Wearing the same bra for days on end may seem quite harmless, but one doctor warned of its stark consequences – and anyone with a weakened immune system may be in big trouble
If you thought you were a bit behind on the laundry, think again.
One woman has fessed up to wearing the same unwashed bra for an astonishing six years – and it seems she’s not the only person. Delving into her story, the nameless woman explained she once had ‘extremely high sensory’ issues and quite a negative outlook on her body.
Although she’d tried on all sorts of bras in the past, none ever seemed to look or feel right. Then one day, her mother bought her the ‘perfect one’ – comfortable and well-suited to her shape. And from that day on, she just couldn’t be parted from it.
“I stuck to this one for years and years,” she explained anonymously on Reddit. “I never washed it and I took it off only when l’d shower.” Thankfully, the woman explained her confidence has now grown and she’s been experimenting once again with different bras. But her ‘filthy dirty bra’ is always nearby ‘just in case’.
“It was indeed extremely disgusting,” she admitted. “It retained sweat and dead skin so much that it changed colours and when I scratched it, it’d reveal a bit of its old colour. When it was new, it was light grey, but now it’s yellowish/greenish/dark grey.”
Believe it or not, this nameless woman isn’t the only one to dodge bra washing either. A recent personal hygiene poll by Mashable and SurveyMonkey also found around 35% of UK women wear their bras at least five times before cleaning them.
Commenters on the post also added: “I had one that wore every day for years… I cried like someone died when it finally broke. I don’t know about six years, but apparently, many women don’t tend to wash their favourite bra very often.”
But, aside from the strange colours and smells, is there really any harm in wearing a bra for a little too long? Dr Deborah Lee, a GP at Dr Fox Online Pharmacy, seems to think so – even if it isn’t necessarily obvious.
“It depends on how you define harm. It won’t kill you but it’s not ideal for your health,” she told The Mirror. “A bra should be washed quite frequently because our skin is constantly shedding dead cells, sweat, and oils.
“Bacteria, fungi and yeasts love to grow in warm, moist environments such as under the breasts and the armpits. If you don’t wash your bra frequently enough, it will become contaminated, discoloured and smelly.”
E.coli and salmonella, the bacteria that trigger food poisoning, are among the types lurking on your unwashed clothes, according to Dr Lee. Staphylococcus aureus is another common one too, which can encourage skin infections and even pneumonia if it finds its way inside the body.
She continued: “The yeast, Candida albicans, commonly causes a sore red rash under the breasts known as intertrigo. Viruses such as norovirus, the winter vomiting bug, and the human papillomavirus (HPV) which causes warts and verrucas, also live on dirty clothing.”
As a result of this, washing bras after every two to four wears is widely recommended, but it’s also vital to read clothing labels for further guidance. Dr Lee continued: “Wearing clean clothes is not just important for our physical health, it also helps our mental health.
“When we put on a clean item of clothing, this lifts our mood and improves self- confidence, and self-esteem. Studies have revealed that wearing clean clothes creates a more positive body image. Also, [the Reddit person who did this], she survived.
“Fit, healthy people with a proper immune system are likely to cope reasonably well with the threat of poor hygiene, but anyone with a weakened immune system, such as babies, small children, anyone aged 65 and over, anyone on cancer treatment or steroids, or with type-2 diabetes, is more at risk.
“These people need to be even more diligent about washing their clothes regularly to stay well.”
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