I recently read an article in USA Today that made me cringe. Evidently, according to the survey, almost half of Americans do not change their underwear every day with some wearing the same pair for a week or more.
Maybe I am oversensitive, but that made me say “yuck!” Then again, perhaps we live in a country that has become obsessed with cleanliness.
This study brought to my mind an encounter I had with a key energy executive from Canada at a national energy conference. We were enjoying dinner together when he told me that he believed energy efficiency has to start in the home. Feeling he had a story behind that I asked what he had done … which I assume is what he wanted to talk about. Here is what he proudly shared:
“The key is to conserve and reuse hot water in the home. After dinner, we fill the tub and I take my bath first, then my wife bathes in the same water. Then we bathe the children. Then we add some soap powder to the water and pre-wash the day’s dirty clothes before putting them into the washing machine.”
A member of my staff was listening to the story and asked him how much money he thought he had saved with this energy and water conservation program. He was quick to respond with, “I carefully analyzed my usage over time before and after we instituted this procedure, and I know for a fact we have $79 a year!”
I noticed my employee taking out his checkbook from his coat pocket, making out a check and handing it to the executive, saying, “Here is $79; I want you to stop doing that.”
Here is the article:
A survey released by underwear company Tommy John suggests Americans might not be changing their underwear.
Or, at least, quite a few aren’t bothering to put on a fresh pair every day.
Tommy John surveyed 1,000 Americans and discovered 45 percent wore the same pair of underwear for “two days or longer.” The results of the survey were released this month on Tommy John’s website.
Thirteen percent of those surveyed said they wore the same underwear for a week or more. Tommy John said men were 2.5 times more likely than women to wear the same underwear for a week or more.
In a separate survey of 1,000 people, 46 percent of those surveyed by Tommy John said they owned the same pair of underwear at least one year. An additional 38 percent said they had no idea how long they owned their oldest pair of underwear.
“It’s crucial to update your underwear wardrobe every six months to a year to ensure you’re protected from harmful infections and health risks,” Tommy John said. “Women should be especially careful, as they’re more at risk than men to experience health issues due to unclean underwear.”
The company even provided a few tips for keeping underwear clean:
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- Tumble dry your underwear on low heat for 30 minutes after washing.
- Don’t mix your underwear in the same load with your significant other or children if they’re sick.
- Avoid washing contaminated underwear with other pairs and clothing.
- Wash your underwear separately from clothing containing other bodily fluids. If any article of clothing is stained, it’s better to wash it separately from your underwear.
