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    This is how frequently you should be changing your underwear

    7 Sep 2020 4:40 PM | Posted by
    bh's Ruby Cotton's picture
    bh's Ruby Cotton
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    There’s something incredibly satisfying about wearing a matching bra and undies set under your outfit. It’s almost as if you are dressed in a concealed coat of armour (in the form of a black lace bralette and underpants) that radiates organised, capable and ‘has her sh*t together’ energy.

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    Although, something that isn’t radiating the same energy? The overflowing undie drawer you picked the exact same set out of this morning. And to really kick you while you’re down, according to GQ, half the contents of that drawer have well exceeded their use by date. Yep, apparently we should be disposing of our undies every six months and replacing them with new ones.

    So... once the initial embarrassment subsided and the defensive internal ‘how wasteful, my undies are in perfect condition’ monologue came to a finish,  we did a little bit of our own investigating, before embarking on a full-on undie purge.

    Speaking to Refinery 29, Philip M. Tierno, Professor of Microbiology and Pathology at the New York University School of Medicine and author of the soon to be released First, Wear A Face Mask: A Doctor’s Guide to Reducing Risk of Infection During the Pandemic and Beyond, elaborated on the underwear lifespan.

    According to Dr Tierno, as long as we are undertaking normal washing practices (which we are), our undies don’t have a strict expiration date, “As long as you’re washing and disinfecting your underwear, and they’re mechanically functional, with no holes, and they’re not soiled, you can keep those” adding “when they become frayed or the elastic stops working, you’ll know to replace them”.

    And in what we hope doesn’t become your new go-to ‘did you know’ fact for that (post) dinner party conversation, according to the 2001 research from the Journal of Infection, there’s about one-tenth of a gram of poop in the average clean pair of undies. However, Dr Tierno reassures that while most of the bacteria are eradicated from a proper wash, the small amount that sticks around won’t hurt you, “your machine won’t leave behind enough microbes to create a problem for you,” he said.

    If you are still not convinced, you can do as Justin Bieber does and dispose of your underpants after every use (we don’t recommend this) or Dr Tierno recommends running a bleach cycle with no clothes on a monthly basis to ensure your washing machine is not collecting extra bacteria.

    So, if you’re prepared to wash your undies after every use and chuck them when the elastic is gone and they are full of holes, then we think the ‘replace every six-month’ rule can be abolished.

    Main image credit: @lovestories
     
    How often are you replacing your underwear?

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    42 Member Comments

    Angage 1 Jan 2021 8:24 AM

    I keep them as long as i can wear.

    Bartsky 20 Sep 2020 11:49 PM

    Interesting. Bit surprised they had to 'remind' us to wash our undies after every use

    Miramarmari 18 Sep 2020 3:49 PM

    Good to know.

    Bronterose 15 Sep 2020 9:53 PM

    Like others it is not until the elastic goes that I turf my undies. Believe it or not I keep old ones for when I am staying at home and good ones for when I am going out, both in separate drawers.

    Margaret 322 14 Sep 2020 11:19 PM

    Cull the undies.

    june 14 Sep 2020 8:06 PM

    I have multiple undies and depending on the weather whether I wear cotton or nylon but I wear them until they have holes in them (changing daily of course).

    RalucaP 13 Sep 2020 3:16 PM

    Oh dear , I'm glad this was sorted out , someone had to come and make a new rule.

    Chrystalage 13 Sep 2020 2:11 PM

    When the elastic goes, yikes so many things to deal with nowadays.

    Blue Apple 12 Sep 2020 3:28 PM

    Well you learn something new everyday...whether you want to or not

    Lynmb38 11 Sep 2020 6:50 PM

    Eek who wouldnt wash them after each use!

    Niqueyq 11 Sep 2020 2:46 PM

    Definitely keep them longer than 6 months. It seems extremely bad for the environment to throw out perfectly good underwear just because someone came up with a random number. Would definitely depend on how many pairs you own. I don't even buy expensive ones, I get the target high cut 5 packs, super comfy and last very well.

    Eskimo82 10 Sep 2020 1:25 PM

    I had no idea there was a 6-month rule! Most of mine are way over that timeframe and I would hope for the sake of our environment that underwear would last more than half a year. I add an anti-bac liquid into the wash when it's got undies and socks and I think that does a good job. Thinking about it, generally I'm getting about 3-4 years of wear from each pair of undies, though I find the very lightweight seamless ones usually last the least.

    Bellefleur 10 Sep 2020 9:53 AM

    Yeah, nah. Definitely not throwing out my underwear until it is no longer functional. I am unsurprised that traces of faeces can remain on underwear even after washes, but it would be a negligible amount.

    GeeJ 9 Sep 2020 11:18 PM

    Ok this is a new one for me, never ever considered that my underwear may have poop in it after a good washing in the machine. I highly doubt that is true after a proper washing cycle and use of detergent.

    Wn0873 9 Sep 2020 8:20 PM

    replacing for the sake of some arbitrary time frame is incredibly wasteful.

    onlyoni 9 Sep 2020 6:45 PM

    I have a dozen pair on rotation and 10 new pair ready for when the older ones don't feel so comfortable or lose their shape. I think I might have over-shopped at some stage. I also wash my underwear after every use and use panty liners every day which keep my underwear fresh at all times.

    Dance 9 Sep 2020 9:58 AM

    My undies definitely last more than six months. And unless you're a teenage boy, surely it's routine to wash them after every use?

    Tee631 9 Sep 2020 3:58 AM

    That is true

    misfortune8 8 Sep 2020 11:20 PM

    I certainly don't replace my knickers unless the elastic is gone. Surely the six month rule depends on how many undies you own? I own loads, so I can go weeks without wearing the same pair again. It would be different if you only had 3 pairs on rotation.

    I don't like the idea of doing a load without any clothes. In Sydney, we're always water-wise. Maybe I'll throw bleach in with my knickers more often.

    cityglenda 9 Sep 2020 9:00 PM

    Good point. The more you own the less you normally wear as long as you rotate them. If the elastic goes I usually replace them. If I get a hole in my fav pair I will pull out a needle & thread to see if I am able to repair them.

    misfortune8 10 Sep 2020 12:13 AM

    You're a mender, too? Good onya, cityglenda! I've constantly got a pile of mending to do.

    S-P 8 Sep 2020 9:55 PM

    I keep them until the elastic goes on them.

    Margi59 8 Sep 2020 6:56 PM

    Throw out my undies when they don't fit properly anymore and go and buy a few good pairs, absolutely love the underwear Sales and you can stock up lots of them.

    clearcrystalwater 8 Sep 2020 2:07 PM

    lol I know if I feel angry/annoyed because of my undies it's high time to chuck em out!!

    AndreaJW 8 Sep 2020 1:45 PM

    I use Pine O Cleen Laundry Sanitiser in each of my washes so that helps and then there's no reason to change them after 6 months unless I've lost weight.

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