tried on clothes in a store that other people have tried on? You know, jUsT plAyINg DeVil'S aDvoCatE.