A woman has sparked a fiery debate online after revealing that she wears her bras “many, many times” before laundering them.
The unknown woman went to the British parenting site Mumsnet to wonder if she was a “s**nky cow” or a “cave bag,” considering that her sister cleaned her bras after every wear.
She said her undergarments “never seemed obviously dirty,” nor did they hold “any odor” after multiple wears, but she was happy to clean “sweaty” sports bras right away.
The poster divided comments, with one person saying wearing bras more than once gave them the “ick,” while others said it took much longer between wearings.
She explained, “This afternoon my sister and I were chatting and this came up.
An unidentified woman has taken to British parenting site Mumsnet to question whether she’s a ‘cave bag’ for wearing bras ‘many, many times’ before putting them in the wash (stock image)
“She washes her bras after every wear. I’m quite the opposite, my bras are worn very frequently between washes and never seem obviously dirty or have any odor.
‘Am I unreasonable or a dirty cow, or is she a neat freak? I just wonder what the general consensus is?’
She said she came to think about her actions after a conversation at the gym while she and her sister were getting changed.
“The only exception to my rule is sports bras that get sweaty and wash after every wear,” she continued.
The post drew more than 300 comments, as many people shared their own personal practices.
One person said they wash bras after every wear because “sweat lays flat on your skin.”
Similar comments continued to flood the comments section, such as one claiming that the person who washed theirs “after every wear like my underpants.”
“Wearing a bra for more than a day is no fun,” said another.
She explained that her undergarments “never seemed obviously dirty,” nor did they hold “any odor” after multiple wears, but she was happy to clean “sweaty” sports bras right away
Someone else said, ‘Daily. I sweat a lot under my breasts and old sweat stinks and bugs grow’.
Meanwhile, one person said they went a week between washes, adding, “But I don’t sweat.” I also don’t have enough bras to change every day.
Another said, ‘Every three or four days. I thought everyone did this too? To me, bras are just not the same as underpants in that respect.”
“Every day because I breastfeed, but used to be every other day,” said another.
Meanwhile, one person explained, “Wear it two or three times unless it’s been a super hot day.”
The poster divided comments, with one person saying wearing bras more than once gave them the “ick,” while others said they went much longer between wearing
“Honestly, I wear them from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and as soon as I get home they go off, so I don’t really wear them all day and don’t do any active work.” If I noticed they were discolored or smelly, I’d wash them more often, but that’s not the case.
“The same goes for jeans and sweaters, and some dresses. Also saves less washing so is better for my free time versus shopping balance and the environment.
After studying the comments, the woman decided to call herself a “cave bag.”
In an updated post, she wrote, “Hahaha looks like I’m a cave bag!” But unless I’m working out or sweating in a really hot climate, I don’t really sweat!
‘I do wash Knickers after every wear, but I play fast and loose with sweaters, bras and jeans!’.
Some might see the poster’s habits as an effort to save money, similar to the “no-wash” trend.
The ‘no-wash’ and ‘low-wash’ laundry movements, which have swept across the US in recent weeks, see people re-wearing dirty clothes and underwear for days in an effort to cut costs.
Spurred on by concerns about water and energy consumption, many believe that conventional washing with detergent is not necessary to maintain clean, odor-free clothing.
The new movements focus on limiting the number of washes – or eliminating them completely – to reduce wasted water and energy.
Many conscious consumers also claim it helps limit exposure to harmful chemicals often found in conventional laundry detergents.