AIBU for not rewearing the same trousers after one wear?

[roofusdoofus]

As the subject title suggests, I don’t rewear the same trousers or jeans after one wear unless they’re washed. This means that I end up putting on a clothes wash twice a week and I wash my bedsheets and towels separately, totalling to three washes per week. I have a new housemate who thinks that this is excessive and could easily be reduced to two washes if I just “rewore” clothes between washes.

This may be TMI but my lady area is seemingly very sweaty and even if I wear a pair of trousers once, the private area of my trousers smells slightly like stale urine and it ends up being all I can smell and I end up becoming very self concious. This is really embarrassing to admit but my private area does smell “cheesy” after a working day so I wash my bits every day.

I have gone to see my GP who advises there’s no infections or any causes for concern and that it’s just my natural body odour. I was referred for pelvic floor physiotherapy and she said I have a great, strong pelvic floor and there’s no cause for concern. I have tried every kind of underwear and even trialled wearing panty liners but nothing stops the odour. I have tried pH balancing washes but nothing helps and I shower daily.

I’m embarrassed and self concious by it, but I am more aware of the smell of my trousers or jeans after one wear and can’t bring myself to rewear them unless they’re washed. The smell, to me, is really strong and I just feel dirty and become hyper aware other people can smell it.

AIBU to not rewear trousers or jeans after one wash? I feel my reasons are valid but my new housemates attitude has me feeling guilty.

Sounds like you have hyperhidrosis. Ask the doctors for a referral to dermatology if they look at you blankly. From what I understand they can't prescribe the full strength deodorants like driclor that you are already using on the NHS now, however there are medicines (that work on the sweating as a side effect of another thing they were prescribed for) like oxybutin and probanthane and glyco bromide (I haven't spelt any of those correctly most likely)

Oxy was a life changer for me but only lasted 18 before I was immune to it. It did make me sleepy for about half hour too.

Probanthaine is 50/50 as to if it works or not and I tend not to take it because of the super completely dry mouth and issues swallowing food for a few hours after taking it and hoarse voice(you need to drink a lot and regularly when taking it) unless I'm going somewhere important and have a few hours to go before having to eat anything. You also need to take it on an empty stomach and not eat for at least an hour.

Glyco did sod all for me. My gp was amazed the dermatologist prescribed it as it costs more than cancer drugs. I was given it in tablet and lotion to wipe onto where I needed to and the 2nd month tablet and cream form. It did nothing for me.... Others it works miracles for.

Google hyperhidrosis uk support Facebook. Part of a fabulous group that really helps you know you're not alone.

I have to say I have never understand why people in this country don’t wash after they go to the toilet unlike most of the rest of the world. Surely not washing after a wee is just going to make your underwear and trousers smell of wee.

Try filling a water bottle up and washing after going to the toilet. The only times I have felt any kind of odour issue is when I have had to use the toilet when out without washing when I have been caught short and not had a bottle to wash with. I’m currently on holiday in the Middle East and having a hose next to the toilet is so great for feeling fully fresh.

Natural fibres are much better for not sweating / getting smelly.

Get something hyper strength acidophilus tablets from b&m, the strongest you can as they help your gut Ph which weirdly helps your Fanny Ph (was recommended by my GP). Also keep them in the fridge to help them survive.

When I take trousers/jeans off I spray them with fabric antibacterial spray (not febreze as it’s crap). I also wipe the outside only with damp cotton wool and few drops of tea tree oil. Don’t get that in the internal bits of your vulva. It helps stop the smell developing on the outside skin.

I thought I was sweaty in the crotch area until my menopause specialist pointed out it's more likely that I'm actually slightly incontinent which made more sense

I now wear M&S period pants daily which are a game changer

I also have Tena pants (not the disposable ones) but actual oants like period pants. They work the same and are just as good.

@HappiDaze I am exactly the same, turns out I was leaking a little plus general everyday sweatiness.

I now wear period pants permanently and have no odour issues at all and definitely rewear trousers multiple times. They have just changed my life completely!

Try washing with plain baby soap only. Also check you’ve cleaned off all toilet paper residue - sometimes you may need to wash this off. Some types of TP are worse than others for leaving residue and this can build up and cause odour.

I’m so sorry that you’re going through this, it must be awful.

Immediately, there are few things that you can do:

1. Stop using femfresh, it actually will make things worse.
2. Try using natural yogurt as that does repopulate normal vaginal flora
3. Only wear cotton underwear and take a change of undies to work if it will make you feel better to change halfway through the day
4. Get rid of the cheap synthetic trousers, they will always make you sweat more
5. For armpits make sure that you shower at night and then use antiperspirant. In the morning, just a quick shower to clean your genital area will be fine and it won’t wash off the antiperspirant unless you’re scrubbing your armpits! Antiperspirant needs time to settle in and do its job of blocking the pores.
6. Keep a small packet of wipes in your bag, and after using the toilet and toilet paper, use the wipes to refresh the genital area (dispose in the container for sanitary towels, not down the toilet, and always keep a couple of small paper bags in your bag too, in case there is no sanitary waste bin)
7. Keep pubic hair to a minimum as hair traps sweat and odours. Consider getting it waxed off or using a lady shave type thing but keep on top of it and don’t let it grow long. Be careful with shaving as again, you don’t want to cause micro cuts!
8. Do not wipe your genitals after urinating but use toilet paper to blot the urine and then use wipes for freshening. You may be wiping too vigorously and causing micro cuts in the skin, which in turn will cause smells.
9. Always ensure you go from front to back after using the toilet. So blot the front, gently wipe the back and use the wipes from front to back, gently.
10. Excessive use of soap will make things worse. Use a mild soap that isn’t heavily scented, again that makes things worse. If you are washing your genitals twice per day, and using wipes (Aldi do fragrance free, 99% water baby wipes, so try and get them. You can make your small container from Tupperware or similar for the supermarket). Fragranced products are not your friend.
11. Keep an antiperspirant for your genital area. Do not use it on your genitals but where your thigh meets your genital area (think bikini wax area). Again, use it at night, after showering. Being hairless will allow the antiperspirant to block the pores.
12. Do not wear underwear in bed. Allow the antiperspirant to work and your genitals to have a rest from being constricted. If you absolutely must wear underwear, make sure it’s cotton and one size bigger (it won’t fall down, don’t worry, and the same principle applies if you don’t want a VPL). I have my “day” underwear and my “night” underwear. My daughter thinks I’m a loony tune 😂

I hope that these tips help. They have been collated from part-nursing and part-trial and error, since I’ve lived in hot countries on and off in my life.

Please let me know how you get on.

P.S. The jeans might be making you sweat more, if they’re skinny jeans or tight. Maybe try a relaxed cut which tend not to be as tight on the genital area.

I agree that this is most likely the problem.

Try Australia bodycare interim bodywash on your bits it's available on Amazon

I find the same during ovulation. Maybe try wearing light period underwear.

If it smells like wee, have you tried trimming your pubic hair? Sounds like urine is getting caught there.

You mention washing your bits everyday - could you shower and change clothes everyday? I’m from a hot country where we shower (and shampoo) everyday or multiple times a day, wash clothes after 1 use as well… In the UK I thought it would be fine to just shower every other day and rewear worn clothes like many people here, but then I noticed I was starting to get funky (not noticeable to others though) in parts of my body faster than back home. Even when I skipped a shower back home, I wouldn’t get these slight smells that quickly. So I think there’s something to be said for very regular showering to prevent general bacteria/smell buildup tendencies.

(On the other hand you do have people who claim over washing prevents your body from self cleaning or whatever, but I think the no soap / no poo is potentially a very smelly path to go down haha. It’ll take a hazardously long time to start working imo)

I rewear clothes, but not if they smelt.

I think you need to see a different doctor, you should not just have to put up with that. Or ask for a referral to a specialist.

Gentle use of baby wipes after using toilet paper can help with the stale pee smell. (I wouldn't however flush any wipes, even if they say they're flushable.)

it's more likely that I'm actually slightly incontinent which made more sense

Why would you just accept being 'slightly incontinent'? 😳

It's not a given with menopause. Please look for a solution via your GP, a specialist physio, and if necessary a gynae consultant.

I am very strong smelling naturally, not under arms, just in pants. I deal with it ok.

YANBU at all.
It's annoying having to so washing more often but if you don't feel that the clothes are/smell clean then of course you don't wear them (unless you absolutely have no choice). I do tend to change my clothes fairly frequently so have adapted a bit what clothes I wear in the months where it's harder to dry things as quickly (we do have a tumble drier but I try not to use it loads).
As another poster said, I wish more people would think about this because some folk clearly don't realise how much their clothes smell (I get that some folk will be washing less perhaps due to cost of living issues or other reasons, but I doubt that explains it all).

OK, so I read and posted, and now reading down the more specific comments I'll say you've had some great advice there. Good luck, no reason to feel bad changing/washing clothes as much as you need, however also some great tips to help you maybe not have to change/wash them quite so much.

I think it's absolutely nobody else's business how many times a week someone uses their washing machine or wears their clothes. All this feeling guilty over using it is madness. Clothes, bedding and towels need to be washed?!

I only wear clothes once. I don't like food smells that hang onto the fabric, kids getting mucky snotty hands on me, sweat, being on my period, all things they make the clothes feel dirty at the end of a day.

I use my washing machine once a day for the previous days clothes. Our household fills the wash basket in one day.

If I don't wash daily then I would only end up using the machine several times in one day to catch up. Then wet washing hanging around everywhere smells musty after a day of 'drying'.

This means that I end up putting on a clothes wash twice a week and I wash my bedsheets and towels separately, totalling to three washes per week

Clothes can be washed with towels and or bedding, there's no need to separate them. Just put together a full load of whatever needs washing.

try and buy cotton trousers
avoid synthetic trousers

I don’t wear trousers twice but jeans I don’t wash unless smell or dirty. I’m not sure about the smell I hope you find a solution. I also get a sweaty crotch!

also dont use soap
or use simple soap on the outside

everything that @JoanOfAllTrades said basically