Hygiene is one of the most fundamental yet overlooked aspects of our daily living, especially for men. This can be a result of their busy schedule, lack of awareness, pure neglect or indifference.
It is important that, as a man, you make underwear hygiene a basic part of your cleanliness regimen. This is because poor underwear hygiene or a total lack of it can pave way for countless problems ranging from uncomfortableness, skin diseases like scabies, all kinds of fungal infections, bacterial sores and blisters, and viral infections like herpes or protozoal infection.
Discussed in this article is the meaning of underwear hygiene and the best ways to maintain good underwear hygiene as a man.
What’s underwear hygiene?
Underwear hygiene basically means keeping your intimate area tidy, preserved, and in place. It involves all the efforts that go into ensuring and maintaining the well-being and health of the pubic area.
What are the types of men underwear?
According to healthguide.ng, there are four main types of underwear for men, and they include:
Boxers: Boxers are more loose-fitting than most other types of underwear for men. Although it provides no support, it gives more breathability to your crotch area.
Briefs: They are right fitting and shorter. Briefs cover your entire pelvic region but leave the side of your leg and upper thigh exposed. It offers great support but little breathability.
Boxer briefs: These types of underwear for men are a combination of boxers and briefs. They offer support and a little bit of breathability.
Trunks: Trunks are similar to boxer briefs, but they are shorter and square in shape. They might either be loose-fitting or tight and are used for swimming.
The best type of underwear for a man would depend on his height, weight, and stature. However, regardless of which type of underwear you wear, it is essential that you’re hygienic with them.
Here are tips to help enhance your underwear hygiene as a man:
1. Avoid tight underwear
I know you are that cute dude that loves to look smart and fit. You can get fitted wears as much as you can, but this desire of yours should not extend to your underwear.
As a man, always wear underwear that allows air to circulate well in your pubic area.
Wearing tight underwear compromises the health and hygiene of your pubic area.
Your privates demand a fresh wave of air, and tight undies will do nothing but restrict the much-wanted air circulation.
Whether you prefer briefs or trunks, make sure to pick a size that is in line with your latest body measurements and allows a breath of fresh air down there.
2. Wash your underwear regularly
To maintain good underwear hygiene, you need to cultivate the habit of washing your underwear regularly.
Don’t become lazy when it comes to washing your underwear daily. I know you have an endless pack of boxers and briefs, but that doesn’t permit you to leave your worn underwear dirty.
I know some guys are in the habit of wearing their boxers more than once. This habit is unhealthy as it increases the risk of you releasing bad body odour due to contamination by body fluids, and dampness and it can lead to the growth of bacteria.
You should wash your underwear as often as possible. Hence, it is not good to use dirty underwear. If it is dirty or not, it should be washed.
3. Clean and wash up properly after using the toilet
Another way to ensure good underwear hygiene is to clean up properly after using the toilet.
After using the toilet, either for urinating or defecating, you should clean up properly. Don’t allow drops of urine to drop on your underwear. And wash your buttocks thoroughly after defecating to prevent itching and stains.
As much as possible, avoid the use of public toilets in this part of the country because one can’t really guarantee their safety.
4. Change your underwear after sweating
As a result of the daily activities men engage in, they tend to sweat more when compared to their female counterparts.
After long periods of physical activity or strenuous workouts, your underwear would have accumulated a lot of sweat.
If you have perspired profusely, you should immediately change the underwear, bathe, and wear another one. This is because if you don’t change your underwear after sweating, it will lead to sweat accumulation and microbial growth. This would then cause skin irritation, rashes, and infection.
It is also advisable that you change your underwear after the day’s work before you go to bed.
5. Dispose your old underwear
There is some underwear you don’t just feel like disposing of even with the holes in them, right? Maybe as a result of the memories attached to this underwear, you just want to keep them forever.
As much as you want to do that, it is best that you just dispose of them.
You need to treat your undies even better than your t-shirts. If you don’t wear faded t-shirts, why should you wear faded, worn-out underwear?
Make it a routine to replace your underwear every six months. Once they start looking spent and shaggy, it is time you throw them out.
Note that no matter how premium the underwear is, it loses its utility after about 45 washes.
To enjoy good underwear hygiene, discard your old underwear and replace it at least once every six months.
6. Sleep naked or wear boxers
The last and not the least tip to maintain good underwear hygiene is for you to either sleep naked or wear boxers to bed.
Doing this can boost your sleep quality and allow your privates to get enough air.
According to healthguide.ng, studies have shown that sleeping naked can improve sperm quality.
In a recent study, men who wore boxer shorts during the day and slept naked had notably lower levels of damaged DNA in their sperm compared to those who wore tight underpants during the day and at night. It may be because it allows the testicles to be cooler.
In all, it is important you do your best to keep your privates in good and optimal condition. Maintain good underwear hygiene!
