'Hear me out': Shelly gets honest about her 'grubby' habits
By Shelly Horton|
Revealing how often you wash your bras, jeans or sheets is hard, and I think people automatically lie. Kind of like when the doctor asks how much alcohol you drink a week.??
OK ladies, be honest. How often do you actually wash your bras?
I'm going to lay down my habits right here, right now to help stop the stigma and start freely talking about bra cleanliness without any guilt or shame. Here it goesกญ?
I like to leave my bras as long as possible, basically. Sometimes I wear them for three or four days, or three or four times, before I give them a wash.?
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When you've got massive cans like mine, bras are a vital, substantial piece of material with metal underwire engineering, and the only thing keeping my hooters from hitting at the knees.?
I don't like to send my beloved bras banging about a washing machine too often.?
In fact, bras are like jeans จC they get better when they're worn in a little.
The main reason I wash them is if they get sweaty. Given I'm riding a wave of hot flushes thanks to perimenopause, and I live in Queensland, which is endlessly humid, I probably wash my bras more often than other gals do. Am I right?
Working from home, I've also started wearing those super comfortable, stretchy, no-underwire, over the shoulder-boulder holders. They go in the wash at the end of every wear.
For everything else, every three of four wears is plenty. And according to the experts, I might even be overdoing it.
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I looked up what Insider.com reckons the going rate should be and rolled the dice with a straight up Google search, and the verdict varies. Some say two to three wears (hey, at least I'm getting close), while others say once every one to two weeks. It's official, even the experts don't have a clue.
It's made me much more comfortable with my tried-and-tested sweat barometer, which I like to pair with a whiff test during times of uncertainty. You know, the big old sniff you've got to give it when you don't remember how many times you've worn the bra because you've pushed it back into your drawer after several not-too-sweaty wears.?
You've got to gauge how it's maturing, so breathe that bad boy in like it's a fresh ocean breeze.
Slightly pongy? Go and chuck it in the wash, and always in a laundry bag so they don't twist up. Can't smell anything but the faint scent of your own flesh? Back in the drawer it goes จC let it ripen some more.
If I've worn one of my lacy special occasion ones at night but not during the day, back in the drawer it'll go. I'm not wasting a wash on a few measly hours.
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I do, on the other hand, let things slide when it comes to bed sheets. I admit, I'm a total grub in this department and only get around to changing them every three weeks.?
It is extremely embarrassing, but I just hate washing sheets. If I was rich and famous, I'd do what Oprah does, which is get somebody to fit fresh sheets onto the bed every single night to give you that snuggly, just washed feeling on tap.
Again, you've got to be Oprah to score that type of luxury and, well, you've got to be a Queensland grub to leave them as long as I do.
Another thing that may or may not gross you out? I don't wash my legs in the shower, but I have a very sensible explanation, so hear me out.
I got laser treatment 15 years ago, so I have no hair and no need to shave, and the only reason you need to wash your legs is when you're shaving, so I don't bother.
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If I've been wearing sunscreen, then maybe, but as my mum says, "Wash your creases" จC armpits, neck, between the legs, just wash anywhere your body creases. That's where you channel your manpower.???
Lastly, I use a loofah and I love it. Health experts say they're disgusting because they gather mould so we shouldn't be using them full stop, but I call BS on that. Wouldn't that same ideology extend to toothbrushes?
My loofah isn't mouldy, and I love the way it lathers up soap while I'm doing my creases, so shove that up your jumper, health experts.?
If it's any consolation, I do go hard on body oil, which I pop on in the shower before towelling off. I'm a big fan of Palmer's Coconut Oil, it's delicious and it's how I moisturise.?
So I'm not that grubby after all. Or am I?
Follow Shelly @shellyhorton1
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