Most chemical residues in clothing can be significantly reduced through washing, but a single standard cycle won’t always do the job. New clothes in particular carry a cocktail of manufacturing chemicals, from formaldehyde in wrinkle-resistant finishes to synthetic dyes and plastic-softening agents. The good news: a combination of hot water, the right additives, and repeated washing removes the vast majority of these substances.
What’s Actually in Your Clothes
That distinctive “new clothing smell” isn’t just fabric. It’s a sign of chemical finishes applied during manufacturing. Textiles are treated at nearly every stage of production with substances designed to add color, resist wrinkles, repel stains, or prevent mildew during shipping. The most common culprits include formaldehyde (used for wrinkle resistance), azo dyes (used for vibrant colors), antimicrobial agents like triclosan, phthalates used to soften plastics, and various volatile organic compounds.
These aren’t just theoretical concerns. Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen and respiratory irritant. Azo dyes can break down into cancer-linked compounds when they contact sweat or skin bacteria. Triclosan, absorbed through the skin, has been linked to hormone disruption. In May 2024, South Korean safety authorities found dangerously high levels of plastic-softening chemicals in children’s products from SHEIN. The skin is the primary route of exposure for most of these chemicals, which is why washing before wearing matters.
How Much a Standard Wash Removes
A single wash cycle with regular detergent is more effective than most people expect. Research from the University of Nebraska found that after one laundering with detergent, pesticide residues dropped to an average of about 2.9% of the original contamination. That means a standard wash eliminated roughly 97% of the chemical load in a single cycle. Residue levels across different chemical classes ranged from 0% to about 36% remaining after washing, so results vary depending on the specific substance and how it bonds to the fabric.
The takeaway: washing new clothes before you wear them is one of the simplest and most effective things you can do. Even a basic wash with detergent makes a substantial difference. For most everyday clothing, one or two washes will handle the bulk of removable chemicals.
The Overnight Baking Soda Soak
For clothes with a strong chemical smell, a standard wash cycle may not be enough. Green-living expert Annie B. Bond recommends this approach: fill your washing machine with enough water to cover the clothes, add one cup of baking soda, and let the clothes soak overnight. Agitate the machine for a few minutes at some point during the soak, then launder as usual the next day. Repeat until the smell is gone.
Baking soda works as a mild alkaline that helps neutralize odors and loosen residues. This method is particularly useful for clothes with noticeable formaldehyde finishes. That said, some garments with potent formaldehyde coatings are nearly impossible to fully detoxify, no matter how many times you wash them. If a garment still smells strongly after three or four rounds of soaking and washing, the finish is likely bonded to the fibers permanently.
Laundry Stripping for Deep Cleaning
Laundry stripping goes a step further than regular washing by using a concentrated soak to pull out embedded residues, body oils, mineral buildup, and chemical finishes that normal detergent cycles leave behind. The method works well for towels, sheets, athletic wear, and any clothing that feels stiff, dingy, or retains odors after regular washing.
The standard recipe uses a 2:1:1 ratio of powdered detergent to borax to washing soda. For a standard bathtub:
- ½ cup powdered laundry detergent
- ¼ cup borax
- ¼ cup washing soda
Fill the tub with the hottest water your tap produces, dissolve the powders, and submerge the clothes. Let everything soak for four to five hours until the water cools to room temperature. You’ll likely see the water turn brown or gray as residues release from the fabric. Drain, wring out the items, and run them through a regular wash cycle to rinse everything out.
This method is safe for cotton, linen, and synthetic blends, but skip it for delicates, wool, or anything with special dye treatments, since the long hot soak can cause fading or damage to sensitive fabrics.
Why Hot Water Works Better
Heat accelerates the release of chemicals from fabric. This principle is well established across materials science: higher temperatures cause chemical compounds to migrate out of materials more readily. Research on antimony leaching from polyester (PET plastic) found that heating to 50°C (about 122°F) dramatically increased chemical migration compared to room temperature storage. The same principle applies to textile finishes. Hot water dissolves and loosens manufacturing residues far more effectively than cold water.
For the purpose of removing toxins, wash new clothes on the warmest setting the care label allows. If a garment is labeled cold wash only, you can still do a warm or hot pre-soak in a basin before laundering on the gentler cycle. The combination of heat, time, and detergent is what does the heavy lifting.
Vinegar as a Rinse Agent
White vinegar is mildly acidic, which makes it useful for dissolving mineral deposits, soap residue, and certain chemical finishes that are alkaline in nature. Adding one cup of white vinegar to the rinse cycle (via the fabric softener dispenser or manually during the rinse) can help strip remaining residues that detergent didn’t fully remove. It also helps eliminate lingering odors without leaving a scent of its own once clothes are dry.
Don’t combine vinegar and baking soda in the same step. They neutralize each other, producing mostly water and carbon dioxide, which defeats the purpose of both. Use them in separate cycles or at different stages of the process for best results.
Handling Dry-Cleaned Clothes
Dry cleaning introduces its own chemical concerns. The most common dry cleaning solvent, perchloroethylene (PERC), is a volatile organic compound that can linger in garments after cleaning. According to OSHA, clothes removed before the drying cycle fully finishes retain significantly more solvent residue, and pressing freshly cleaned items can release PERC into the air.
When you pick up dry-cleaned clothes, remove the plastic bag immediately and hang them in a well-ventilated area, ideally outdoors or near an open window, for at least 24 to 48 hours before putting them in your closet or wearing them. This allows residual solvent to off-gas. If you’re sensitive to chemical exposures, look for dry cleaners that use wet cleaning or liquid carbon dioxide methods instead of PERC.
Secondhand Clothes vs. New
Buying used clothing is one of the most effective ways to avoid textile chemicals entirely. Secondhand garments have typically been washed many times by their previous owner, meaning most manufacturing finishes have already been scrubbed away through repeated laundering. The formaldehyde, dye residues, and antimicrobial treatments that make new clothes problematic are largely gone after several wash cycles.
If you buy secondhand, a single wash before wearing is still a good idea for basic hygiene, but you’re starting with a much lower chemical load than a brand-new garment straight from the factory. For anyone trying to reduce chemical exposure, especially for children’s clothing, thrift stores and consignment shops offer a practical advantage beyond just the price.