A Harvard study found that 66% of Americans shower daily. The next question is what they do with their clothes when they shower. Do they wash them or put them back on? So the question that came to my mind was, do I need to change my undershirt every day?
The undershirt should be changed every day as it is in direct contact with the skin. Even if you haven’t sweated much during the day, your undershirt has definitely been in contact with sweat this is why the undershirt starts to smell. A wet undershirt can lead to irritated skin and acne.
In the rest of this post, I’ll give you some reasons why it’s a good idea to change your undershirt every day. I will also tell you in which cases you can wear your undershirt for more than one day and when it is advisable to change your undershirt several times.
Should I change my undershirt every day?
Whether to change your undershirt every day is a personal preference, but it’s a good idea to consider how changing your undershirt affects the way you feel and the health of your skin.
- When sweat comes into contact with bacteria, it starts to smell, which is transferred to your undershirt and other clothes if you don’t change your undershirt,
- Changing your undershirt regularly can make you feel better,
- In cases, if you sweat excessively or after sporting activity, you should also change your undershirt several times a day,
- The choice of materials influences how often you need to change your undershirt.
You can wear the undershirt for several days in a row, but based on personal experience and testing, I can tell you that this might not be the best idea. People feel much better in fresh, smelling, and clean clothes.
Of course, changing your undershirt is not always possible. This is for example in situations like camping, where fresh clothes are not always available. In such a situation, it is quite normal not to change your undershirt every day. If your undershirt is soaked, take it off and let it dry. This way you won’t risk catching a cold from wet clothes and you won’t get irritated skin. You can put the dry undershirt back on to give yourself an extra layer of warmth.
I’ll tell you why it’s a good idea to change your undershirt every day in everyday circumstances below.
Change your undershirt because it’s starting to smell
We wear an undershirt because it is a natural protection against the smell caused by sweat and bacteria. The undershirt is in direct contact with the skin, so it prevents sweat from spreading quickly to the outer clothing. As the undershirt is in contact with sweat, it starts to smell when the sweat comes into contact with bacteria.
Therefore, the undershirt should be changed every day. If you put the same undershirt back on as soon as you shower, you will start to stink because the smell from the undershirt will transfer to your skin. If you use antiperspirants containing aluminium, yellow sweat stains may appear on the underarms of your undershirt, which will not be removed by washing in a washing machine.
Change your undershirt because it makes you feel better
Clean and fresh-smelling clothes give us a feeling of cleanliness and freshness that you won’t get if you wear the same undershirt twice in a row. The undershirt you’ve already worn is wet and smelly, which is not the most comfortable and can even lower our self-esteem.
We also wear an undershirt because it makes us feel more confident and professional. To make sure you always feel comfortable and confident in your own skin, you need to take care of your personal care. Shower after every sporting activity and at least once a day. Change your clothes regularly and wash them at 60 °C to kill harmful bacteria.
When do I need to change my undershirt more often?
You will need to change your undershirt more often than once a day if you sweat excessively or if you wear your undershirt for sport. If you sweat excessively, your undershirt will be soaked and will not have enough time to dry. Wet clothes are uncomfortable and cause irritated skin and acne.
If you know that you sweat a lot under normal circumstances, always carry an extra piece of an undershirt with you. You can change it at any time at work, school, etc. The undershirt can only absorb a certain amount of moisture before it dries. Therefore, wearing a soaked undershirt is not comfortable and can even increase sweating and cause acne.
Materials affect how often you should change your undershirt
Some materials are more absorbent than others, and some materials dry faster than others. The best materials are natural materials, which are comfortable and do not trap odors like synthetic materials.
Natural materials such as cotton, bamboo, and merino wool are absorbent, but not all dry as quickly. Cotton, when it comes into contact with sweat, becomes soaked and dries very slowly. Bamboo is the opposite of cotton as it also absorbs a lot of sweat and also dries quickly. Merino wool absorbs a lot of sweat but is still dry to the touch.
If you sweat a lot, it is advisable to wear an undershirt made of bamboo or Merino wool so that you don’t have to change your undershirt several times a day. The biggest problem with merino wool is that it can wear out faster than other materials and needs more care. On average, undershirts last 6 to 12 months before they need to be thrown away.