Health Risks Associated with Second-hand Clothing

Author(s)	Rahul Kumar Singh, Dr. Anu H. Gupta
Country	India
Abstract	The second-hand clothing market has gained popularity because of its affordability and sustainability and has grown significantly over the past few decades globally. Fast fashion has created the problem of overproduction and overconsumption of clothes. People frequently update their wardrobes, replacing older garments with new ones to stay aligned with the evolving fashion trends. The old clothes which are donated or discarded by the people often end up in thrift shops and markets. The original users of these garments sometimes do not wash or disinfect these clothes before donating or throwing them away. These second-hand garments, collected from multiple people, are often stored under unhygienic conditions. Wholesalers and sellers typically do not wash or disinfect these garments before resale, increasing the risk of infections, infestations, and other health-related issues. Lack of knowledge among consumers and people working in the second-hand clothing business puts them at a huge risk of getting exposed to many health problems. This review paper explores the potential health implications linked with the use of second-hand clothing and the ways to avoid these problems.
Keywords	Second-hand Clothing, Sustainability, Thrift Markets, Health Problems.
Field	Arts > Fashion
Published In	Volume 8, Issue 6, November-December 2026
Published On	2026-11-03

About IJFMR Fees & Payment Current Issue Publication Archive	Submit Research Paper Track Submission Status Publication Guidelines Publication Ethics Peer Review & Plagiarism	Join as a Reviewer Editors & Reviewers Reviewer Referral Program Get Reviewer Membership Certi.	Website/Journal Policies Usage Policy Content Policies Privacy Policy

Contact Us		+91-9687-828-838	editor@ijfmr.com

International Journal For Multidisciplinary Research