TheHealthMania

The concept of feminine hygiene is still evolving and despite having so much information and products available, women still need guidance on what to do and what not to do. Most women have drawers filled with panties including casual panties, work panties, comfy panties, and sexy panties, saved and worn accordingly. But pilling the panties in heaps in drawers; is this really a good idea?

A doctor has urged women to discard their panties and buy new after no more than twelve months. But can you remember how long some of the panties are resting in your drawers? There are high chances to keep the ‘comfy’ ones even if they are worn out, faded, or even have holes in them. It is hard to discard them but according to the doctors, it has to be done.

Also read: Will Coronavirus Infection Become Seasonal?

Dr. Shirin Lakhani who is an Intimate health expert warns women that bacteria can easily reside in their favorite panties after they are left in drawers for months. So what happens next is whenever a woman takes out the panties and wears them; these bacteria start taking an action by initiating an infection.

Contrary to the popular belief the bacteria aren’t killed even if these panties are thoroughly washed by hand or in a washing machine. In one of her recent interviews with the Tyla, Dr. Lakhani shares that panties are closely attached to the skin. And exposure to bacteria strains especially of the intimate area and that too for hours is surely a risk factor for vaginal health.

In addition to the bacteria, these worn-out panties contain dead skin cells. collectively, these two can initiate nasty infections including sexually transmitted infections, urinary infections, and thrush.

There is research-based evidence that implies that machine washing the panties doesn’t ensure 100% protection from these pathogenic bacteria. Some strains are resistant and are likely to just ‘hang around’ such as E.coli.

So, it is necessary to discard the old panties and buy new ones at least once a year. However, the best is to do clean the panties drawers twice every year and discard the old panties out.

Also read- India- Worst-hit by Coronavirus and Least Bothered About Precautionary Measures

Panties are a part of almost every outfit and women also wear them to swimming, walk, or gym. Besides, the panties are worn for the maximum hours of that day and that too with such close proximity to the vagina. It means cleaning and paying attention to their sanitation should be a prime concern yet many women choose to ignore it.

Nadeem Abbas who is the founder and managing director of Love2Laundry also emphasizes changing the panties once or twice a year to make sure that there is no threat to vaginal health.

But those who are on a tight budget or have other reasons for not being able to buy the panties every six months can try other things to improve the safety levels of panties.  For example, using cold water instead of warm water retains the elasticity of the panties; washing them by hand and drying in sun is better than machine wash and dry. Choosing a good quality detergent or washing liquid also increases the longevity of the panties.