Every few months, the world informs me I am disgusting in a new way (I should replace my pillows every two years; my toothbrush is a petri dish, etc). But surely the revelation in the Financial Times that we should be changing our underwear every six months doesn’t come as a shock only to me?

To clarify swiftly, that’s “change” as in throw away and replace. “Doctors generally recommend replacing underwear every six to nine months,” the article explains. “Because, quite simply, washing doesn’t remove everything.”........

© The Guardian