Interesting question.....consider clothing. Returned to the store unused and unwashed--it's still new. Washed and returned, even if unworn, the item is no longer in new condition.
Home definitions of new and commercial definition of new will not be the same. New, in retail, is as it comes from the manufacturer. Wash it and it's not that kind of new any longer. At home, new can take on many meanings. Are "new" and "unused" synonymous? No. I have feed sacks that have been washed but never unseamed--they're not new but they are unused (except for feed).
The seller should have more fully described the condition of the material. I expect to receive new, unwashed cloth unless otherwise specified. It may have been a beginner's mistake.
Last edited by Greenheron; 01-16-2012 at 08:58 PM.
Reason: Clarification