Is Shein Clothes Toxic? Best Guide Tell You The Truth 2023 (2024)

FAQs

Can you trust Shein? ›

Is Shein a scam? Shein is a reputable online retailer. If you're shopping from the US they have a great return policy (free return shipping on the first return package from your order within 30 days). Shein is one of the fastest growing online retailers (making the front page of the Wall Street Journal in summer 2021).

Yes, for the most part, some —not all— Shein clothes can have toxic elements like lead and chemicals from dyes; thus, wash your Shein clothing hauls before wearing. Washing dilutes these dyes and chemicals, reducing the chances of an allergic reaction.

If you already have new clothes bearing the telltale smell, Bond advises: “Place the clothes in the washing machine with enough water to cover. Sprinkle one small-sized box of baking soda (or 1 cup) into the washing machine. Soak the clothes overnight.

Shein launched an investigation after U.K. Channel Four documentary Untold: Inside The Shein Machine alleged that workers were subject to 16-hour-long days, got one day off a month, and earned wages of around 4,000 yuan ($572) per month to produce hundreds of garments for the online retailer each day.

Their prices are low because they practice fast fashion, use cheap labor, and have a lot of sales and discounts. However, their clothes are usually of good quality, and you can always return them if you're not happy with your purchase. So if you're looking for affordable clothes, Shein is a great option!

After laundering, clothing can be tested with the D-Lead® test kit for lead dust (for procedure, see: www.esca-tech.com). If the test is positive, it maybe necessary to re-wash; add additional detergent to wash cycle, or switch to a detergent formulated to remove lead and metal dust.

I wash these items on COLD and GENTLE Cycle. I do NOT dry these items. I hang them up and allow them to air dry. I also recommend using a mild detergent when washing these items.

Baking soda reduces odor and gently cleans clothes. To do this, pour some baking soda into the warm water, swirl it around gently to mix the ingredients, and submerge your clothes in the mixture for at least 8 hours to remove formaldehyde. Rinse in cold water then air dry.

How do I know if my clothes are toxic? Look for GOTS or Oeko-Tex certification on the label, as these organisations prohibit the use of toxic chemicals and dyes in the clothing they certify. Just be sure to check the exact version as the rules may differ.

Why do people not like Shein? ›

Shein has repeatedly come under fire for just about everything you can do wrong with a company, including poor working conditions, high levels of toxic chemicals in its clothing, copying independent designers' items, and mishandling customer data.

However, just weeks before, Shein had been the focus of an investigation that found evidence of labor abuse in its supply chain. In at least two of its Chinese factories, the report found that workers were being made to do 18-hour days, seven days a week, with only one day off per month.

“There are many allegations of SHEIN's labour practices suggesting the brand is likely to be contracting with manufacturers that may be grossly exploiting, overworking, and underpaying their garment workers,” Hardiman says.

Chris Xu founded Shein in 2012 and has turned it into a fast-fashion phenomenon with Gen Z, selling trendy clothes in more than 150 countries.

On Monday, fast-fashion retailer Shein launched its resale program “Shein Exchange.” The online-only (and app-supported) peer-to-peer resale program facilitates the sale and purchase of secondhand Shein products.

One Shein distribution center, located in Whitestown, Indiana, is already operational and could reduce shipping times by up to four days. It currently has 800 employees, with plans to have 1,000 by the end of this year and 1,400 by 2025.

We found high levels of lead in hundreds of these products, most often in items in bright colors such as yellow, green, orange, and red.

What is this? You need to use a detergent with surfactants to clean up lead dust. Clorox wipes (and similar brands like Lysol) are bleach-free, and have the surfactants necessary to clean up lead dust — and are good to use on non-launderable surfaces.

Shein's products have been tested for toxic chemicals and metals and found to contain phthalates, PFAS, and lead - all of which can harm human health and the environment. There is no evidence that Shein is taking any action to protect consumers or workers from toxic substances.

Does laundry detergent remove lead? ›

Lead will only get cleaned if the detergent has surfactant in it which is not present in organic or natural detergents. In this particular scenario, you will need to make a compromise and buy a general detergent which has surfactant in it.

Items returned must be unused, with the original packing. We do not accept returns on items that have been worn, damaged, washed or altered in any way.

The findings – which include very high levels of phthalates in shoes and formaldehyde in a baby girl's dress – prove, according to Greenpeace Germany, SHEIN's careless attitude towards environmental and human health risks associated with the use of hazardous chemicals, in pursuit of profit.

Manufacturing. Originally, Shein did not design its clothes. The company mainly sourced their clothing from China's wholesale clothing market in Guangzhou. However, Shein became a fully integrated retailer in 2014 when it secured its own supply chain system.

Vinegar works by loosening zinc salts or aluminum chloride, which means that dirt won't stick to your clothing. In addition to this, vinegar has antibacterial properties. Washing your clothing with vinegar will leave your clothes odorless — and no, they won't smell like vinegar.

Use Laundry Borax or Baking Soda

If you have no detergent at all, use one cup of borax or baking soda for a normal load. The clothing will be cleaner than you imagine thanks to the action of the cleaning agents, water, and the agitation from the washer.

The acetic acid in vinegar acts as a disinfectant and reacts with the baking soda to lift stains. This combination is also great for brightening whites.

Buying organic cotton not only reduces the number of toxins you breathe and expose your skin to, but can lessen the amount of pesticide chemicals released into the water supply when washing your clothes. Other good fabric alternatives to look for are silk, flax, wool, and tencel (made from sustainable wood pulp).

To test the clothes, Hirsch cut each item up, put them in a container and added water. Anything added to the fabric will come off in the water when it's agitated -- just like the washing machine. Thomas Hirsch, laboratory supervisor at Accelerate Analytical, tests clothing for chemicals, dyes, metals and soaps.

How do I know if my clothes have formaldehyde? ›

A way to tell if your clothing has formaldehyde is to look at the tag. If your clothing tag says wrinkle-free, stain-free, static-free, or the fabric has a strong chemical smell, it has most likely been saturated with formaldehyde. Some companies, such as Patagonia, have banned the use of formaldehyde.

Chemicals used in textiles can enter your body in several ways: Absorption through the skin. Your skin is the biggest organ of your body, and every time you put your body in contact with fabric that contains chemicals of concern, the permeable layer that is your skin absorbs chemicals.

Chemical residues from textiles have the potential to migrate from clothes to the human skin and be absorbed according to their size and octanol/water partition coefficient, and may thus cause local and/or systemic effects.

Make no mistake: Most clothes are treated with some type of chemical. Even natural fibers like cotton and wool could have been sprayed with herbicides and pesticides (unless they're organic), dyed, and treated with compounds that make them fire-, odor-, stain-, water- and wrinkle-resistant.

Yes, you should wash new clothes prior to wearing them for the first time. Many items are treated with chemicals to prevent wrinkles and damage during transport. Some of these treatments and finishes can irritate your skin.

Studies have shown that new clothes are actually dirtier than they look, and you absolutely need to run them through the washing machine at least once before wearing them.

While you likely will not experience any serious health issues by not washing clothes before wearing them, more than anything – washing clothes before wearing is just good personal hygiene.

And if bugs weren't bad enough, store-bought clothes can also be host to a variety of chemicals that can wreak havoc on your skin. According to dermatologist Lindsey Bordone from Columbia University Medical Center, washing new clothes before wearing, even if they are ordered online, is crucial.

Dermatology and immunology experts agree that washing new clothes before you wear them is your best bet to reduce your exposure to skin-irritating compounds. Of course, the key is to use detergents and high-efficiency washing machines that help to remove those residues and chemicals.

Why do my sheets make me itch after washing? All those dead cells pile up on your sheets in between washings. Tiny dust mites love to feed on the shed cells. The critters and their droppings can trigger allergies, asthma, and cause your itchy eczema to flare.

Should you wash jeans before first wear? ›

One of the most common questions after getting a new pair of jeans is whether you should wash them before wearing. The answer is YES, with the exception of raw denim. Washing jeans before wearing them the first time helps to prevent dyes from bleeding onto your skin and other clothes.

A half cup of white vinegar can act as a disinfectant and a deodorizer—removing those pesky germs and working to soften your fabrics. Vinegar is also effective at cleaning both whites and colored items, so your clothes will come out bright, soft, and smelling good every time.