Whether it’s due to laziness or lack of detergent, many women simply don’t change their underwear. Gasp! In fact, it’s more common than you may think. Wearing the same undies over and over again is not only unhygienic, but unhealthy.

Remember when your mom said you should always walk around wearing clean underwear? Like it or not, mom was right, even if her motives were different.

Here are the dangers of not changing your underwear on a daily basis.

#1

Everyone likes to begin the day after a refreshing shower with freshly-washed, clean underpants. Well, almost everyone. Those who do not particularly care for the beauty of freshly-washed, detergent-scented bikini briefs, prefer not to change their undies. While we never shame people for their choices here at Vagabomb, we do believe in promoting better hygiene. So, here we list the seven really awful things that happen to people when they don’t change their underwear regularly.

#2 Sticky Underwear.

Wearing the same pair of underwear repeatedly will cause an uncomfortable stickiness down below. Not only is this uncomfortable, but gross.

#3 Lice

Poor hygiene and wearing unclean underwear could also raise the risk of lice (in pubic hair), scabies and chaffing. So, wear a fresh underwear every day.

#4 Major Irritation

If you have an itchy bum from scratching, you are going to cause intense irritation and possibly sores. Dirty material has the ability to chafe the skin. The visible protrusions may look like a heat rash at first, but it can turn into open lesions if let go. Since this area does not get a lot of air, healing is often a slow process. They can be treated, but it is something that can be avoided just by changing your underwear.

#5 Yeast Infections.

Dirty underwear can cause recurring yeast infections which can be prevented by simply bathing or cleaning your underwear.

#6 Chafing

Just like when your thighs rub on a hot summer day, chafing can happen to your vaginal area too. Sweating in the summer provides the moisture that irritates our skin between our thighs, and not changing your panties to a dry, clean pair can lead to vaginal redness, irritation, and if it gets worse it can peel and bleed.

#7 Your Skin Will Get Itchy

This is generally the first thing that happens on any part of the body that isn’t lucky enough to be covered with clean clothes, but it can be particularly annoying when it happens around your lady parts. Unwashed panties can irritate the skin, making you want to scratch like a crazy person at all hours of the day.

It happens because of the bacterial buildup in the fabric of the underwear, which transfers to your sensitive skin down there. While this particular side effect isn’t something to be very worried about, if you don’t do something about it, that irritation could result in something more serious than having to scratch yourself incognito.

#8 Weird Odors

The vagina is known for being self-cleaning, but what most women don’t know is that it is only the vaginal canal that self-cleans. The exterior of your lady parts need to be cleaned and washed thoroughly – otherwise, it can start to smell less than beautiful down there…So, even if you bathe, changing your panties afterward is KEY

#9 UTI

The urinary tract is very susceptible to infections, especially if you wear thongs a lot. This is because thongs lead to the transmission of colonic bacteria to other parts, like the vagina and the urinary tract, leading to infections. Bacteria settled in your underwear for a long time can have the same effect on your body, so change your underwear

#10 Rashes

A rash is nothing but your skin getting irritated with the microbes. Unwashed underwear may also cause rashes as small particles of fecal matter and discharges of your privates accumulate in them breeding bacteria.

#11 Sweat and Sogginess

When you don’t switch out your drawers, you’re basically creating a wet basin of gross. Your butt doesn’t want to go swimming—it has better things to do.

#12 A Change Would Do You Good

So how often should you change your underwear? Well, according to many studies, changing the underwear at least once per day is advisable. If you exercise on a regular basis, you should change additionally each time you sweat. So if you work out daily, you may need to change your underwear two times per day. The goal is to be clean and fresh all day long. It will be more comfortable for you and those around you. Plus, you will be able to ensure that you prevent UTI and other infections.

H/T iLyke