HQ Team
December 17, 2022: A whiff of clean fragrance from sun-dried laundry is something most people enjoy. But clean clothes require a lot of effort, and sadly a lot of washed clothes will not pass the cleanliness test.
Scientists say that the average pair of clean underwear most likely carries about 0.1 grams of feces. A study published in the Journal of Infection found that a “clean” pair of underwear could hold up to 10 grams of that very stuff you wanted to wash out of it. Another study found that clean underwear can contain up to 10,000 living bacteria — even after being washed.
Charles Gerba, PhD, a microbiology professor at the University of Arizona and the study author, has some suggestions and tips to get the best results.
Tips to wash your underwear
Always wash your underwear in hot water Dr. Gerba says anything below a hot cycle of 140 degrees Fahrenheit won’t do much against bacteria.
If you do not want to use the hot water option due to shrinkage and elasticity issues, then make sure to use a bleaching substance.
Without hot water and bleach, bacteria from your underwear can also spread to other clothes in the wash. When you unload the washed lot, some bacteria can rub off on your hands and spread to other surfaces.
So the best option is to wash your underwear separately, always.
If possible, handwash them and dry them and steam press. It may seem too much of an effort, but doing so will prevent many unwanted diseases like yeast infections, chlamydia, urinary tract infection, and potentially life-threatening staph infections.
Buy new underwear every six months.
Dr Gerba says it is very tough to get rid of some germs and bacteria, especially E Coli. Some of these germinate in your laundry or washing machine. It is best to clean your washing machine too periodically to get rid of bacteria and germs.
Underwear hygiene habits
There are enough surveys and research out there that have found some very interesting underwear hygiene facts. A recent survey by underwear company Tommy John of over 2,000 Americans found that nearly half of adults confessed to wearing their undies for two days or more. 45% said they don’t always change their underwear daily; 13% said they’d gone in the same pair for a week or longer. More males indulged in this behaviour, but females were not far behind in not changing underwear everyday.
A survey conducted by UK-based online marketplace OnBuy of 2,790
adults revealed that 22 per cent of men don’t change their underpants every day. The survey found that one in five men don’t change their underwear daily – and one in 20 wears their undies more than five times before washing them. women weren’t too far behind – with 18 per cent also failing to change their knickers daily.
