How Often Should You Really Buy New Underwear?

Underpants, knickers, panties, drawers, pants, bloomers, frillies, boxers, briefs or just good ol’ fashioned underwear! Whatever you may call them, we all wear them, and with such a feeling of normalcy that you probably don’t overthink them that much. Whether you have just a handful of pairs or a draw that is simply filled to the brim, we all have at least one pair that we cannot date. When did you buy them? No bloody clue! How many times have you actually worn them? Again, no bloody clue! 

When you start to think about it, the number of ageless undies we all own can begin to feel a tad bit gross. Surely that must be unhygienic? How often should you really be buying new underwear and throwing out that one pair you’ve had since high school that is stretched out and covered in little holes? 

It should be a given that one should change their underwear daily and wash them after every use, but if the panties are clean then do they pose any sort of health risk? In an article for Health.com, Taraneh Shirazian, MD, a gynaecologist at NYU Langone Health, states that ‘For starters, no medical evidence shows that wearing old underwear is definitely unhealthy or a risk factor for a vaginal condition’. If it’s clean it’s clean we guess. Furthermore, according to Philip M. Tierno, Ph.D., professor of microbiology and pathology at the New York University School of Medicine, underwear doesn’t have an expiration date. “As long as you’re washing and disinfecting your underwear, and they’re mechanically functional, with no holes, and they’re not soiled, you can keep those,” Tierno says. 

So, the idea of buying new undies at least once a year spouted by many online isn’t necessarily the be-all and end-all. There is something to say for overconsumption and buying new underwear constantly. After all, how many times are you really going to wear that new thong that you think is sexy but you find incredibly uncomfortable?

But, it is important that you are wearing undies that are made from materials that keep your backside feeling bright and cheery. Aim to buy undies made from cotton as these will be far more breathable than something made from nylon or similar synthetic fabric. Of course, there is a time and a place for a fancier set of pants, but for daily wear aim for breathable, comfortable and soft and you shouldn’t have any issues. 

Go on then, reach back into your stuffed undies drawer and put on that ugly pair of pants you’ve had for several years, it isn’t gross in the slightest - as long as they’re clean!