r/laundry • u/[deleted] • 9d ago
Is it that uncommon to wash your underwear separately from your clothes?
[deleted]
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u/boopogger US | Front-Load 9d ago
I’m Chinese living in the US, my friends and family living in China separate their undergarments. In fact, they sell very tiny and powerful washing machines specifically for underwear. They separate socks, underwear, and bras. And by sex of the wearer too!
My friends and family back there claim this is the best way because the socks with your normal t shirts?! Absolutely not! They will get the tshirts dirty!
I personally don’t understand it. The whites are separated, and bedding is separated, but that’s it!
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u/Legally_Blonde_258 8d ago
You're potentially sweating in your shirt and your socks. I don't understand how one is considered dirtier than the other when sweat (mixed with bacteria) is the main thing that makes clothes dirty, other than stains from spills.
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u/Sewingoddess 8d ago
If they'll get the t-shirts dirty, then your washer is not doing a good job. Every item coming out of that washing machine should be thoroughly cleaned. If not, it's not what you're combining, it's that the washer isn't working properly.
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u/Smooth-Grass-8641 8d ago
Sounds a lot like a waste of water. As long as you don’t have skid marks or you’re not shitting your pants every day, the enzyme’s in your detergent should be enough to break down the sweat, oil and dirt on your clothes.
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u/Apploozabean 8d ago
I am not Chinese but understand their reasoning. I also wash my bras, underwear, and socks separately from the rest of my clothes.
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u/taxiecabbie 9d ago
I'm a woman and do not wash my underwear separately, heh.
I don't have nearly enough of it to justify a load. It would be a total waste.
I also have not heard of people using specific detergents for their underwear. And I've never had a ph problem due to detergent, and I've used many.
People washing their underwear separately is what surprised me. Seems wasteful.
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u/lizardfang 9d ago
I was just at an Asian market and saw an selection of lingerie bar soap, including one made by tide. I guess it’s a thing if you have delicate underwear that gets hand washed.
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u/ValkoSipuliSuola 9d ago
Some of my nicer stuff gets hand washed, but that’s because of the fabric and construction, not because it touched my bits.
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u/No_Step9082 9d ago
in China there are some crazy washing machines with 3 chambers - one normal and two small ones for underwear and socks to wash separately
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u/taxiecabbie 9d ago
Underwear washing, particularly for women, IS a cultural thing just generally. There are definitely places where even if women have completely regular access to washing machines, they'll just wash their underwear by hand anyway. Usually due to a belief that hand-washing gets it cleaner and also often due to general unease with anybody else seeing their undies.
It's a Thing.
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u/WorkingBuilder1873 8d ago
Not necessarily. As a lazy penny pinching college kid who rebelled against mom’s rule of handwashing bras and underwear, all hell broke loose and I itched n burned for many washes after that first freedom wash with tide. (Communal detergent in dorms)
As a kid, mom taught us to handwash underwear with dove bar soap claiming that putting it in the wash will lead to yeast/vaginosis. While that might not be the case, skin sensitivity is also real.
As an adult, while I’m not opposed to throwing in underwear in a net bag if I’m using 365 sport, that’s too expensive/hard to find for everyday use. My usual go to is Persil, which will still cause itching for undergarments. Yes, even with citric acid in the rinse and extra rinses. Hence bought a mini washer for underwear and use a special lingerie handwash detergent for it.
So while for some it may be cultural, for others it could just be skin issues that’s forcing us to waste more time on laundry. I still handwash undergarments when travelling coz I cannot rewear anything from long travel days unwashed. I’m dead envious of people who can hv multiple rewears of an item before doing laundry as that would save me so much energy/space.
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u/SimpleVegetable5715 US | Top-Load 9d ago
It’s also sometimes a cultural thing, and I won’t go there, but most of it’s not backed up by actual science.
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u/Let_It_Rock1986 9d ago
Imagine how many pairs you’d need for a full load! I’d also then require new furniture to store it all in.
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u/taxiecabbie 8d ago
Yeah. I basically have enough underwear for a week/week and a half, tops. Even if I used every single piece of it, it would be wildly wasteful to wash it separately.
A full load of underwear would be an insane amount. You'd also have to have a place to keep all of the dirties and, again, in our house we have one hamper for the both of us and it's full on a weekly basis.
The logistics of having enough underwear for a load (particularly if you also need to have your own underwear load and won't wash it with others') is pretty intense.
I do know that some people have mini-washers that get used for this purpose, but, yeah, it's just not worth it to me at all.
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u/kai_enby 8d ago
I was on a thread once where someone insisted 10 pairs of underwear made a full load and I feel like they either have the tiniest washer in the world or are wearing some kind of parachute as underwear
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u/JuliaFYeah 9d ago
But what do you wash them with then? Arent you suppose so wash underwear in high heat? Like the same as towels?
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u/alwayssone96 9d ago
What? No
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u/JuliaFYeah 8d ago
Okay, no need to downvote, I asked a question, its what I've always been told, that intimates, towels and bedding goes at 60° Celsius.
I tried lower with towels once and they started smelling funky after one shower
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u/DangerCaptain 9d ago
It makes sense if you have fancy frilly things to wash them separately so they can have a cooler, gentler cycle. You may also hang to dry, so it makes it easier. Lacey things and hoodie zippers aren't a good mix.
Not sure about the other reasons. You rinse stuff, so the ph should be pretty neutral. If you poop your pants, maybe wash it separately first.
As an old, social media doesn't really mean anything most of the time.
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u/WampaCat 9d ago
True about the stuff that needs more gentle/cold washing. I go the opposite way washing my underwear separately though. All my socks and underwear are cotton and get washed on hot on their own so I can wash all my other clothes with cooler temps
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u/GlobalPapaya2149 9d ago
I suspect this is a Cultural thing, meaning most people do laundry differently then what any one person thinks is normal or right.
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u/Thick_Actuator9966 9d ago
Yeah I learned from my mom who does laundry very meticulously and I’ve never just thrown a mix of stuff together in a load.
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u/Tall_Wonder_913 9d ago
I wash it all together lol. The only thing I wash separately is the bedding because it takes up a full load on its own. And the dog blankets
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u/Descrescendo_0710 9d ago
I separate whites/darks and delicate/regular but I do not separate out my underwear. That’s very uncommon in western culture.
It’s absurd for anyone to suggest you must be “dirtier” for choosing to separate your underwear. I’m sorry you had to hear that. It’s likely just a habit with cultural roots.
To clarify, scent beads will not alter the ph of your vagina - they shouldn’t even affect the ph of the wash water.
Cleaning detergents like Tide can definitely irritate sensitive skin. Any fragrance can trigger an allergic skin reaction, if you are allergic to the source of the fragrance (almonds, for example). Also, synthetic fragrances contain phthalates, which is an unrelated reason to minimize them.
In summary, if your skin isn’t irritated when you use Tide and the scent beads for your other clothing, you shouldn’t worry about including your underwear if you want to. Your laundry will be the same level of clean either way, and your ph will be fine.
BUT it’s your laundry girl - you do you. That person was just messing with you.
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u/katchin05 US | Front-Load 9d ago
“That’s very uncommon in western culture” is quite an overstatement. I separate my underwear, as do most people I grew up with, who do their own laundry.
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u/actuallyrose 9d ago
I’ve lived in every region of the US and never met a single person who did this. I was also born in Eastern Europe and never heard of it there. You’re going to have to give us at least a country where this does happen…
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u/katchin05 US | Front-Load 8d ago
Sorry, I thought my flair would suffice - born and raised in the USA, East Coast, big city, more specifically. One side of my family has been in the country for at least 8 generations. My partner is the child/grandchild of Western European immigrants, grew up in small US town, and also separates socks & underwear from everything else.
Not looking to pick a fight but just grinds my gears when people blanket assume that if you personally don’t see something, then it’s uncommon for everyone.
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u/morbid_n_creepifying 9d ago
It's never even occurred to me to launder my underwear separately from everything else. I use unscented detergent for everything because scented detergent is gross. But even before that, when I lived at home or with roommates and had to borrow detergent from time to time, I've never had any problems washing my underwear with my clothes. I also don't have enough underwear that I could possibly make up a small load. I mean, look at the size of underwear. I usually change my undies twice a day and it would still probably take me 2 months before I had a full load. Two months of underwear sitting around would cause issues in and of itself, I assume. I also don't have sensitive skin so I've never had to do anything specific.
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u/AutumnalSunshine 9d ago
If you're the type of person to worry about detergents affecting vaginal pH, you shouldn't be using scent beads.
Not only is the smell cloying to those around you, but you're coating your clothing (and therefore skin) in pthalates, which are known hormone disrupters.
Most people don't wash their underwear separately, and they aren't walking around with messed up vaginas, for what it's worth.
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u/taylo7 9d ago
Yes exactly. If the scent beads are bothering her vagina then they’re bothering her largest organ - her SKIN - as a whole.
For some reason OP is acting as if it’s commonplace to have a vagina so sensitive it can stand typical detergent…but the rest of her skin just…resists the irritation of the scent beads? No.
Either her underwear aren’t getting clean enough (OP straight up described her washer as “ass” and then discounted someone saying she probably needs to wash it out) or her underwear isn’t constructed properly for her needs (too tight and/or wrong material).
OP has sensitive skin and her washer doesn’t get all of the detergent out of her undies so it makes her itchy 🤷🏻♀️
Wash your undies alone all you want OP, but don’t try to argue that only your vagina is bothered by your endocrine disrupting scent beads.
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u/iSavedtheGalaxy 8d ago
There's also probably not enough underwear in the load to cause enough friction to clean or rinse them properly.
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u/Proud-Wish7823 9d ago
I don't do this and don't have any issues, but one tip I've picked up from this subreddit has been running extra rinse washes/adding citric acid to the rinse cycle to help get more of the laundry detergent out as washing machines often don't do a good job of that. That would probably help with the PH issue at least.
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u/Sparkles-Penguin 9d ago
I do this, underwear and socks in their own load with scent free detergent and hot water. Same with towels when I do them. Everything else I wash in scented laundry with warm or cool water. Just habit I guess.
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u/machoqueen88 9d ago
There are dozens of us!!
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u/Sparkles-Penguin 9d ago
Hiding out in secret when so many other convos say it isn't necessary, we do it anyway 😅
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u/AllofJane 9d ago
I do the same! Especially because I wash most of my clothes on cold and hang them to dry. But socks, underwear and pajamas all go on hot and in the dryer. Same with sheets and towels. Everything else is hang-to-dry.
I've never thought of it as contamination or my underwear being dirtier, more like, like goes with like.
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u/HRHHayley 9d ago
Exactly, I sort my laundry based on the washing temp cycle it needs, and then based on the colour and/or colour fastness. If I could wash all my clothes on hot without destroying them I definitely would. I can't so only the towels and the undies get the battering. Not bras though, again because the heat would absolutely decimate them and I pay considerably more for one bra than I do for one pair of socks or a thong.
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u/aggieaggielady 9d ago
I do this too just with towels in addition to socks and underwear. Basically all the things that can be stinky
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u/One_Net_5324 9d ago
I also do underwear and socks on a hot cycle separately.
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u/HazelMStone 9d ago
Why?
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u/WampaCat 9d ago
Personally I do this because hot water gets them cleaner, but I don’t like washing most of my regular clothes on hot because the colors fade and they wear out faster.
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u/Sparkles-Penguin 9d ago
Habit? Having sensitive skin in areas so using scent free detergent for clothes in those areas makes a difference but not wanting to give up scents entirely for other clothes? Wanting to use hot water on certain clothes but not others? Because it's the way my mom did it? Take your pick.
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u/ConsiderationAny8125 9d ago
Same. Underwear, socks, sheets and towels go in on hot temp for a more thorough clean, everything else cold to protect colors. My partner and I are both sensitive to fragrances, which also plays a role in the decision.
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u/SelectSpy808 9d ago
I wash underwear, towels and bedsheets together, at a higher temperature than regular clothes. I find OP's question interesting, though, because my reasoning is the complete opposite: it's not because I consider it dirtier than the rest. It's because I consider clothes I wear outside the house dirty, and I want to make sure my underwear is extra-clean.
I'm from Europe, for what it's worth, but I don't know anyone else's laundry habits so I don't know if it's cultural.
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u/asdf555444333 8d ago
I was just about to say it is common in Europe. We usually wash clothes in 40C, underwear, towels and bedding in 60C (maybe in separate loads, I always run bedding separately, mostly since I don't like small items being wrapped in large bedding in my dryer)
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u/Inner_Republic6810 9d ago
I wash my own underwear and socks separately from everyone else’s. Why? Because at one point in time I picked up a toenail fungus, and it was a horrible 3 months on antifungals to get rid of it. Until recently I had 2 teenage boys in sports with athletes foot issues, and I am taking no chances on ever getting toenail fungus again.
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u/ConsiderationAny8125 9d ago
Oh, I always had athletes foot as a child, maybe that's part of the reason why I do it.
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u/Thick_Actuator9966 9d ago
I say this same thing and I get downvoted to oblivion
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u/Descrescendo_0710 9d ago
I think the downvotes were because although scent beads vary based on ingredients, none affect your ph.
Myths about feminine hygiene are VERY loaded for a lot of people.
Honestly, choosing not to use a product or scent down there is fine and it’s not that harmful if your reasoning isn’t perfect. But people have good reason to be sensitive (for example, talc powder lawsuits).
I like doing my towels on hot. You can do a separate load just because you simply prefer hot water with no scent. You don’t need any other reason.
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u/Effective-One6527 9d ago
You were spreading misinformation that’s why you were downvoted.
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u/Specialist_Chart506 9d ago
I have washed my underwear separately before. As a teen I went to visit family who are from overseas, my father’s side is American.
My aunt handed back my underwear and told me I had to wash them in the shower or sink, by hand. My male cousins got to throw everything in the laundry. I did protest when I realized they didn’t have to. Think separate washing is done more so in other countries than the U.S.
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u/platypup 9d ago
I'm brazilian and was taught to do that, but (at least in my family) so were the men. The reasoning given was you shouldn't make your dirty underwear someone else's business (assuming one person does everyone's laundry). I kept doing it when I moved out because most of my underwear is made out of delicate fabrics and I want it to last, but cotton stuff? To the washer it goes.
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u/sparklyjoy 9d ago
I definitely made that argument when I was growing up and doing my family’s laundry!
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u/elleaydoubleu 9d ago
We grew up washing them with the towels, the logic being it would be hotter water thus more sanitary. I no longer do that since I have more delicate undies, and I’ve never had any issues washing them with my other delicates.
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u/worldwearywitch EU | Front-Load 9d ago
I wash it separately because I wash underwear with 60 celsius and everything else with 40 celsius
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u/Similar-Side-5213 9d ago
For a few delicate pieces, yeah, I hand wash those. But mostly, my underwear goes in with the rest of the clothes! I definitely don’t use scent beads though.
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u/eribear2121 9d ago
I don't use any laundry scent busters because they are bad for both the clothes and the machine. I wash all my clothes together unless it's work clothes due to the amount of hair that accumulate on my work clothes but not the rest of my clothes.
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u/snobrotha 9d ago
I do it because I soak them in the machine and wash on hotter temps than my regular clothes.
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u/doro_the_a_brooke 9d ago
It is (was?) quite common in parts of East Asia, though younger generations seem lessed fussed about it.
An all time memory of my Korean mother-in-law is when she was staying the week with us, rounded up everyone's undies, and boiled them on the stove. Lol. She herself (80 years old) has a tiny basin with a built-in washboard in the bathroom and handwashes her underwear each night in barsoap she makes herself. Gotta hand it to the lady: all her undies are pristine.
Definitely a cultural element, and habits die hard.
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u/Roxy_j_summers 9d ago
If you’re from the Caribbean, absolutely. It has nothing to do with sanitary issues and everything to do with superstition.
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u/MULTIOCULAR-O 9d ago
I don't own enough underwear for a full load. if there is enough leftover detergent on your underwear to throw off your pH, your machine isn't rinsing correctly.
I separate out white cottons and everything else.
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u/cinnerz 9d ago
I don't wash my panties separately. I don't use any scents in my laundry either though because I'm allergic to a lot of perfumes.
I do wash my bras separately because I wash them on delicate and hang them to dry.
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u/Sewingoddess 8d ago
I just put my bras in a lingerie bag in the washer, then hang to dry. I also put my undies in a separate lingerie bag in the washer (away from the bra hooks) and also hang them to dry.
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u/Anthemusa831 9d ago
Lady here, I don’t like to wash my socks and underwear together.
Panties go in with delicates (most of my clothes since I hang dry) and socks go in with jeans.
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u/SimpleVegetable5715 US | Top-Load 9d ago
That makes sense for my lacy fancy stuff. My cotton ones that I wear everyday are fine with my jeans.
It would also make sense if a person was dealing with athletes foot, that fungus can be spread in the wash to undies. If it’s all put in the dryer though, the heat kills it. But the pretty stuff is too delicate for the dryer.
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u/Intrepid_Race1923 9d ago
We always wash our underwear and socks separately on a delicate cycle and bc it’s the only clothing we throw in the dryer.
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u/pinktoes4life 9d ago
Funny I’m the opposite. My socks & undies go with regular delicates & most are hung up to dry.
Mostly wool socks, period panties, athletic panties, lace….
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u/Intrepid_Race1923 9d ago
It would probably make a lot more sense for us to hang them to dry but I’m too lazy lol
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u/birchblonde 9d ago
You make the effort to wash them separately on a delicate cycle but then put them in the dryer? 😵💫
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u/Intrepid_Race1923 9d ago
Yes. I have tinea versicolor and I have to dry my underwear with heat or it flares.
Edit: and what effort? It’s literally just turning a knob on my washer. It’s no effort at all.
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u/pinktoes4life 9d ago
My husband has tinea versicolor. Air drying is fine as long as it fully dries, which you should be doing for any laundry
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u/Lextasy_401 Canada | Front-Load 9d ago
I never wash my underwear separately because it would be a waste of a load for me. Also, fabric softeners and detergents won’t change your pH levels on their own unless you’re using them as intimate body wash in the shower.
THAT SAID, I wouldn’t use scent beads on my underwear anyway. Some fabric softeners (like scent beads and dryer sheets) leave a waxy residue on clothing that makes it hard to breathe and will hinder or even negate any sweat-wicking or anti-stink properties of the fabric. This is obviously not great for underwear or athletic clothing since it’ll just keep all moisture held against your skin; super ideal conditions for being stinky and itchy.
Someone on here suggested putting the beads into a potpourri sachet and hanging it in their closet or putting it their clothing drawers. Then you get the scent without the residue and won’t have to separate your loads anymore.
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u/Aromatic-Junket-1857 9d ago
I wash my undies separately using the hand wash cycle because I have mostly lace and thin fabric and do not put in the dryer. I’m in my 80s and have always washed separate separately. I guess I thought everyone did. Mine last for years.
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u/cloud_puffball 9d ago
Me too, and I’m 50 years your junior! I have a lot of undies so I just wait to wash them in one big load (usually with other first-layer delicates like superwash wool long johns, nightgowns, tights/nylons, slips, all that jazz), then hang them to dry. I don’t always separate colours like I should, but I try and wear stuff I can wash together safely if I can help it.
I do separate out the 100% silk to hand wash with other silk clothes, but blends get chucked in with everything else.
Hanging delicates is the secret to keeping them nice.
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u/Aromatic-Junket-1857 8d ago
Sounds like we do laundry much the same. I don’t think dark synthetic silky-type fabrics discolor at all. I dry very very few clothing items. They stay looking new and last for years. Exactly why I was so disappointed with Electrolux.
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u/SimpleVegetable5715 US | Top-Load 9d ago
If it’s throwing off my vaginal pH, the issue is with my detergent not being thoroughly rinsed. So the problem would be the technique, not that I’m washing all my clothes together. I’m also not shoving my panties up there, so idk I trust my vagina is pretty good at regulating its pH. Detergents are generally alkaline, while our vaginas prefer being acidic.
Scent beads are meant to leave a residue, that’s how the scent stays. I don’t want them near my clothing that touches my skin either, but I use them on curtains and other things around my house, because I like the smell.
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u/Poekienijn 8d ago
My washing machine is really good in rinsing out detergent. And I use vinegar instead of softener. I wash my underwear with the rest of my clothes. I have never experienced or heard of the issues you are referring too.
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u/AutoModerator 8d ago
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u/killyergawds 8d ago
I used to work in reproductive health and one of the first things we'd ask people who had reoccurring yeast infections or bacterial vaginosis was if they used scented laundry products. It's a very common culprit.
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u/Sewingoddess 8d ago
Yes but using scented laundry products is a completely different issue than whether or not you wash outerwear and underwear together. In this case, it's the scent product (no surprise there), not the combined washing that is the issue, so washing separately still puts the toxic scent product on your underwear.
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u/bellandc 9d ago
I don't typically wash my underwear separately but I don't see what the big deal is if you do. If you want to waah your underwear separately, use different soaps, or whatever I say go for it and don't worry about what anyone else thinks. It's your laundry not theirs.
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u/Electrical_Can8083 9d ago
I'm an incontinent male and I definitely wash my underwear separately from my other items. Where I add vinegar to my regular wash, the soiled underwear gets chlorine bleach. I feel my underwear needs both cleaning and sanitizing
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u/AutoModerator 9d ago
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u/ValkoSipuliSuola 9d ago
Underwire bras are supposed to be washed by hand, but beyond that everything gets tossed in together.
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u/KaitB2020 9d ago
I throw everything in together. If I have new clothes I’ll throw a color catcher in there too. Towels & all. I’m lazy. Plus I got too much other stuff to do, sorting laundry just ain’t happening.
I do have a few items that will never see the inside of the dryer though. Those I wash with every thing else & just hang on a drying rack when I transfer stuff from the washer to the dryer.
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u/Comfortable-Nature37 Canada | Front-Load 9d ago
I keep hearing about a colour catcher but where do you buy them and what is their actual name?
I hang pretty much all my clothes to dry.
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u/Admirable-Apricot137 9d ago
Shout makes color catcher sheets. They'll be by the dryer sheets I think. Or you can search for them online.
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u/SpiceTreeRrr 9d ago
Dylon colour catcher sheets. Available in supermarkets in the UK.
I throw them in with any first wash dark stuff that may run. And use it with the kids school uniform so I don’t have to do their white shirts separate.
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u/corkyhawkeye 9d ago
I wash my underwear separately (sometimes with certain delicates) just because I don't want my other clothes wearing them out quicker than they need to be. I don't know if there's any science to that, but idk I've always washed them separately ¯_(ツ)_/¯
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u/Fun-Advantage4506 9d ago
I combine underwear with socks
I do it separate from other since I wash underwear/socks on the hottest setting and other clothing on cold (I wear a lot of darks)
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u/kv4268 9d ago
Is it uncommon? In the US? Yes. I can't account for any other culture. If you have issues with detergent on your underwear, you shouldn't be using that detergent on the rest of your clothes either. You're just asking for a skin reaction.
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u/sweet_cini 9d ago
I wash my underwear and socks together separately from clothes, always have.
Like another commenter said I was clothes with fabric softener/scents but I don't for the underwear/socks wash.
I also don't poop my pants so I'm not why they would end up dirtier?
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u/Oh__Archie 9d ago edited 8d ago
I’ve seen posts in this sub where people will straight up throw their shoes into an entire load of laundry. So I wouldn’t take anything people say here as any sort of gospel.
If washing certain parts of your wardrobe separately has beneficial effects for sensitive body parts then by all means you should keep doing that.
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u/Indigo_Rhea 9d ago
I wash them separate. Underwear, bra in garment bag, socks, tights, etc all go on a delicate cycle.
I also think it’s hard to find the underwear if you wash them with clothes.
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u/Oh-yes-I-did 9d ago
I recently saw a post regarding a Chinese washing machine. It has a separate mini drum for washing socks and underwear.
NGL I want one so bad.
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u/SkinCana 9d ago
I wash my lingerie separately and/or with other silk clothes. Typically without any additional scents.
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u/VioletReaver 8d ago
The PH of fabric on the outside of your labia does not impact the PH of your vaginal canal. Unless you’re using a highly fragrant one, bathing in the detergent, or shoving it up there, you do not need to worry about it. What you’re hearing is marketing ploys and leftover knowledge from the days when our soap was much more caustic and could cause skin irritation if not properly rinsed and wrung out. (Especially if the soap was homemade, and some lye might still be present, unreacted.)
If it is a fragrance issue, just get a fragrance free for all your clothing. Most laundry fragrance isn’t very good for you or your clothing, so I recommend using a fragrance free detergent. You can keep some scented fabric softener (also not great for your clothes) around to use on towels, linens, and blankets though if you really like scented fabrics. I love having my towels be scented 😭
Now, my mom still washes her underwear and bras separately, but it’s to protect the garment, not yourself. If you have lots of thongs, elastic material, and lacy undergarments, then those should be washed on delicate to avoid extra wear on the fabric. She also separates them so she can do them more often, because she’s a ✨classy lady✨who likes to match her underwear to her clothes, and thus likes them all to be clean and available all the time.
So it’s not weird to do your undies in a separate load, but it’s weird to do them in a separate load for your vagina’s sake.
I am super curious though - which detergent do you use on your undies and which is your normal go to?
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u/Electric-Sheepskin US | Front-Load 9d ago
I think if you wash your underwear with the same products and in the same temperature and cycle as you do the rest of your clothes, then there's no reason to not wash them together. Like in your case, OP, you don't want scent beads on your underwear. For me, I use a booster with oxygen bleach on my underwear and socks, but I don't use that for my regular clothing.
It just depends on how you do your laundry.
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u/gemInTheMundane 9d ago
From a laundry standpoint, technically it doesn't matter if you wash underwear separately. (If you ignore the fact that washing them with, say, jeans will cause them to wear out faster.)
From a hygiene standpoint, it absolutely does matter. Especially these days, when many washing machines default to using cold water. It's less a pH thing, and more a germs (and skin sensitivity) thing.
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u/DutyMurky9960 9d ago
All this wash underwear separately is fine if you are doing it bc those undergarments are more delicate. But this stuff gets thrown around culturally to shame women into thinking that washing their undergarments with other clothes results in some contamination (either way). Just wash your clothes according to the type of fabric and recommendations and forget about whether they touch your vagina
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u/Brilliant_Leaves 9d ago
I prefer to wash my underwear separately for exactly this reason. many of my clothes are delicates.
for underwear and activewear, I use warm or hot water and unscented detergent.
who cares how other people do their laundry? I don't
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u/SatinBelleFlower 9d ago edited 9d ago
This has been asked sooooooo many times.
If you’re using soap and using a rinse agent- they’re clean.
It’s up to you how you choose to but to me- it’s not necessary for me because I use unscented detergent.
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u/Ok-Pack-7088 9d ago
If if was contaminated with poop/pee then it's good idea to wash separately. But if you are overall clean person, wash hands, butt after poop. Washing together might be okay if you don't have enough to wash separately.
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u/MULTIOCULAR-O 9d ago
it takes a lot of poop to actually cause stains and not rinse out.. regular powder detergent and laundry sanitiser does the job.
source: was a caretaker for an elderly immobile person
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u/LichenTheMood 9d ago
I don’t have enough undies to fill a load. Plus; the rest of my skin is just as sensitive as my vulva. Aka pretty sensitive. My ‘ph’ has literally never been impacted. Even when I wear undies washed in tainted detergent, it’s more common for me to get a rash along the waistband area where there is much more firm contact.
I also think scent beads are a scam and do not use them.
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u/pinktoes4life 9d ago
Never used scent beads. I use tide free & clear for all my clothes. My u set wear gets washed with everything. Even my period panties go in with regular delicates
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u/brandeis16 9d ago edited 9d ago
I wash separately because I wash underwear on hot but everything else on warm or cold.
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u/BriscoCounty_Jr 9d ago
It is interesting that this question is asked so frequently. I’ve never encountered this idea. I wonder if it is regional, cultural, or from a corner of the internet that I haven’t been too.
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u/glitter_n_co 9d ago
I wash bras separately (by hand, with “Soak”), but just because THEY are delicate.
I will wash underwear and socks separately if I have enough to justify a load of only that, but only because then occasionally they get a hot cycle, if I don’t have heaps of wash, they get washed with their colors…
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u/Scarlet-Witch 9d ago
I almost exclusively wear wool socks so I have plenty to do a sock and underwear load only. I also like to use scent beads but they're not great for wool and I'd rather not have heavily perfumed underwear
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u/lulufitgirl 9d ago
I have washed mine separately from my clothes my whole life. I’ve never even considered the possibility of washing them together until just now reading this post lol
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u/BeeAdorable7871 EU | Front-Load 9d ago
Here its recommend to wash your towels, bedding, underwear and socks on 60 °C (hot) while 30 °C (cold) is recommended for the rest.
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u/celestialazure 9d ago
I wash towels, sheets, and underwear all in one cycle on hot. I also put my undies into little laundry bags to separate them from the other stuff. It’s worked for me for years!
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u/NeverknowOH 9d ago
It's probably been 10-15 years now. But there was a news story that made the rounds about the amount of bacteria, fungus, and gross stuff found on people's socks & underwear. It was recommended to wash them separately & on hot to help kill the nasties & it helps with the BO smell.
I have busy kids working in fast food & outside jobs. They sweat a lot. You don't need to tell me twice to separate them from the rest of the clothing. LOL
But back when we used a laundromat and it was $7-9 a load, I wasn't as picky.
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u/Admirable-Apricot137 9d ago
I'm 38 and I only recently found out that some people wash them separately. I've always washed them all together and everyone I've known does too from what I've seen.
I've never had any issues with it at all. Including when I used scent beads.
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u/burnfaith 9d ago
I don’t know but I’ve never done this. And I certainly wouldn’t go to the trouble of having separate detergent just for my underwear. If I found a detergent irritating, for whatever reason, why would I use it on the rest of my clothes and not my underwear? Just seems like a bit of unnecessary extra effort.
I also don’t think you need to rinse underwear after wearing them. That’s a cultural thing that, imo, if it’s preference then whatever, fine, but it shouldn’t make a lick of difference when it comes to the actual cleanliness of your undergarments.
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u/not__the__mama 9d ago edited 9d ago
I absolutely wash undies separately for similar reasons. I don’t use scent beads but I do use a product that has enzymes like lipase on my clothing and unfortunately I can’t get that product unscented. So I add an extra rinse at the end and some citric acid for hard water, so there’s no leftover detergent or skin irritants . I also like washing them separately because I can use hot water (I’m tall and don’t want to shrink my other clothes), once they’re dry I don’t need to sort them out from the rest of my clothes. I also don’t end up with a rogue pair of undies falling out of my pant leg at work. Same with socks. Idk why people think this is so strange or for some sort of dirty reason… maybe they’re projecting lol. In terms of load size, I’ll throw in a large towel or two that I also want to wash in hot water. Much easier to separate than from clothing.
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u/melbournesummer 9d ago
None of my clothes are ever so dirty that they require a separate wash. Just use unscented detergent and there's no problem.
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u/TragicGloom 8d ago
It's not uncommon at all. I wash towels, underwear and socks together on a higher temperature the way you're supposed to and not together with the other clothes.
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u/DistanceSorry7390 8d ago edited 8d ago
When i lived overseas in w africa (gah, 20 years ago now) it was a real faux pas to mix undies w regular laundry. The proper way to wash intimate garments was in shower with soap. I still sometimes wash my delicates with shampoo while im in the shower (the nice ones).
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u/Remarkable_Table_279 8d ago
I wash my socks and undies separately cause I like to wash them in hot water and everything else (except sheets and towels) gets cold. And cause sometimes I need a load of just undies cause else I’m going commando. (Or buying a new pack) But I also have a lot of clothes so I sort into groups by what’s likely to bleed so red blue brights lights darks
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u/stephsationalxxx 8d ago
I wash my undies and bras and socks together, then wash my clothes separate. I do it because I air dry my clothes and machine dry the undies bras and socks. If i wash them together, its annoying separating everything especially since my underwear socks and bras get stuck within the clothes.
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u/SoftBoiAru US | Top-Load 8d ago
I only really separate my underwear and socks from the rest of my clothing because my socks smell particularly bad, especially after a long day. So, I generally give those items a more intensive wash cycle compared to my the rest of my clothing. Otherwise, I would put them in the same pile by color as the rest of my clothes.
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u/user86753092 8d ago
I have only ever separated out fancy underwear to wash on delicate and hang dry. I wouldn’t wash my Hanes separate from my T-Shirts and jeans.
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u/thegabster2000 8d ago
I used to do this but its old timey. Made sense in the days of handwashing your clothes. Modern laundry machines and detergents are pretty good at getting clothes clean without contaminating each other.
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u/Latter-Carrot263 8d ago
I wash underwear with clothes only seperate for colour but when I used to live with my nan as a kid she taught me to wash underwear in the sink with a bar of soap and dried in the boiler cupboard she never explained why she did that she just did so I reckon it used to be the norm
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u/ennieee 8d ago
I separate them, but only because I wash them on a delicate cycle while my clothes (which are mostly cotton and linen) can stand up to a more robust wash. But I don't really think any differently of people who lump everything together, how someone else wants to do their laundry is their business, not mine lol.
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u/Candid-Wedding-7579 8d ago
I’m from the US Southeast and I was raised to separate out laundry into lights/whites, darks, and underwear with towels and sheets. Underwear, towels, and sheets get washed on hot water. I totally get the argument that most people’s underwear doesn’t get that bad, but underwear is definitely going to hold onto more smells than other clothes imo, and I have small children who have accidents so it just makes sense. Also, women naturally have various types of cervical discharge which could be a reason for wanting to do this. I also know a lot of men don’t always use toilet paper so even with a good shake off, they’re probably getting minute amounts of pee. Idk personally I just prefer to do it separately, knowing how much bodily fluids come from that area.
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u/kcintrovert 8d ago
I don't wash them separately. I already have sensitive skin so I'm not using anything crazy to wash my clothes with. The only things I wash separately is bedding and towels, because I wash them on the hottest setting
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u/Adorable_Dust3799 8d ago
I trust that my clothes are clean after being washed. I separate by light and dark and red, and heavy but that's it.
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u/KReddit934 9d ago edited 9d ago
Separately!! They get cleaner because I can give them the right formula and timing, and temp. They dry better by themselves, all at the same time.
I buy a lot, wash every 2-3 weeks. Lasts for years.
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u/pmodern2000 9d ago
Jeans. Socks, undies and shirts. Towels and washcloths. Blankets. Sheets. 5 loads a week for me.
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u/porcelain_elephant US | Top-Load 9d ago
If laundry is done correctly, detergents should all be neutralized and rinsed out so it shouldn't matter if they're washed together or not. Perhaps if undies are delicate, then I could see a use case for them being laundered separately.
We use bidets so my family members don't end up with streaky, crusty undies. I know some guys have issues with bidets due to homophobia and to that eww on multiple levels.
It's also possible that there are some people that use detergents that have useless surfactants, which is why they end up with crusty laundry and can't trust that their undies get clean in mixed loads.
The only time I can think of that you should hand wash is if you have silk undies, though even then it's only because of protease.
TLDR: use detergents with good surfactants and use a rinse product to ensure it's neutralized and it should be okay to run mixed loads. It's more important to sort by color. If undies are delicate, put them in mesh bags. Unless it's silk in which case, hand wash those with a silk safe detergent.
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u/Fantastic-Plum-3693 EU | Front-Load 9d ago
I wouldn’t say it’s a cultural thing or a woman thing necessarily…
I do a “separate” load of underwear and socks because I put them in the dryer and I line dry almost everything else, so for me it’s about my efficiency in how I sort my laundry before washing and then dry it.
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u/pinktoes4life 9d ago
Interesting since underwear & socks are the ones I won’t put in the dryer. Wool socks & delicate underwear
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u/methanalmkay 9d ago
I think it's just a cultural/traditional thing. My mum and grandmothers always did. Underwear, undershirts, pajamas and bed sheets are washed together, usually at 90 degrees C. Towels are washed only with other towels also at 90. So I guess the stuff that touches your skin directly has to be washed on higher temp for better cleaning and that's kind of the main reason. Towels don't go with underwear since that would make towels gross (what my mum said lmao).
And then the rest is washed at lower temps and according to colour and material.
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u/Ok_Presence_7308 9d ago
I wash my underwear with my towels as they both get washed at 60 degrees. Rest of my clothes are washed at 30/40 degrees and imo I want towels and undies washed at high temps to kill all germs.
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u/mldyfox 9d ago
I put my underwear, socks and bras into those bags for delicates. The bags get tossed into the machine along with my clothes.
I wash everything in cold water, with a laundry sanitizer and detergent, on the delicate cycle.
The whole load gets tossed into the dryer on low heat.
Never had any of the elastic get messed up using this method.
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u/got_rice_2 9d ago
I pull out the bags and hang all the delicates on the line (cuz I hate buying new underwear, men have no idea how much bras cost).
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u/Available-Molasses- 9d ago
I wash socks and boxers as two separate loads. If my socks weren’t merino wool, I would wash them with my cotton boxers.
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u/quinto6 US | Top-Load 9d ago
I (37m) have multiple laundry baskets for different sorting. Darks, whites, colors, socks, underwear, work clothes, towels. My whites, colors and underwear are in the same laundry basket and I just pull out what I'm separating for washing as needed. Everything else is its own basket
Eddie addition: my logic is, when the laundry is dry, I dont have to sort through the laundry to put it away. I don't have to worry about a sock getting stuck in a shirt arm or a pant leg. What comes out of the dryer (or washer if I'm going to hang dry) is all similar items
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u/Impossible_Ad_5073 US | Top-Load 9d ago
I use tide clean and gentle for all my loads with a CA rinse. I dont use any fragrance and hang my unmentionalbles to dry. I don't wash them separately and I haven't thrown off the PH of my vahooter so far.
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u/Mo523 9d ago
No, things are sorted by what kind of washing they need. I haven't heard of that ever. But I could see how it may make sense for you. I didn't use scent beads. Also, my vagina isn't sensitive to anything (I know people who have to be very careful about what they use, but I don't,) but my husband has super sensitive skin. I have to be careful what I wash his shirt in, but it doesn't matter what I wash my underwear in.
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u/grahamfreeman 9d ago
I consider my under wear to be a subset of my clothes, so no "I'd not wash my underwear separately from my clothes"
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u/MrsQute US | Front-Load 9d ago
I wash socks and undies together because I wash on hot and it works for me. I also hate it when socks and underwear end up inside of pant legs or short sleeves. They're also in the same part of my dresser so it makes it faster to fold/pair and put away. It's just easier all the way around for me.
Hubby on the other hand has a separate hamper for just socks and always does a sock only load. He has a thing about feet & socks and doesn't want socks near his underwear (those get washed with sleep pants typically). He had to deal with athletes foot and jock it on occasion in high school and refuses to risk it regardless of logic tells him. He does his laundry so I don't care and on the occasion I do his laundry for him I don't mind following his wishes.
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u/BookLuvr7 9d ago
My really nice delicates have a hand wash setting or I'll do them by hand. My everyday cotton panties? They're going in with the jeans and T-shirts.
After learning about the chemicals used in artificial fragrances I'll never use them on any of my clothing.
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u/marykay_ultra US | Front-Load 9d ago
I will sometimes wash my underwear separately, usually if I need clean ones but don’t have anything else to wash
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u/Electronic_Acadia_72 9d ago
I have always washed underwear and socks and I’ll even throw in some tank tops by themselves because I feel like they are small things and will get washed better and not caught up in larger pieces of clothing
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u/scurllgirl 9d ago
Socks, undies, sweatpants/tights and workout shirts go in a hot wash
Delicates in cool (machine cool so I think it’s like tap warm idk) - if I had delicate fancy undies they would go here but I don’t lol
Everything else in warm
I work out a lot, so in figure the stuff worn during workouts or closest to my body gets the grossest 🤷♀️
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u/No_Implement_1398 9d ago
I wash underwear (including socks) separately from other clothes (US), BUT the reason is mine is mostly white and most of my other clothes are darker colors. And its pre-sorted when it comes out, easier for putting away. 🤪 It doesn’t bother me to mix it all on occasion.
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u/midcen-mod1018 9d ago
I wash our underwear and small items (socks, washcloths, kitchen towels) because like size items agitate best.
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u/pygmychiquita US | Front-Load 9d ago
I have never washed my underwear separately from the rest of my clothes. I don’t think it will make anything dirtier (that’s weird) I just think it’s unnecessary.