America's 'Dirty Little Secret' About Our Underwear

You might not have to wash your bra after every use, but people generally put their underwear into the laundry bin after just one wear—though it seems that may have been a terribly naive assumption on our part. USA Today reports on a new survey by undergarment maker Tommy John that polled 1,000 American adults on their underwear hygiene habits, and it unearthed a "dirty little secret." Namely, that 45% of those surveyed admitted they'd kept the same pair on for two or more days, with 13% copping to not changing their undies for a week or more. Of that second group of long-term wearers, the survey notes that, "perhaps unsurprisingly," men are 2.5 times as likely to have done so.

Perhaps more disruptive to Tommy John's bottom line is a second survey of another 1,000 people that finds they may not be shopping for underwear as often as the company would like. For one, 46% of US underwear owners say they've had at least one pair for more than a year. To add to that, 38% of Americans say they have no clue how long they've had such intimates in their possession. "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 says, adding that women are more susceptible to such issues than their male counterparts. (More strange stuff stories.)