According to Traumann, a professor at the Tallinn University of Applied Sciences' (TTK) Institute of Engineering and Circular Economy, no formal scientific research has yet been conducted at the school regarding the risk of bringing home the mites that cause scabies on second-hand clothes. Even so, the issue is a timely one.

"Young folks today who buy and wear second-hand clothes have reported from personal experience that they've contracted scabies," she noted.

The professor said that itch mites, or Sarcoptes scabiei, are a biological hazard that require a host organism to survive – and that can be either humans or household pets.

"When second-hand clothes are bought from a thrift store, they've often been sitting somewhere, which itself creates a favorable environment," she explained. "When clothes are packed in large piles in plastic bags, microbes survive and persist better as well. As a general rule, I definitely recommend washing clothes before wearing them, especially items worn close to the body."

First, one should check if the garment still has a care label.

"When there's a risk of infection in clothing or textiles, even washing at 60 degrees Celsius may not be enough," Traumann said, adding that knowledgeable customers will wash garments at a temperature of 70 C. "But this depends very much on the material and technology that has been used to make it."

Garments should be turned inside out before washing, and ironed from the inside as well, she continued.

"It's also worth hanging clothes outside," Traumann said. "Sun, cold and shaking them out outside can all help prevent infections from biological health hazards that may be present on the garment."

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