Pro Thrifters Swear By This Golden Rule Before Bringing a Piece Home

There’s a certain thrill that comes with scoring a great thrift store find. Maybe you came across it after hours of searching, or perhaps you haggled the price down a few extra dollars. No matter what the circumstances were behind your latest treasure, it sure can feel more satisfying than simply unboxing something new that came to your door. Except for one specific pitfall: all that grime.

“I don’t have any thrift horror stories, but I’ve definitely bought pieces that I didn’t realize had a cigarette smell or ones that ended up being more damaged than I thought,” says Drew Michael Scott of Lone Fox. “I’ve learned that you just have to inspect pieces really carefully before buying them to ensure they aren’t damaged in ways that can’t be easily fixed!”

When you’re very excited about finding a thrifted piece on your wish list, it can be hard to view it with a critical eye. But even if you spotted something unsightly after you’ve returned home, there are still a few steps you can take to remedy it. Here’s how three professional DIYers handle the cleaning process, including the very first thing you should do when you get home with thrifted decor. 

If there’s one prevailing recommendation for shopping at thrift stores, it’s that you should always have disinfecting wipes at the ready whenever you return home with treasures. “Not much phases me, but I do use antiseptic wipes on wipeable surfaces,” says Renee Bruner, the creator behind Renee Renovates. She’ll swipe tabletop items like picture frames and lamp bases, as well as bowls or figurines — basically anything that’ll be touched once it enters her home. Scott does the same. “I like Clorox wipes for items that I’ll be handling or using in some way,” he says.

If you’re shopping for tablecloths, napkins, pillowcases, and the like, Bruner recommends putting your haul into a separate storage container until you’ve had a chance to clean them in their own load of laundry. “Wash them at a high temperature to destroy any germs and dry rot,” she says. “You want to always check textiles for dry rot, because if it’s there, the piece will disintegrate or it can spread to your other textiles and clothing if it’s not isolated.”

Thea Bloch-Neal, the founder and lead designer of Curated by Thea, separates clothing from her hauls and adds another step before washing them. “Pop clothing in the freezer overnight. It’s a simple way to eliminate odors and kill any hidden bugs,” she says. Placing them inside a gallon-size Ziploc bag will keep them separate from your freezer items. 

Whenever Scott brings home wood furniture, he wipes it down with a separate cleaner before styling it. “I love Howard’s Feed & Wax, which is a beeswax and orange oil furniture polish that makes wood pieces look brand-new,” he says. “It makes scratches in wood furniture almost disappear. I can’t recommend it enough.” Even if you’re eventually going to transform the wood furniture into something new, it’s always a good idea to clean it beforehand and start with a fresh slate!

You may have scored a great deal on an upholstered sofa, side chair, or ottoman, but pros still recommend inspecting the pieces before purchasing them to ensure that they’re clean enough to bring into your home. “Keep upholstered furniture outside until you have thoroughly checked it for bedbugs,” Bruner says. “No piece of furniture, no matter how good the price, is worth tenting your house over.” 

Once that step is through, Scott recommends cleaning it thoroughly. “For upholstery, you can use something like Bissell’s Little Green cleaner to remove light stains or signs of use,” he says. “For leather, I like to wipe it down with a damp cloth, then use a leather cleaner and conditioner combo to keep it looking great.” 

If Bloch-Neal brings home a furnishing made of leather or suede, she cleans it with her own homemade concoction. “I swear by a spray made of two parts water and one part vinegar to help release lingering smells,” she says. “When it comes to furniture, a good all-purpose spray and a soft cloth will do wonders. A little care goes a long way in making your thrifted treasures feel fresh.”