A pair of purple women’s knickers lies discarded in a laneway in Enmore, Sydney. “There you go,” I say. “Give ‘em a wash and you’re right!”
“Ewwww!” is the reply. But why? If the knickers are washed, then they’re clean. Can there possibly be anything worse on these “found” knickers that isn’t already in, say, a 3-year-old’s poo-filled pants — which likewise get washed and worn again? In with the rest of your washing, no less!
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Tags: hygiene
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04 January 2008 at 9:24 pm
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29 December 2007 at 12:06 am
Quatrefoil
There’s a bit of a difference between washing and reusing one’s own knickers and someone else’s. But the argument holds true for hankies - I don’t understand why people think hankies are disgusting when they’re prepared to reuse their own underwear.
29 December 2007 at 10:25 am
Stilgherrian
@Quatrefoil: But what is the difference? Dirty cloth goes through washing machine with chemicals, becomes clean cloth.
30 December 2007 at 12:31 am
Quatrefoil
Well, yes, in theory. I have to say that with my elderly washing machine I’m not convinced that the effect is a as total as it might be. But rationality aside, I’m willing to wear second hand clothing (and frequently do), but underwear is different, because, as everyone knows, you can get pregnant from toilet seats, so surely you’re going to get some raging STD from found undies.
That said, I might make an exception if they were really nice undies. Silk for example. But I might need to disinfect them in the microwave after I’d washed them, and when my friend did that (with her own underwear) she ended up with charred ruins.
And I have given very slightly used underwear away to close personal friends, but only after asking them if they were ok with the concept first.
30 December 2007 at 12:43 pm
Stilgherrian
@Quatrefoil: These friends who have your used underwear… can I have their phone numbers…?
Actually, I know one young guy who makes a reasonable profit selling his once-used underwear on eBay. Maybe that’s a story for another time.
02 January 2008 at 3:08 pm
Quatrefoil
Well, if you know someone with a kink for Target cotton underwear of the kind worn by the no-longer-young, traditionally-built woman …
02 January 2008 at 6:50 pm
Stilgherrian
@Quatrefoil: You know when you get that feeling that you never should have started a particular conversation topic…? I think I’m having it now.
03 January 2008 at 12:10 pm
Cassie ST
Well, considering the creative displays you blokes seem to make of said items during bucks nights, Xmas parties etc. …. you’d think there’d be no problem with the idea of wearing properly washed, found underwear.
03 January 2008 at 5:51 pm
'Pong
C’mon for the sake of entertainment
04 January 2008 at 12:06 pm
Stilgherrian
At the risk of extending this discussion even further, the knickers in question are still in the laneway — though a little less pristine after a fortnight exposed to the weather. Should I get another photograph?
04 January 2008 at 2:10 pm
'Pong
Why not, I say.
04 January 2008 at 3:05 pm
Zhasper
please do!
04 January 2008 at 3:17 pm
Cassie ST
Only if you’re wearing them on your head ….
04 January 2008 at 6:27 pm
'Pong
There you go. Here the idea of your portrait.