21 May #ThriftyThursday: Easy Tip to Spot Stains Before You Buy

Remember that awesome cobalt vintage jumpsuit I bought for $5?! Well, you might also remember I was thisclose to not buying it because it had a few stains. Luckily I was able to get them out, but I almost didn’t know it even had stains!

I always stress the importance of inspecting garments closely, but even when you do, depending on the lighting in the store, you may be overlooking a few discolorations. Here’s how to use the power of sunlight to spot stains on your thrifted garments.

I always utilize this trick and I even had a reader comment a few weeks ago that she holds everything up in the sunlight. And that’s exactly what you should do.

Depending on the store, the lighting might be dim, which can prevent you from seeing faint stains. This is especially true with lightweight fabrics {silk, satin, polyester, etc.}.

If the lighting is a bit off at your secondhand store, find a window or go near the entrance. Hold the garment up, look at it from all angles and even put your hand in between the front and back of the fabric to get a clear view of the material.

Luckily, I was able to get the stain out of the vintage jumpsuit, but there have been so many times I bought something without even realizing it was stained! This simple tip will help cut down on some of those surprises. You’ll save yourself serious aggravation.

Have you ever unknowingly bought a stained item from the thrift shop? What tips do you use to inspect clothes closely before buying?

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