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.

Line drying is probably by far and away the best thing , in sunlight.

I’m a minger and am remarkably healthy. I like to think I’ve built up resistance. 🤣

Yes line drying sorted out many laundry issues that tumble dryers give us.

My Zimbabwean cousin is fanatical about ironing, especially seams as they harbour some real nasties. I did say she'd probably be okay now that she lives in Southampton.

It is true. I have long term bladder issues (30 years plus) - I’m under two specialists for it and advise on a bladder health forum. There really is no need to be ironing your knickers in the hope of killing bacteria. If this worked we wouldn’t have the 9k plus members in the persistent UTI group I’m in asking for help- it would a simple fix!

Line drying in sunlight is great for killing bugs but (a) not everyone has a garden or balcony with direct sunlight (b) sun just isn't freely available all year long in Northern Europe (c) fabrics and dyes don't always like sun as much as bacteria etc hate it.

I don't think ironing knickers is necessary or desirable. Washing them hot, alone (not with tea towels etc) is really important and any doctor who doesn't recommend this is ignorant.

The 60 degree thing is BS, we don’t wash our bodies at 60° but we do use soap which agitates anything on our skin that we want to remove.

Detergent does the same for clothes. I wash everything at 50° because living in a hard water area, anything below that just doesn’t get clean. Since I started doing that, we never get stains or anything anymore.

I use a 30c wash with antibacterial for socks and underwear and line dry. Never hot wash anything and haven't been ill for years. I very careful about personal hygiene too but have never been the sort to contantly antibac work tops or the kids toys when they were young.
Might have been lucky but apart fro the odd cold 9 /10 years upwards they were mostly bug and grot free.

Same 👌

I always steam iron mine

Its not too bad actually. I only buy black and it does fade quite quickly but the elastic doesnt disintegrate or anything like that.

Well I live in a country where many people wash in cold water, and we seem to survive.

I've never ironed my knickers, and have only had a very few UTIs and none for many years.

I dont have enough knickers to do a wash by themselves. 🤣
They go in with everything else that gets washed at 90degrees.

Utter rubbish!! I have no health issues, and am very rarely ever ill (I'm in my mid 60s). I will continue to wash everything in cool/cold water, thank you!

I started washing everything at 60c, no more deodorant stains or foisty smells.

Wow 90 degrees! Nothing is surviving that!

Yes I think 60 definitely keeps things like bedding and underwear fresher.

I cold wash most clothes though, partly for the environment and partly because the heat is quite hard on them.

Bedfing, towels and underwear come out fresher after a good wash at 60.

Modern tumble dryers don't get that hot but UV does kill bacteria, so the other way around, really.

Yes many dryers are now condensers which really are not very hot at all.

I've never ironed a gusset, always wash underwear at 40, line dry after and have never had a UTI or thrush etc. I also wear solely thongs which everyone on here seems to think are unhygienic and cause infections. I dont wear any underwear in the gym, shorts only.

I will only wear a thong again if I wind up in Hell and Lucifer takes a special dislike to me and clamps me in one for Eternity.

Having my bits scissored by a taut string is one sensation I cannot abide.

Simple. Wear cotton. Wash at 60.

Gawd you learn that people are proper mingers on threads like these. 🙄

I agree with the post about washing at 60 degrees to kill bacteria, but as I wish to conserve a little elastic in my underwear, I wash at 40 but use Dettol laundry sanitiser - it seems to work.