hi!! I’m decorating my first real home. I don’t like to buy new if I can avoid it so I’ve been getting a lot of stuff from secondhand stores/garage sales/estate sales, but I’m really hesitant to get textiles or anything that isn’t a hard material. I’m worried about bringing home something scary (bugs) so I’ve only thrifted stuff I can spray down so far. I’ve passed up a few gorgeous couches because of this and I’m starting to regret it
What pieces of furniture/decor would you NEVER buy secondhand, and why?
Aw I have dealt with this personal debacle before, but ultimately I think (hope?) a good clean can git rid of any scary bugs that may or may not be hiding out in used furniture. I always disinfect things with cleaning solution (bunch of resources online on how to do it!) and steam with heavy heat (for the fear of any bed bugs). The heat usually kills everything off. The only piece of furniture I’ve been truly weary of buying secondhand is a mattress. It just feels a tad too personal/intimate for me, but I’d love to hear others POV!
In my years of hopping around coast to coast and city to city, I’ve purchased so many couches second hand! Most of the time you’re going to someone’s house from FB Marketplace and seeing their couch in their living room which is typically bug free! I would panic about bugs from an NYC sidewalk couch for sure, but I’ll also never forget how many “BED BUG” spray painted mattresses I’ve seen on the sidewalk in the city. So, usually it’s avoidable! People are generally good and don’t want you to live with their buggy throw-aways (or so I’d like to think!).
This question reminded me of a Tiktok I’ll never forget- a woman who took a big risk on a v spooky and dirty Togo she found, and fully revamped it despite how gross it was! Never say never!
