Unusual recommendation
Do you have to throw away underwear after a year?
Mathilda Trausch
When should you buy new underwear and throw away the old ones? Here you will find the unusual recommendations from washing experts.
The hygiene recommendation of washing underwear regularly and not wearing it for more than a day makes sense to us.
A slightly more unusual recommendation is that you should throw away underwear after a year and buy new ones. Is this just a myth or is there some truth to this recommendation? We clarify.
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Study shows: Washing underwear does not remove all bacteria
There is research that suggests that even washing underwear in the washing machine does not always completely rid them of bacteria. For this reason, you should replace underwear with new ones once a year.
Even if we only wear our underwear for a day and then wash it, bacteria still remain in the fabric.
More precisely: Escherichia coli bacteria. These are part of our intestinal flora and are partly responsible for the decomposition of carbohydrates and proteins. However, they can cause infections in the underwear.
The throwaway rule went viral on TikTok:
Germs on underwear: How to protect yourself
One by microbiologist Dr. Charles Gerba directed study puts it a little more clearly and claims that washed underwear contains up to a tenth of a gram of feces.
The bacteria that cling to your underwear are the same microorganisms that thrive on the intimate areas of the skin, regardless of how well you wash. These include potentially harmful pathogens such as E. coli. These bacteria build up over time and could potentially lead to health problems such as urinary tract infections.
If you have relatively new underwear, you don’t have to worry about the tiny amount of germs you can’t wash out. But to keep your underwear closet as hygienic as possible, consider replacing underwear that you’ve owned and worn regularly for more than a year.
Do I have to throw away my underwear?
There is no need to panic. Coli bacteria quickly lead to infections, especially in open wounds. If you don’t have any discomfort in your intimate area, you can keep your panties for a little longer.
However, underpants have an expiration date and should be replaced regularly, no matter how attached we are to them.
In general, you should wash your underwear at 60 degrees and change them after one day at the latest. You can also use a special hygienic cleaner.
Watch out for infections
Anyone who has had an infectious disease should wash their underwear particularly well. For fungal diseases such as Candida or athlete’s foot and illnesses Noroviruses The following rules apply:
- For fungal infections: wash underwear and socks separately.
- If you have norovirus illness, wash all clothing worn separately
In both cases, make sure to wash the laundry at at least 60 degrees to wash and use a full-strength or universal washing powder. If it’s delicate fabrics like wool or silk that could shrink if washed hot, you should definitely use hygiene conditioner.