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By Alyce Collins
Senior Reporter
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It may be a question you think you know the answer to, or at least you hope you do. But results of a recent poll that asked how often people change their underwear have revealed how infrequently some do.
In an exclusive poll conducted on Tuesday for Newsweek by Redfield & Wilton Strategies, 1,500 U.S. adults were asked how often they would wear the same underwear for more than a day.
Fortunately, the most popular response among all participants was never. Forty-seven percent said they would never wear underwear for more than one day. This response was more common with women, however—53 percent said never, compared with 41 percent of men.
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When the respondents were split by age, the results appeared more divisive. According to the poll results, Generation Z doesn't think it's completely necessary to change undergarments every day.
The results among those aged 18 to 24 showed that 36 percent of Gen Z would sometimes wear the same underwear for more than 24 hours—the longest period among all the age categories.
An additional 14 percent of Gen Z members admitted they would wear the same undergarments for more than one day. But the results reveal that some millennials are just as guilty: 24 percent of those aged between 25 and 34 would regularly wear the same pair.
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There was very little support for the practice among the older generations that took part in the poll. Sixty-seven percent of those aged 55 to 64 said they would never wear the same pair of underwear for more than one day. Just 3 percent of those in this age bracket were repeat offenders.
A study published in 2021 looked at overall clothing hygiene and what is lurking in our dirty laundry. Titled "Laundry Hygiene and Odor Control: State of the Science," it revealed that most laundry garments contain bacteria, viruses or mold.
The type of infestation depends on the type of material and where on the body it's worn. The greatest amount of bacteria, such as coliform, was found on face towels and underwear. While coliform bacteria aren't harmful to humans, they do indicate possible contamination with disease-causing organisms.
If that wasn't gross enough, a 2000 study found that the average pair of underwear contains 0.1 grams of feces. So wearing the same pair for more than one day is not advisable when it comes to good hygiene.
No one wants to think of their clothing as bacteria-infested, so thorough washing is highly recommended. The study recommends doing laundry in temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius, as there is a greater chance of germ survival at lower temperatures.
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