This Is What Could Happen To You If You Don’t Wash Your Bra Regularly

Written by Tanya Arora  • 

The man-made cage to keep your breasts in place, bras are an essential wardrobe item for every woman on this planet! All of us quite proudly own a boastful collection of brassieres, which includes everything – from your everyday t-shirt bra to fancy, special occasion-reserved racy and lacy lingerie.

Now, while we’re sure you do all you can to take proper care of your bras, including hand-washing them and drying them in the shade, there’s one major mistake that you have been making. And that is NOT washing them as often as you should!

This simple and seemingly harmless practice is actually damaging not just your bra but also YOU! Here are 6 shockingly gross things that can happen if you don’t wash your bra on a regular basis:

1. Your Bra Turns Into A Breeding Ground For Microorganisms

The reason why you don’t wash your bra might be that you want to increase its longevity, but you may unwittingly be creating the opposite effect! When you don’t clean your bra, it turns into a breeding ground for different types of microorganisms such as yeast and fungi due to the dirt, oil, and debris that clings onto it.

With each day that you don’t wash your bra, these tend to increase further and further till your bra becomes unwearable! The microorganism growth can even lead to skin problems if you don’t control it, says Dr. Joshua Zeichener, a New York-based dermatologist (1).

2. You Can Get An Infection Or A Rash

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According to WebMD, one of the commonest cause of skin irritation is wearing dirty clothes (2). And your bra happens to be one of them! As mentioned in the previous point, a dirty bra will have microorganisms growing on it and these microorganisms can lead to rashes and even skin infections if you continue wearing a dirty bra day in and day out. Such infections can be red and itchy in nature.

3. Chafing Takes Place

If itching wasn’t a bad enough consequence of wearing a dirty bra, chafing is miles ahead! Not to mention much more painful and impossible to bear. Dr. Robin Travers, who is a Boston-based dermatologist, says that the primary cause of nipple chafing is actually a dirty bra (3). She explains that the sweat on your bra coupled with the dry skin it comes in contact with can chafe your nipples, leading to that painful condition that you’d rather get rid of sooner than later. The takeaway here? Always wear a clean bra!

4. You Can Get Acne

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Yes, you read that right! Wear a dirty bra and you’ll end up with acne. That too in the worst place possible, i.e. under your breasts! This is especially true for women who repeat their sports bra when working out without washing them. The sweat and dirt in your undergarments can transfer to your skin when you wear them, thereby clogging your pores. This can lead to bad acne breakouts in all the wrong places!

Besides that, since bras are skin-tight garments, the build-up of bacteria on your breasts and bra can give rise to friction when you exercise. Combine that with the heat and you’ve got a perfect recipe for a breakout on your back, under the breasts, and on the rib cage!

5. You May Develop Body Odor

Remember all those nasty things that grow on your unwashed, sweaty bra? They don’t exactly smell pleasant. Quite the opposite, in fact! So, over time, you can expect your used bra to smell like hell and once that happens, the stink will definitely find its way to your outer clothes too. Which means you’ll end up with clothes that’ll make people around you turn up their noses all too often! Needless to say, the odor can totally wreak havoc in your personal and professional life.

6. You May End Up With Stains On Your Bra

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To get rid of the stink mentioned in point no. 5, you may resort to deodorants and perfumes, but that won’t be the best thing for your bra. While it’ll definitely cover up the smell in the short run, it’ll end up damaging your bra in the long run!

How, you ask? Well, sweat combined with the chemicals present in your deodorant can leave big splotches of ugly yellow stains on your bra, which can totally ruin its look! Additionally, the discoloration of your bra caused by sweat can be a very stubborn stain to remove. And since bras are delicate, you really can’t go rough on the stains.

These 6 things might seem very nasty, but all of them have one simple solution – wash your bra frequently. Experts recommend washing them after every 3 to 5 uses if you don’t sweat, and washing daily if you do. Cleaning your bra is the only way to keep yourself and your bra safe!

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