Women are unique in the underpants-buying-market in that they sometimes try on underwear before buying it. And that means that the underwear you buy might have been previously tried on by somebody else. And THAT means you absolutely, 150% need to wash your new panties before you wear ’em. Not only can germs like staphyloccus, MRSA and norovirus live outside the body for two days, but there are potentially thousands of chemicals used in the textile manufacturing process. And who knows whether your underpants were dropped on a dirty store floor at some point? Better safe than sorry, especially when it comes to underwear.

MORE: Why You Need to Wash New Underwear Before You Wear It