Sure, we all tend to assume that everyone changes their clothes on a daily basis, but that doesn’t seem to be a priority for some. Are you a man who doesn’t change his underwear every day?
According to The Metro, a recent poll by OnBuy found that one in five men doesn’t change their underwear every day. That means about 22 percent of men don’t change out of their boxers (or whatever they prefer to wear) when they get home from work each night. That being said, it seems that women didn’t fare much better in all of this, as they were found at 18 percent, which isn’t much less, to be honest.
While it doesn’t sound like a big deal to some, many cringe at the thought of having to keep their underwear on for more than a day. Nearly 3,000 people took part in that survey, and apparently some men have such poor hygiene that they “re-wear their underwear more than five times before washing them.” While that was only 1 out of 20, it was quite alarming to hear. Sure, there are probably many reasons that lead to this, but it doesn’t make our skin less crawly for whatever reason, right?
Metro wrote after talking to Dr. Cosgrove, who happens to be a specialist on similar subjects, the following:
dr Nichola Cosgrove, skincare specialist at Natura Emporium, tells Metro.co.uk: ‘We have naturally occurring bacteria in our genitals which like to stay at their normal levels as long as we use the right hygiene products, properly fitting underwear and wash ourselves after one particularly sweaty activity etc.
“Of course bacteria transfers to our underwear throughout the day, through natural sweating and also not washing yourself properly or sufficiently after using the toilet, normal body waste and just general fecal transference from brake gas – gross to think about, but very true.
“Underwear acts in a way as a barrier to protect our clothes because it is easier to wash our underwear regularly than our clothes. If you don’t change your underwear every day, you will start to have a buildup of bacteria like escherichia coli, staph, streptococci and many others that are perfectly normal and beneficial if they stay at their required levels.
“However, since they thrive in a warm and humid environment, they begin to multiply out of control. The effects of this can be as simple as a bad smell, a rash, excessive itching, to full fledged yeast infections, urinary tract infections, and potentially life-threatening staph infections.’
dr Nichola recommends ironing underwear if you’re really worried about bacteria. The high heat of the steam should kill anything dangerous that the wash cycle doesn’t.
like dr Cosgrove found that not washing your underwear and wearing it again only encourages the growth of bacteria, which can make you feel quite uncomfortable. Excess levels of certain bacteria can be a big problem. We all need to be aware of this, and if you’re someone who doesn’t change their underwear on a daily basis, you might want to consider doing so.
