You might think that a little funk is the only downside of wearing dirty underwear. But repeating underwear is more dangerous than you think. 

What’s Lurking In Your Underwear?

After an entire day in your underwear, it becomes home to a lot of icky stuff. And I’m not just talking about a bit of leftover pee or sweat. There’s also fecal matter, bits of which can get on underwear no matter how well you wipe. And don’t forget dead skin cells, too. 

All this stuff — sweat, dirt, poop, pee etc. — make your underwear a great habitat for bacteria, fungi and other germs. At best, wearing unwashed underwear will give you an unpleasant body odor especially as you add more sweat and other stuff. 

At worst, these germs can cause infections, skin breakouts and other health problems. 

4 Problems Caused by Unwashed Underwear

1. Bad Odor 

Your underwear is likely already smelling funky by the end of the day. It will surely smell worse if you wear it the next day and can contribute to bad body odor. 

Body odor is caused by our sweat interacting with bacteria on the skin. Sweat from the armpits and groin is especially stinky. These areas contain apocrine sweat glands which produce oily sweat rich in fatty compounds.  Bacteria happily feast on these compounds and break them down into smelly substances. 

If you have underwear made from synthetic materials like polyester or nylon, it will stink worse because these fabrics tend to hold onto these smelly compounds for longer.  

I don't know about you, but any hint of BO makes me extremely self conscious and can affect my confidence and social life. 

2. Acne

Acne occurs when skin pores get clogged with bacteria, sweat, dead skin cells and other debris. Wearing unwashed underwear keeps all that stuff on your skin. 

In some cases, you can get a painful type of acne called cystic acne. This happens when bacteria enters the skin pores and causes inflammation. It results in painful pus-filled pimples. 

3. Rashes and Itchiness  

Dirty underwear can also cause rashes and itchiness around your groin or butt area. This can be caused by different things.

One of them is jock itch, a type of fungal infection that’s common in athletes, but can also be caused by unwashed underwear. Dirty underwear can also irritate your skin, causing rashes and itchiness.   

4. Yeast or Urinary Tract Infection

With all the bacteria and fungi thriving in your dirty drawers, an infection is inevitable. Yeast infection is a common one, both in men and women and it can cause uncomfortable symptoms like itching and sores. 

If bacteria enter your urethra, you risk getting urinary tract infection (UTI), which can be really unpleasant as well. 

What If You Have No Clean Underwear?

Sometimes you could find yourself in a situation where you have no clean underwear. For instance, you go on a trip and realize you forgot to pack extra underwear or your luggage gets lost. 

In such cases, here are some safer alternatives to wearing dirty underwear. 

• Air out the dirty underwear overnight or a couple of hours. This will help dry off any sweat in the underwear, which will help a bit with bacteria and smell. 
• If you can, wash the underwear in a sink or even using bottled water. Even a quick rinse can help get it clean enough to safely put back on once it's dry. To make it even safer, hang it in the sun. UV rays from the sun will sanitize it. 
• Go commando. It is better than wearing dirty underwear. 
• If you are traveling, check if there is a store nearby where you can buy some underwear. You can easily find cheap underwear to tide you over until you get back home. 
• If you plan to travel light and only want to pack one or two pairs of underwear, consider getting antibacterial underwear like the Kribi underwear from Hercleon. It kills bacteria and fungus, thus reducing the risk of an infection and odors. 

Final Thoughts

Dirty clothing, especially items that come into contact with your skin like pants, vests and shirts, can also cause problems like acne, skin irritation and bad BO. 

So be careful about wearing unwashed clothes too. For minimalist travelers who pack light, carry quick-dry clothes that you can wash and dry overnight. Another option is to buy antibacterial clothes (like the Hercleon HercShirt) that you can wear over and over without getting stinky or risking an acne breakout.