The dirty truth about underwear.

This morning, when I started looking at my day, I decided that I’d take the night off from my Kid Wednesday Routine.

It put a little bit of a skip in my step, really. A night off.

But then I read this article, and I shuddered. With all the horrible news going on in the world, this one stopped me in my tracks. Before I go any further, let me remind the readers that I am marked by that pesky Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder. Truly.

Okay. Here goes.

The notable underwear company, Tommy John, took a survey. They found out, after surveying 1,000 Americans, that 45 percent wore the same pair of underwear for “two days or longer.”

People are wearing their underwear two days or longer.

Okay, if you are my friend and you do this, please do not ever tell me, no matter what, not even on your, or my, death bed. I don’t want to know this about you. Ever.

This may seem like too much information, but I must press on. For the record, and I know I’m on the other end of things, I change my underwear twice a day. At least. Because I shower twice a day. And I can’t bear to put on dirty clothes after a nice, soapy-clean shower. It’s how my brain works. I’m not out digging trenches and getting dirty up to my nostrils. Nope. But I have to have a shower in the morning, and one again at night. It just feels right.

Now. Back to this polling by Tommy John.

Thirteen percent of those surveyed said they wore the same underwear for a week or more. Okay, I just passed out, and I’m finally coming back around again. You can’t tell the lapse of time that had passed, from my writing, but I had to go get smelling salts from the bathroom, in case this happens again.

Tommy John said men were 2.5 times more likely than women to wear the same underwear for a week or more. Somehow, this doesn’t surprise me.

They gave several more statistics about underwear practices, which you can read at their website. Like, we are supposed to buy new skivvies every six months. I understand that they are in the business of selling undies, but I like to keep my fresh too.

Here are a few more tips for keeping underwear clean, from the good folks at Tommy John. I am posting these for a couple of reasons. One, it is a public service announcement, for crying out loud. Second, it somehow is calming to my nerves right now, assuring me that there might be hope if public awareness is heightened.

Here goes again.
• 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.

This isn’t just for me. It is for the Planet. Sponge Bob Square Pants, and Captain Underpants have rallied behind this too, posting supportive statements. Not to mention the Federation of Underwear Models. (F.U.M.)

Most days I try to write about the importance of keeping our souls clean. Well, today, we have bigger things to worry about. No matter what you do out there in life, keep your knickers clean, while you’re in the process.

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“There is only one kind of shock worse than the totally unexpected: the expected for which one has refused to prepare.”
― Mary Renault, The Charioteer

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The objective of cleaning is not just to clean, but to feel happiness living within that environment.
— Marie Kondo

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Cleaning and organizing is a practice not a project.
— Meagan Francis

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