Do I Wash My Clothing I Sell on eBay?

If I’ve heard this question once, I’ve heard it a million times. And here I am answering  it again: Do you need to wash clothing before you sell it on eBay?

And the answer is no, you don’t have to wash it. Now, if there are stains or odors or if it needs to be cleaned, then wash it. But most items I get from the thrift store are in decent condition. They don’t have any weird odors. There are no marks or stains or issues with it.

Would You Be Happy With the Item?
To help me decide if I really need to wash something, I always ask myself this question: If I was the customer and received this item, would I be happy with it? If the answer is no, then I wash it. If the answer is yes, then I’m not going to do anything with it.

But really, most of the items I pick up are in very good to like-new condition. They appear cleaned and washed. Obviously if I am getting something for myself, I wash it when I get it home. But for an item you are going to sell, you don’t necessarily have to wash it before you ship it because most customers are going to wash the item when they get it anyways.

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Easy Way to Take Care of the Smell
If there is any dusty, musty smell from a thrift store, one thing I do is take a little piece of a dryer sheet and put it in the poly bag when I wrap it up and ship it off to the customer. It smells great. I’ve done tests where I put a piece in the bag and leave it in there for a day or two, and when I open it up, it’s a breath of fresh air.

So put yourself in the position of the customer. If you’d be happy with it, then I think you should be okay. I mean, many people will tell you to go above and beyond and do everything to make the customer happy, but really, most customers will be fine with it because they are going to wash items anyway.

Consider the Time Involved
You also need to consider the time invested in washing all your items to see if it is worth your time on a mass scale. If you’re listing a couple hundred items a week, that would add up to a lot of time. It’s just extra time that is not necessary. I’ve never had an issue with a customer messaging me and saying they want to return an item because it’s dirty or has a weird smell.

In the end, however, you do what you need to do. It’s your business. If you really feel the need to go above and beyond and wash all your clothing, it won’t hurt. But doing so will absolutely cost you time. And when you’re in the eBay business, time is your most precious resource. Use it wisely. You need to learn to be efficient with your time, leverage your time, and be smart with your time.