Is it up to state law? I live in California.
2007-01-16 15:52:24 · 9 answers · asked by DJP 2 in Home & Garden ➔ Cleaning & Laundry
I used to work in a thrift store for a major charity that shall remain nameless. In California, there is no requirement that the clothing be washed before it is sold. Some cities and counties have enacted local ordinances regarding this, but it is not universal.
Clothing that was donated to our store was inspected and put on the rack if we thought it was in good condition. If it was dirty we would either send it to our local donation/training facility to be laundered, or we would put it in the "rags" pile to be sold as scrap to a local recycler.
2007-01-16 16:04:12 · answer #1 · answered by Stephen S 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I doubt it. I do not know of any thrift store anywhere that has to wash the merchandise that the sell. A good rule of thumb is ALWAYS wash your clothes before you wear them. If I buy a shirt at Walmart or GAP, I still wash it before I wear it. I would think others would know to definitely do that if they purchase something from a thrift shop. Just think of the amount of people that go into dressing rooms and try on the same clothes you are wanting to buy. Then after they sweat while they try on clothes and you take the clothes off of the hanger and purchase it. The first things I do is take it home, take the price tags off, put it in the washer, and get it clean. It doesn't take that long but it does give me some peace of mind. Even if there was a law where these businesses had to wash the clothes before they could sell them, I would still purchase them and take them home so I can rewash them my own way.
2007-01-16 16:12:48 · answer #2 · answered by T's CRM SCNE 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No. Why should they have to wash them? They are up front with the fact that these are not new clothes, they have been worn by unknown people and then donated. If they are nice, clean people, they probably washed them before they donated them. I do. But I would not wear anything I got at a thrift store without washing it myself. I won't wear new clothes without washing them. Who knows who tried them on before I bought them? There are too many not-so-clean people in the world today for me to want to wear anything that someone else has worn, even for just a minute to try it on, without washing it first. That does not necessarily include coats. Every year I go to the local thrift stores and buy a dozen coats and then donate them to our towns homeless shelter. I also buy children's coats and donate them to Coats for Kids because we have some poor people in the county and their kids don't need to be cold while I've got bucks in my pocket. Back to your question, the thrift store volunteers in my town say they do not wash garments they get in, but if the garment is dirty or badly stained or torn they pass them on to a "rag" company. They do not put them out for sale. I live in CA also, so I guess this would be the way it is all over the state.
2007-01-16 16:08:16 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I didn't think they were required to wash them at all - that would be quite an expense for them and not worth it for them to be in business. Some states might have laws but I've never heard of them. Definitely wash anything you buy from a thrift shop.
2007-01-16 15:57:41 · answer #4 · answered by §Sally§ 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I really don't know, I live in Michigan and have not heard that. But, if I purchased any clothing used from a thrift store, garage sale, Salvation Army, St. Vincent DePaul, etc. I would wash before wearing, just to be safe.
2007-01-16 16:04:48 · answer #5 · answered by ? 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The ones around here require you to either dry clean or wash them before taking themm to a store.
2007-01-16 15:57:37 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I love going barefoot when I do my shopping, I went to a shopping centre today in bare feet actually. As I was walking out the security guard gave me a look but didn't say anything. I know that if they wanted to, they could ask me to leave for being barefooted. I think it would be great if shop owners encouraged customers to go barefoot, I certainly would shop there!
2016-03-29 01:04:20 · answer #7 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My mother works for a Salvation Army, they just get the clothes and if they are in good shape they just mark them and put them out on hangers. They do ask for them to be brought in clean
2007-01-16 17:00:12 · answer #8 · answered by Gary S 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They are not required to clean clothes or anything else. It is not a law.
2007-01-16 16:09:35 · answer #9 · answered by k h 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋