WASHINGTON - 7 Is On Your Side with a look at one unexpected consequence of clothes shopping.  When trying on clothes, you're usually searching for a look that's all your own. But you might be coming away with something that belongs to someone else.

Some of those clothes haven't just been tried on, they might've already been worn by someone else. When shoppers leave behind that top or dress they've already tried on, they sometimes leave their germs with it.

"When you think about it, there're a lot of people who've been touching it and trying it on before you, so now I'm all about washing it," said shopper Anastasia Pike.

Most shoppers at one busy Georgetown boutique say they never wash brand new clothes, because, well, they're new. But a New York University lab tested clothes from several stores. The surprising findings included germs normally found in the nose and mouth.

"We found representation of respiratory secretions, skin flora," said Dr. Philip Tierno, a microbiologist and immunologist.

They also found germs from a few places too personal to mention.

"It makes you think," said shopper Nickole Brockington. "It's like germs that make you think, like ugh!"

Part of the problem is when customers buy clothes, wear them with the tags tucked in, and then return them.

"Unfortunately, some consumers take advantage of the retailers' good will, a practice we call wardrobing," said Joe LaRocca of the National Retail Federation.

Smaller boutiques, like Fresh in Georgetown, say they keep a strict 'No Return' policy to avoid what's known as wardrobing, but it doesn't stop some customers from trying.

"Because too many people come in wanting to exchange it, it's very evident that they've worn it," said store manager Marti Hines. "You either see perspiration on different parts of the dress, or it's incredibly wrinkled."

In fact, the National Retail Federation says in 2009, a whopping 46 percent of returns were a result of wardrobing. That's $4 billion worth of used merchandise.

Retailers that don't notice may unknowingly sell that worn garment again.

"The customer probably gets the wool pulled over their eyes," said Tori Patrick, a former retail sales clerk. "A lot of people just come home and if it has a tag attached, they think it's brand new and they wear it. You really never know where it's been."

The NYU researcher who tested those clothes said some of them had an extremely high germ count. He said if you want to protect yourself, wash your new clothes or run them through a hot dryer before you wear them.

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