Some secondhand goods carry significant safety hazards, some wear down in quality after repeated use, and some are just plain gross. Here are a few to avoid.
1.
Mattresses
Why would some people buy used mattresses in the first place? The fear of bedbugs is even something to discourage guys who get it for second hand. Well buying a used mattress is still a bad proposition. Not only do you want a mattress that provides support and doesn't have worn-out coils and poor back support, but you have no idea what's been going on in that bed before you bought it.
2.
Couches and Upholstered Furniture
Still on the bed bugs ish...they can be found in all sorts of upholstered furniture, not just beds. You can wipe down a bookshelf or coffee table but cleaning an upholstered couch is a lot trickier. If there are bedbugs, dust or pet smells lurking within, you're going to have a tough time removing them through conventional methods.
3.
Bike Helmets
For those who take "OKADAs" you dont know who would have worn the helmets. In Nigeria especially, helmets are worn every time we have to be on a bike. Hygienically its wrong and not safe. Let's talk about bicycle helmets they are in some sense, designed to break: They absorb the impact of a hard blow to the head, and in the process they'll usually crack but leave the cranium intact. That's why experts say you should always throw out your bike helmet after a crash. If you're in a biking accident, throw out the bicycle helmet and replace it with a new one. Even if the helmet looks undamaged, it may not be able to withstand the force of another blow.
4.
Bathing Suits
Who buys second hand bathing suits? WTF...The fact that bathing suits are worn without underwear should be enough to dissuade you from buying a used one. Even if you run it through the washing machine with hot water and germicidal detergent, there's no washing away that "ick" factor.
But bathing suits are also among that class of clothing that tends to sustain a lot more wear and tear from multiple uses. Bathing suits ... are best bought new because they lose their shape and elasticity after time and multiple wears.
5.
Shoes
Much like bathing suits, shoes fall into both the "wear and tear" and "gross" categories. Even if they don't stink, you also have to deal with the fact that the soles are likely worn, they may be coming apart at the seams in ways you can't see and they have been "broken in" to adapt to someone else's unique foot shape. Shoes aren't cheap, but there's no sense in paying for a pair of stinky shoes that are going to need to be repaired soon anyway. Unless you find someone selling a like-new pair, pass on used shoes.
