A Reader's Poll: Do You Wash Before You Wear?

I hesitated for a second before I threw on my new blue sweatshirt. I was dying to wear it, but I hadn't washed it. I started pondering whether it's unhygienic to wear something you just bought without laundering it beforehand. Think about it in terms of bedding at a hotel: Is wearing clothing that a bunch of people have potentially tried on at the store the equivalent of staying at a hotel where the sheets haven't been cleaned? Doesn't that just seem gross?

Maybe it depends on the item? I find that with silk (or anything dry clean-only) I just put it right on, but with stuff that's easy to throw in the machine (socks, tees, and, though not apparel, towels and sheets), I pre-wash. What do you guys do?

Plus, check out our tips and tricks on caring for tough-to-wash clothing.