I remember loving the smell of new clothes anytime my Mom came back from her travels and opened her suitcases to give us whatever she had purchased for us during her trips. Knowing that they were new, we always slipped them on without washing them first; after all, they were new. If only I knew how wrong I was then.
I saw the light one day while I was shopping for a new set of clothes. As I looked through clothes in the boutique, I saw one sweaty lady try on a blouse and then take it off. Now, what I saw shocked me cus as soon as the lady left the shop, the sales attendant just put the garment back on the rack... Yeah I know, disgusting! That was when I decided that I would always try new garments with my own clothes on. Can you imagine the kind of bacteria that lady could have transferred onto that blouse that she didn't buy in the end? And that was a blouse... Imagine if it were a pair of trousers or jeans that get close to your intimate areas!
I decided to then see what experts say about this issue and you wouldn't believe what I found on Good Morning America. A team of experts conducted some research by buying "new clothes" from various stores and tested them for germs earlier this year and found very disturbing results.
They found representation of respiratory secretions, skin flora, and some fecal flora on one blouse, discovered evidence of feces, skin flora and respiratory secretions, especially in the armpit and "close to the buttocks," on another jacket.
Oh! and the biggest surprise, according to the scientists came when they tested a silk blouse. Could you believe that they found vaginal organisms, yeast and more fecal germs? Quoting what one scientist said when discussing the results, you may understand why you should wash your new clothes before wearing them.
"Some garments were grossly contaminated with many organisms … indicating that either many people tried it or ... someone tried it on with heavy contamination," he said. "In a sense, you are touching somebody's arm pit or groin. So you want to be protected that's all". Gosh! Imagine what it would be like if it were a bra... Ladies, please take a cue cus that's kinda gross if you ask me.
So, in order to protect yourself from these harmful bacteria, please wash your new clothes and underwear before wearing them. And if possible, wear clothes underneath while trying on new clothes and wash your hands after shopping as recommended by the experts.
Absolutely disgusting! I read this piece off my phone a few weeks ago and we had a lively lunch time discussion about it. I remember that whenever I went sales shopping in the US, the clothes were always pretty filthy around the collar area but vaginal secretions?!That is just plain nasty. That is why I tend to buy underwear in packaging. *Sigh* I don't know if it makes that much difference if you can still open the packaging on the side!
ReplyDeleteHey Abena... Thanks for stopping by again to post a comment. I was shocked when I read about the vaginal secretions on a top too...
ReplyDeleteAs for buying stuff in packaging; I can assure you that it does not make much of a difference. I once heard a story about how cockroaches were found at the warehouse where these things are stored.
Its better to be safe than sorry.
I think my hatred of shopping just went up a notch....:(
ReplyDelete@ Daixy: Oh dear! Take it easy. Just follow the recommendations and you will do just fine...
ReplyDeletePS. I also hate shopping; but that's because plus size shopping for trendy clothes in Ghana na wahala, and the plus size clothes at Mr. Price as way too plus size for me. lol!