At this time of year we're all stocking up on new things, from fresh bedding and furnishings for Christmas, to new clothes.
Many of us don't think twice about throwing on the new jumper we got yesterday for the work party today, but influencer Molly Mae Hague has sparked controversy online by doing something very similar.
After sharing a video of her making her bed with freshly bought sheets, the former Love Island contestant received a flurry of messages asking why she didn't wash the sheets first. This sparked debate over what should or shouldn't be washed after purchase, from mugs to clothes.
With that in mind, Dr Susan Kelleher, Assistant Professor School of Chemical Sciences Dublin City University, joined Drivetime to talk about whether you should wash new items before use?
"The reality is that, yes, I think they're going to be clean but there's a couple of things. There'll be some starch agents in there. You know when you take [bedsheets] out of the packaging, they're very crisp and clean and they have folds in them.
"People who have very sensitive skin, they can be a bit of an irritant, so that's maybe why some people might like to wash them out."
She added that the plastic wrapping they come in contains VOCs - volatile organic compounds - that enter the nose and leave a "new car smell". This can make people want to wash the bedding, but it's not going onto your skin or will cause damage.
"It's really a preference", Kelleher added.
As for mugs, "there's a slightly higher risk", she said, thanks to the items being left on shelves and picked up multiple times by shoppers.
"If they look physically dirty, if there's fingerprints or grease on them, it's no harm to give them a wash. Although bacteria won't last for a long time on these things, it can be a lot more palatable to know that you're getting something that's a lot cleaner."
Items that come wrapped and packaged, such as new cutlery in a box, are unlikely to make you sick, Kelleher said.
Mattresses are something she says could be cleaned before use, particularly the ones that come rolled up in plastic. "The idea is that you let them unfurl and you let them respring back to life so that they're giving the support that's needed in the first instance. They say maybe a day or two for that to happen.
"But also, these VOCs that come from the mattress", she finished, so airing out your mattress is the way to go.
To listen to the full interview, click above.
