How often underwear should be changed
Short answer: Every day. Underwear sits directly against the skin for many hours and takes up sweat and skin oils that cannot be aired out again. After exercise or on a warm day it should be changed even sooner.
Every day is the rule
Underwear should be changed every day. That is the short and simple rule. Underwear is the garment that sits directly against the skin for the most hours, so it needs a fixed washing routine more than anything else. Here is the reasoning and what the rule asks of you.
Why every day
Underwear is the garment closest to the skin for the most hours. It takes up sweat and skin oils, and bacteria live on them. After a day there is enough for odour to appear. It cannot be aired out as an outer layer can, because it sits inside the fibres. See bamboo underwear for men.
When more often
Sometimes underwear needs changing more than once a day. That applies after exercise, on warm days and if you have sweated. There is then no reason to wait until the next morning, when the garment has to be washed anyway. Change as soon as you need to and put it straight in the laundry.
After exercise
After exercise you have sweated more than usual, and your underwear has taken up all of it. Change as soon as you can and do not stay in the sweaty set for the rest of the day. It takes a moment, and it is a small habit that feels good, especially if you are going on somewhere after training.
On warm days
On warm days you sweat more, and your underwear takes up more. If you have had a long day in the heat, a change midday or in the evening can be pleasant. You feel fresh again, and the used set goes straight into the laundry. See bamboo underpants for men and bamboo panties.
Seven sets cover a week
You need seven sets to cover a week between washes. That way the machine never decides your week, and you are not caught out because something dries too slowly. Seven sets also give you the calm to wash when it suits you, rather than when you have run out of clean underwear.
With fewer sets
With fewer sets you have to wash twice a week, and one of those washes always lands on a day with no time. That quickly becomes a stressful habit. Seven sets are a simple solution, because the laundry can wait until the weekend and you still have clean underwear each morning. It is a small investment in calm.
In winter too
The rule applies in winter too. You sweat when it is cold as well, and your underwear still takes up sweat and skin oils all day. There is no season when underwear can be worn two days in a row without washing. It is the same rule, summer or winter.
In short
In short: change underwear every day, and more often after exercise or on warm days. Have seven sets so the machine does not decide your week. Wash what has been against the skin after every wear. The rule is simple, and it fits every season and every kind of underwear.
Frequently asked questions
Can you wear underwear two days
No. It has been against the skin all day and taken up sweat and skin oils that cannot be aired out. Change it every day and wash it after every wear, so it is clean when you put it on again.
How many sets should you have
Seven, so the machine never decides your week. With seven sets you can wait to wash until it suits you, and still have clean underwear every morning, even if the laundry does not dry in time.
Does it apply in winter too
Yes. You sweat when it is cold as well, and underwear still takes up sweat and skin oils. There is no season when underwear can be worn several days in a row without washing.
See our range of Boody underwear.
