Ironing knickers to reduce UTI

[goudacheese]

My mum told me to always iron the crutch of my knickers to kill bacteria. Just wondering if others do and whether it really does prevent infections. I've never had a UTI but this could just be coincidence.

Never heard of this, never iron knickers and never had a UTI.

lol I think it helps to steam your gussets yes but only if you dry your knickers outside on the line. No need to do it to tumble dried ones.

Never heard that and had only a couple of uti’s in my 50 years! I wash mine in the machine, line dry

I've heard of this but only if you are getting recurrent thrush, not as a general thing.

I've never heard of that (or it being the reason why you'd should iron your knickers) but it makes sense - the heat would kill any germs, especially as nowadays washing instructions are cool wash because clothing is synthetic and it's kinder to the planet.

No. Never ironed a thing. Never had a problem.
Almost everything goes on the washing line all year round, yes, even in a cold UK winter. I'm sure the UV light keeps laundry clean.

I've started ironing (well, steaming - I have a steam generator iron) pretty much everything recently (I find it relaxing on a Sunday afternoon, and it means everything folds and fits in the drawers better), and I noticed that my son's PE kit, at first, when I ironed them would let a sweat smell out of the armpits when I did it (despite using hygiene wash, 40 degree wash etc.)

Now that I've been ironing them each week for a while, they don't do that any more - so I do think there could be something in it, especially now that we're all washing at low temperature more.

It's important to wash underwear at 60° in order to kill bacteria.

Don’t be daft
washing things kills bacteria

some people are more susceptible to uti and ironing the gusset would not change this as it’s within their own bodies not due to manky gusset

No, it's not.

It absolutely is. Sheets, towels, underwear all need to be washed at 60° and sheets and towels should be washed at 90° from time to time. If people were cleaner, they would have fewer health issues.

Actually even 60 degrees won't kill all bacteria.

A 30 degree wash certainly won't - nor fungus

I wash at 30 and my Vag health is tip top

I agree that 60° won't kill all bacteria but most underwear has elastic in it that cannot cope with a hotter wash.

Is it not more likely that the rationale is a good ironed gusset is less likely to give you a wedgie?

I had recurrent BV. I now wear 100% cotton knickers and boil wash them every time.
No more pretty matching sets but so far no more BV.

ceramiqIf people were cleaner, they would have fewer health issues

can you link to sources ? What health issues are you referring to to ?

Totally agree, I find only bedding ( pure cotton) with shrink room ok at 60, def with pillow cases, cat and I here

My nan used to say this, I've never done it though.

I have never had a UTI and I have never ironed my underpants. However, I have for the last 10 years been using Canesten Hygiene Rinse on the rinse cycle for everything that I wash. It kills bacteria and fungi. I’m not sure if it is available in the UK, but surely you have other sanitiser laundry products that do the same thing.

My Mum always told me that too. The same with bedsheets, iron them to kill the bugs

But does that impact on the water ways and kill whole ecosystems? 😪

I don't agree (I don't think!) that being cleaner actually reduces illness per se but I do think if you're cleaner in general it means you take care of yourself which in turn would reduce illness. Or something like that

UTIs are caused by either bacteria getting up into the urethra and / or inflammation which can be due to all sorts of things - autoimmune issues, specific bladder issues etc. It would be very difficult for bacteria on the gusset to somersault its way up into your urethra unless you are wearing knickers so tight they’re cutting you in half. Most modern washing powders and pods do kill everything at 40 degrees.

@goudacheese what a lot of shite!!!