Mesorat%20hashas for Tahorot 3:5

כָּל הַטֻּמְאוֹת, כִּשְׁעַת מְצִיאָתָן. אִם טְמֵאוֹת, טְמֵאוֹת. וְאִם טְהוֹרוֹת, טְהוֹרוֹת. אִם מְכֻסּוֹת, מְכֻסּוֹת. אִם מְגֻלּוֹת, מְגֻלּוֹת. מַחַט שֶׁנִּמְצֵאת מְלֵאָה חֲלֻדָּה אוֹ שְׁבוּרָה, טְהוֹרָה, שֶׁכָּל הַטֻּמְאוֹת, כִּשְׁעַת מְצִיאָתָן:

All impurities [are determined] as they are found: if items are [found] impure, they are [deemed to have been] impure [at the relevant moment for an object in question]; if they are [found] pure, they are [deemed to have been] pure [at the relevant moment for the object in question]. If they are [found] covered [such as an earthenware vessel which protects its contents from impurity when covered by a tight seal], they are [assumed to have been] covered [at the relevant time, and we do not worry that it may have initially been uncovered in the presence certain impurities, and that its contents are therefore impure]; if they are [found] uncovered, they are [assumed to have been] uncovered [at the relevant time]. A needle found full of rust or broken [and therefore unusable, and thus unable to retain impurity], it is pure [and we do not worry that it came into contact with the object in question before it became invalid, i.e. while it was still impure and therefore able to render the object impure], since all impurities [of items are determined] as they are found.

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