Hygiene (and your gross-out tolerance) plays a part.
JACOBS STOCK PHOTOGRAPHY VIA GETTY IMAGES
“We are bathed, as a society, in feces.”
So says Philip Tierno, professor of microbiology and pathology at New York University. His statement is something to keep in mind when it comes to old underwear. You know, those stretched out, holey pairs that have been in your dresser for a shamefully long time, saved for “emergencies” or laundry day.