Purchasing Second Hand When You Have Allergies

Buying used or secondhand can have a whole lot of benefits, but it also has its issues. Reusing and re-purposing can be affordable and helpful to our environment and communities.  But with certain kinds of allergies you need to be especially aware of a few things.       

First of all always, and I mean ALWAYS do the sniff test. Weather its clothing, furniture, or books check to see if its musty, heavily perfumed, cigarette smoke, or has a strong chemical smell.  I've personally found that if any of these things bother you (and they are really smelly) it's best to just take a pass on these items because it's almost impossible to completely get ride of that smell.

However, I have found that clothing items with a slight smell of scented laundry products or perfume can usually be washed out in a couple of washes. On the other hand if it has even a slight musty smell, I've found that the smell will not come out. Yes I've actually tried this, alternating between baking soda and vinegar soaks for just over a week without success.

The first and most important thing that really needs to happen when you purchase any used clothing is for it to go straight into the laundry.
I like to wash the item or items through one regular wash cycle (following any garment directions) and then do a second wash but also add a cup or so of vinegar to completely get rid of any smells. Sometimes a good soak in vinegar maybe needed if the smell still persists. I have tried soaking items in baking soda but I found that the vinegar seemed to be more effective and less time consuming.

For items like trays and picture frames I usually just use rubbing alcohol to wipe down and clean all the surfaces. The alcohol also works well to get all that sticky stuff off from price stickers.
You can also use a spray bottle filled with equal parts vinegar and water for this as well as for other items such as plastics, wood, jewelry, shoes, etc...   Not only does it clean but it will disinfect as well.
As for things like dishes, run them through the dishwasher with some extra vinegar added to thoroughly clean and disinfect.

I was recently told that if you buy used books to place them in a sealed  bag and place them in the freezer for a couple of days that this will kill any bugs. I haven't actually tried this one yet but it's a great option to know about as well.

I also  thought I would throw in a few tips for selling your own used clothing at a consignment store.
Make sure all your items are as clean as possible.
So wash, iron, and trim any loose threads.  It's also a great idea to fix any loose buttons or loose seems.
If you need to, remove any pilling or fuzz from your items.  The idea is to make them look as good as possible.
My personal trick is to bring in items on hangers and pare (if possible) with other items that complement.  For example a top with a light jacket or blazer on the same hanger. 
The better your items look the more likely the consignment store is to take them, and the more money you are likely to get for them. 
Every store is different but this has always worked very well for me.
The same thing goes for any footwear and purses.
Clean them up inside and out, and yes this includes the bottoms of the shoes as well.




Sources:
theloop.ca/how-to-clean-the-ick-from-secondhand-goods/
andreadekker.com/clean-secondhand-treasures/