Life
You've been really busy with, you know, life and haven't had time to get to the ever-growing mountain of laundry that's piling up in your closet. Now you're down to your last pair of clean underwear. You've found yourself wondering, "how bad is it, really, to re-wear underwear for another day?" Although, generally speaking, it's probably not as bad as you'd think, there are a few surprising icky things that happen when you wear your underwear two days in a row.
Now, let's make something clear: if you don't need to don the same pair for an extra day, you may not want to do it all that often. According to the Girl Smarts website, it's always best to wash your underwear after each wear. That being said, you can get away with a double wear. In an interview with Greatist, associate clinical professor of dermatology Dr. J. Scott Kasteler said that as long as the underwear is visibly clean there shouldn't be a problem wearing them again. If they appear dirty (or sweaty) in any way, however, you should definitely throw them in the wash or you might find yourself dealing with one of these five issues that arise when you do more than a double wear.
1
You Could Get An Infection
Gross, right? If you have any cuts or sores, you could get an infection from re-wearing the same pair of underwear, according to the aforementioned Greatist article. Infections like staph can be serious, so it's probably better to be safe than sorry.
2
You Could Get A Rash
In an interview with Tonic, dermatologist Dr. Lauren Eckert Ploch said that excessive moisture in your nether regions can encourage bacteria to grow, leading to rashes. So wearing your underwear two days in a row can make you unnecessarily itchy and uncomfortable. Not great.
3
You Could Get Acne
Yep, you read that right. As Ploch told Tonic, too much bacterial growth in your groin can also result in acne or even cysts. As if acne on your face, chest, or back wasn't enough.
4
You Will Get A Little Stinky
Most of the other potential ramifications that come from wearing the same pair of underwear two days in a row are just possibilities But it's pretty much a given that re-wearing underwear will make you smell, according to Girl Smarts. No one wants to feel like they're noticeably smelly all day long.
5
You Could End Up With A Yeast Infection
Just like bacteria can overgrow and lead to rashes, so can yeast. According to the previously-mentioned Greatist article, sweat and other moisture that can build up in your underpants when you wear them two days in a row can lead to yeast infections. No thank you.
