You should throw your underwear out every 12 months, expert claims

13 August 2020, 11:21

Do you throw your underwear out after 12 months? (stock images)
Do you throw your underwear out after 12 months? (stock images). Picture: Getty
Polly Foreman

By Polly Foreman

A doctor has claimed that you shouldn't wear the same underwear for more than a year...

If we're all being completely honest, a great deal of us are probably guilty of hoarding the same underwear for years on end.

And if you do still have that questionable pair of Primark briefs you bought in the noughties somewhere in your underwear drawer, you might be in for a shock...

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Because one expert has claimed that we should be throwing away our knickers every 12 months for hygiene and condition reasons.

An expert has claimed we should throw away underwear after 12 months
An expert has claimed we should throw away underwear after 12 months. Picture: Getty

Speaking to Tyla, Dr Shirin Lakhani delivered the disturbing news that germs and bacteria can continue to on underwear - even after a hot wash.

She said: "Your underwear is in close contact with your skin and more specifically your intimate areas for prolonged periods of time.

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"As a result it comes into contact with a lot of dead skin from those areas as well as bacteria - both the healthy naturally-occurring bacteria that we all have, as well as more sinister bacteria that can be a result of infections such as thrush and STIs.

Are you guilty of wearing the same underwear for years on end?
Are you guilty of wearing the same underwear for years on end? Picture: Getty

"There is some research that suggests that even washing your underwear in a washing machine won't always rid it completely of bacteria such as E.coli."

And co-founder of Love2Laundry Nadeem Abbas added that it is generally advised to get rid of underwear every 6-12 months.

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