What Happens If You Don't Do Your Laundry Enough

No one likes doing laundry, I mean, right? I think it's fair to say that kind of blanket statement about doing laundry. It can be heavy, it can be strenuous, it involves a lot of waiting time — there's literally nothing fun about doing laundry ... which is maybe why we all try to avoid it as much as possible.

I can't be the only one who's wondered about getting another day out of a pair of socks or underwear by turning them inside out. I can't be the only one who's put their jeans in the freezer to rationalize why it's OK to wear them a dozen times with out washing them. I can't be the only one that's literally bought a new article of clothing to avoid washing one I already have.

Unfortunately, though, for us laundry loathers, not washing can actually be dangerous. For you and for those around you. Fabric can play host to a variety if bacterial, fungal and viral infections, and even transfer them to other people. It's not just your underwear that need to be washed on a daily basis — washing your sheets on the reg is also super necessary. Here are four disgusting things that can happen to you if you fight your laundry (spoiler alert: they're totally disgusting):

Exposure To Feces

In each average load of dirty laundry, nearly an ounce of feces are present. That's poop, in case you're unclear. You don't have to actually defecate in your underwear for there to be traces of feces — merely average wear over the course of a day will yield small traces of feces. Think about that next time you try to convince yourself that it's OK to wear your undies for more than one day. And think twice before re-wearing something that's been sitting in the hamper next to a pair of day-old undies — contamination is real.

Irritation From Dead Skin Cells

If you're a human, you sweat. Over the course of a day, your sweat transfers into the fibers of your clothing and your bedsheets, and bacteria begins to built up. Most of the bacteria that comes from sweat is not dangerous for your health as much as it is for your smell. But extended exposure to this bacteria can irritate your skin and cause infections in open skin.

Allergies From Mold

You don't have to have an allergy to mold in order to be negatively affected by it. Mold loves humid environments and your body heat can create just that with the help of your sweaty clothes. Exposure to mold does more than just irritate the skin — if inhaled, it can cause serious respiratory issues and is nothing to take lightly.

Illness Causing Infections

As we've already learned, feces can be found in our dirty underwear. Within those feces, traces of E.coli can be found, in addition to various viruses, and bacteria. If your dirty underwear have been hanging out near any of your other clothes, they will be infected with the same diseases. One thing leads to another, and suddenly a small trace of Norovirus found in your underwear has made it to your roommate's mouth and they're infected. No, this is not the premise to Outbreak 2, this is a real danger with dirty underwear.

Now that we're all aware of the fact that even at our cleanest, we're walking diseases, we'll have to make more of an effort to wash our clothes with a little bit more concern. If you're looking for a simple guide to understanding your laundering requirements, check out this list.

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