Pretty much everyone (we hope so, anyway) knows that putting on a pair of freshly laundered underwear every day is just as important as washing your face and brushing your teeth. With that said, however, what you might assume to be clean for other garments may not be true for your skivvies. In fact, you might be surprised to find that throwing your boxers or boy shorts into the washing machine with other clothes or linens and cleaning them in cold water may not be getting them as clean as you want – and need – them to be.
While washing other garments in cold water may be perfectly fine, and in fact, recommended to preserve their color and form, as it turns out, laundering underwear isn’t the best idea; in fact, it can actually be harmful for your health.
The Importance of Regularly Washing Your Underwear and Why Cold Water is a Bad Idea
It’s no secret that there are lots of things that collect in your underwear throughout the day. Heck, even within just a few minutes of wearing, a pair of undies becomes a hot-bed of bacteria. Sweat, skin cells, and dirt aren’t the only things that accumulate in your underthings; because it covers your bum and lady or man bits, urine, feces, and even discharge (sorry if that makes you want to gag, but it needs to be said) also collect inside your undies. All of that gunk combined with moisture and warm temperatures make underwear super icky. All of these things can lead to bacterial, fungal, and/or yeast infections, which definitely isn’t fun.
It goes without saying, but when your underwear is dirty, the chances of a litany of conditions, such as jock itch, yeast infections, bacterial dermatitis, urinary tract, bladder, and kidney infections increase. In order to reduce the risk of developing these conditions that can quite literally become a pain in the ass (or groin, or crotch), properly laundering your skivvies is an absolute must. That not only includes washing after each wear; it also includes washing it at the right temperature. While cold water may be good for preserving the shape and color of your undergarments, it’s terrible for their cleanliness.
In order to kill all of the ick that accumulates in your undies and really reduce the risk of developing health issues, they should really be washed in warm water. Warm water kills off that infection-causing grossness out of the fabric; cold water doesn’t. In fact, according to health professionals, when you wash your undies in cold water, you’re really doing nothing more than moving around the gunk.
If you really want to get your underwear super-clean, in addition to washing them in water that’s at least 80 degrees F, it’s also a good idea to spray them down with an antibacterial cleanser prior to washing. There are tons of options available, but for the best results, we recommend going with something that’s as simple and natural as possible. By taking this extra step, you’ll give that bacteria a one-two punch. If your undies are white, you can hit them with some bleach, which will totally eradicate the ick.
How to Preserve Your Underwear
A lot of people opt to wash their laundry in cold water, as it not only helps to keep utility bills down (as the water doesn’t have to be heated, which can consume a tremendous amount of energy), but cold water also helps to prevent the breakdown of fabrics and colors. However, as discussed above, when it comes to underwear, you really need to wash it with water that is at least 80 degrees F; anything lower than that and there’s a chance that you won’t eliminate all of the bacteria that has accumulated in your undergarments, which means an increased risk of infection.
While killing the bacteria in your underwear is super-important, warm water washing can weaken fabric that it’s made out of, which can lead to fraying and stretching, and can also fade the dyes. With a few simple tips, you can get your undies super-clean and healthy to wear, while also preserving their quality so that they remain comfortable and supportive, and last longer. Here’s a look at some of those tips.
Hand wash
While it’s certainly a lot more convenient to toss them in the washing machine, whenever possible, wash your underwear by hand. By doing so, they won’t be exposed to the harsh, rapid agitation, which can increase the rate of speed at which they are damaged.
Use a delicate bag
If you are going to wash them in the machine, place your undies in a delicate bag. These bags are mesh, which helps to prevent underwear from getting wrapped around the agitator in the center of the washing machine, which can also reduce the risk of damage.
Delicate cycle
Make sure you switch the setting on your washing machine to “delicate” when you’re washing your underwear. On this setting, the clothes are washed lightly and the cycles are shorter, which will help to minimize the amount of pressure and damage the underwear is exposed to.
Use the right detergents
It’s also super-important to make sure that you’re washing your underwear in the right detergents. There are so many different laundry soaps on the market, and while it might be tempting to just wash your undies in the same detergent that you use for everything else, if you want to preserve them, you should really use something that is intended for delicate materials.
The best soaps to use to wash underwear are those that are free of harsh chemicals, and rather, are made of natural ingredients, which isn’t just ideal for the preservation of the fabric, but it’s also ideal for the sensitive parts of the body that the garments cover.
Summing It Up
Underwear protects some of the most important and delicate parts of the body. In order to ensure that it properly protects those bits and pieces, making sure that they’re properly laundered is an absolute must. With the information discussed above, you’ll have peace of mind knowing that your underwear is clean and comfortable.
