I found my favorite wool coat at a thrift store in Greenpoint for $18. It had a faint chemical smell I couldn't place—like stale rain on asphalt. I hung it in the window for a week, hoping the smell would fade. It never really did. Months later, while researching for a blog post about vintage care, I stumbled onto something that made my stomach drop: that smell might have been PFAS. And this secondhand fashion PFAS problem is bigger than most thrifters realize.
PFAS—per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances—are a group of synthetic chemicals used to make products water-, stain-, and grease-resistant. They're often called "forever chemicals" because they don't break down in the environment or our bodies. They've been linked to health issues including certain cancers, thyroid problems, and immune system effects. And they're everywhere: in nonstick pans, food packaging, raincoats, and yes, secondhand clothing.
That coat I found? It was from the 1990s, when durable water repellent treatments often relied on PFAS. Many outdoor brands used them heavily before the 2010s. But PFAS aren't just in Gore-Tex jackets. They can be in anything from a vintage couch to a pair of jeans that were marketed as stain-resistant in the 2000s. The problem is that when we buy secondhand, we're inheriting not just the style and story of a garment—but potentially its chemical history as well.
What Is PFAS and Why Should Thrifters Care?
Secondhand shopping is often seen as the ethical choice—keeping clothes out of landfills, avoiding the labor and resource impacts of new production. But the secondhand fashion PFAS problem complicates that narrative. PFAS don't wash out easily. They persist in fabric for years, and they can migrate from clothing into dust, water, and even our skin.
A 2022 study by the University of Toronto found PFAS in 67% of the waterproof clothing samples tested, including many secondhand items. The highest levels were in older, well-worn jackets—exactly the kind you'd find at a Goodwill for $12. The irony is painful: we're trying to be responsible by buying used, but we might be bringing home chemicals that were phased out of new products decades ago.
PFAS are especially common in:
- Outdoor gear (rain jackets, hiking pants, tents)
- Stain-treated upholstery and furniture
- Older uniforms or workwear with stain repellent claims
- Hand-me-down children's clothing (often treated for spills)
The good news: not every secondhand item contains PFAS. The bad news: without testing, you can't be sure.
How PFAS Ends Up in Secondhand Clothing
PFAS get into secondhand clothing the same way they got into the original garment: through intentional manufacturing. Brands applied PFAS-based coatings to fabrics to make them perform better—water beads off, stains wipe away. These treatments were especially popular from the 1970s through the 2000s. Even today, some new clothing uses PFAS, though regulations are tightening.
When you buy a vintage raincoat at a flea market, you're buying a piece of that chemical history. The coating may have worn off in places, but the fibers still contain PFAS. Washing doesn't remove them; it just spreads them into wastewater. And if you toss that coat in a landfill, the PFAS leach into soil and groundwater. The problem is systemic.
But there's a deeper layer for thrifters. The secondhand fashion PFAS problem isn't just about the clothes themselves—it's about how we treat them. If you machine-wash a PFAS-treated item with your regular laundry, you can contaminate other clothes. That thrifted cashmere sweater you scored for $8 could pick up PFAS from the water. It's that pervasive.
How to Shop Secondhand While Staying Safe
So what's a thrifter to do? Stop buying vintage? Of course not. But we can be smarter. Here's my practical guide to navigating the secondhand fashion PFAS problem without losing the joy of the hunt.
**1. Sniff test it.** A strong chemical smell is a red flag. It might be from dry cleaning residue, but it could also be a PFAS coating. If it smells like a new shower curtain or a rain jacket that still beads water aggressively, think twice.
**2. Check labels and tags.** Look for terms like "water repellent," "stain resistant," "Teflon," "Scotchgard," or "Gore-Tex." Not all such coatings use PFAS, but many older ones do. Outdoor brands like Patagonia and The North Face have phased out PFAS in recent years, but vintage items from before 2015 are riskier.
**3. Wash thoroughly before wearing.** While washing doesn't remove PFAS, it can reduce surface contamination. Use hot water and extra rinse cycles. Better yet, wash separately from other clothes.
**4. Understand what you can't see.** Some of the safest secondhand finds are natural fibers—cotton, wool, linen, silk—that haven't been treated for performance. A vintage cotton dress from the 1970s is far less likely to have PFAS than a 1990s nylon windbreaker. Prioritize natural fabrics when you can.
**5. Don't panic—but don't ignore.** The secondhand fashion PFAS problem is real, but it's not a reason to abandon thrifting. It's a reason to become a more informed buyer. The more we know, the more we can demand better from the industry—and the more we can protect ourselves.
I still have that wool coat from Greenpoint. I washed it multiple times, aired it out for weeks, and finally stopped worrying. But I think about it every time I pick up a raincoat at a tag sale. The secondhand fashion PFAS problem taught me that every garment carries more than just a story—it carries the choices of everyone who made and wore it before. And sometimes, those choices leave a trace we can't see.
*Wear your story.*
