Changing underwear every day is a habit that many people have been raised since childhood. But what is the shelf life of underwear?
Especially shorts, and when should you get rid of them completely?
Some studies and advice indicate the necessity of disposing of underwear a year after purchasing it, due to the bacteria that accumulate in it. In this context, the German website RTL published a statement by internal hygiene expert Dr. Sherine Lakani in which she advises changing all underwear once a year at most.
The expert explained, "There is research indicating that even washing underwear in a washing machine does not always rid it of bacteria such as Escherichia coli bacteria."
To confirm this hypothesis, the German website utopia.de conducted an interview with the head of the department in the German “Detergent and Personal Care Industry Federation,” Bernt Glasl, and asked him about the cleanliness of underwear after washing.
Glasl confirms that after washing and rinsing in the washing machine, bacteria remain on the fabrics. But he adds: “These bacteria usually do not cause any health problems. Even if the clothes are “germ-free” after washing and rinsing, when you take them out of the washing machine and touch them with your hands, the bacteria will return to the clothes.”
This means that even after washing, the underwear is not completely free of germs, and this is logical, Dr. Glassel explains, since bacteria transfer from our skin to the laundry as soon as we touch or wear it.
But as long as we are healthy, bacteria have no harm to health. Indeed, many microorganisms are essential for our skin.
Contrary to what some say, it is necessary to get rid of all underwear a year after purchasing it because of the bacteria that accumulate in it