Underwear is an essential piece of clothing that directly affects our health. Many women focus only on the style and color when buying underwear, ignoring its safety, health, and comfort. Let's learn some common knowledge about underwear.
1. What underwear is safest for women's reproductive health?
The impact of underwear on the external genitalia is greater than on the internal genitalia. The external genitalia includes the female external genitals and a part of the lower end of the vagina. Tight underwear or synthetic fiber underwear, due to friction with the skin, can cause dermatitis of the external genitals and allergic reactions, leading to itchy skin. Therefore, women should choose cotton underwear. Some women like lace underwear, as long as the crotch is made of cotton, it is also acceptable.
2. Newly purchased underwear must be washed before wearing
It is very unhealthy to wear newly purchased underwear without washing. This is because clothing often uses various chemical additives during the manufacturing process for aesthetic purposes. For example, formaldehyde resin is often used for shrink resistance, fluorescent brighteners are used for whitening, and regular starching is used for stiffness. These chemicals generally have an irritating effect on the skin. In addition, moth repellents and disinfectants used to prevent moth damage and mold can also irritate the skin. Clothing may also have some residual formaldehyde, which can be harmful to the body. Therefore, newly purchased clothes must be washed with clean water and hung in a ventilated place to dry before wearing. The same applies to new underwear.
3. Underwear needs to be hand washed and changed daily
Do not let underwear stay overnight, as it can breed a large number of bacteria, making it difficult to clean. In addition, it is best to wash underwear by hand or separately, and try not to wash it with pants or socks. First, the washing machine may not clean it thoroughly, and it may also spread pathogens. Second, hand washing can increase friction density, facilitate local cleaning, and make the underwear cleaner.
4. There is no need to sun-dry underwear
Many people like to turn over and sun-dry their washed clothes, thinking that it dries quickly and the sunlight's ultraviolet rays can disinfect them. However, sun-drying underwear is not beneficial to health. Harmful substances such as smoke, dust, microorganisms, and hydrogen sulfide float in the air. When underwear is sun-dried, these harmful substances will adhere to the side of the underwear that touches the body, which can easily cause various skin inflammations and may even cause gynecological diseases. Therefore, intimate underwear should not be sun-dried, and when collecting clothes, it is also necessary to shake off the dust on the surface.
5. Cotton underwear is the safest
The impact of underwear on the external genitalia is greater than on the internal genitalia. The external genitalia includes the female external genitals and a part of the lower end of the vagina. Tight underwear or synthetic fiber underwear, due to friction with the skin, can cause dermatitis of the external genitals and allergic reactions, leading to itchy skin.
Therefore, women should choose cotton underwear. Some women like lace underwear, as long as the crotch is made of cotton, it is acceptable.
6. Discard these underwear without hesitation
1. Color fades every time it is washed
Dyes are harmful to the body, and natural dyes are rarely used to dye clothing nowadays. Although residual chemical dyes will not affect the female reproductive organs,
when they come into contact with the skin, the skin will absorb their chemical substances to some extent, which will affect the overall health of the body. If the color fades every time it is washed, it means that the quality of the underwear is problematic and it is recommended not to wear it anymore. It is recommended to buy underwear of better quality. It is better to save money elsewhere and not here.
2. Often hung in the bathroom
Washing underwear immediately after taking a bath and then hanging it in the bathroom may seem convenient, but it can bring health risks. Underwear hung in a poorly ventilated, dark, and humid environment is prone to breeding bacteria, especially for people with fungal vaginitis. Because fungi like to grow in humid and dark environments, it is best to hang underwear after washing. If there are no conditions for drying the underwear at home, it should be hung in a well-ventilated environment to facilitate drying and prevent the growth of bacteria.
3. Underwear that has been used for more than six months
Microbiologists from various countries have studied washing machines and found that an average dirty underwear carries 0.1 grams of feces, including pathogens such as Salmonella and Escherichia coli. Even with proper cleaning and drying, the bacteria on the underwear cannot be completely killed. Therefore, for underwear with a high frequency of use, it is best to change it every six months. If the underwear becomes deformed, the material becomes dry and hard, or stains cannot be washed out, it should be replaced in a timely manner.
