# Do you fold your underwear? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 29, 2025, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-fold-your-underwear/1023498 "2025-09-29T22:21:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2025, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-fold-your-underwear/1023498/81 "2025-10-02T05:11:16Z")
> [@Nars\_Glinley](#): > > if I cared about FIFO That’s a big “if”. I really don’t. ---
**Author:** ![Die\_Capacitrix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/die_capacitrix/32/9_2.png) [@Die\_Capacitrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Die_Capacitrix)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2025, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-fold-your-underwear/1023498/82 "2025-10-02T12:14:26Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > Wouldn’t it be convenient just to grab the one “combo pack” of garments in one go? This is how I pack for trips: A shirt, pair of socks and a pair of underwear are folded/rolled together. Bras are kept separate. No searching to find the socks which match the shirt. I don’t include shorts or trousers, because those will change depending on the temperature. I don’t do this at home, as I have many more permutations, as I have more pairs of shoes, hence more sock choices. Hubby has multiples stacks of tshirts. He has a method to ensure FIFO. Which is why he folds his shirts and puts them away. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2025, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-fold-your-underwear/1023498/83 "2025-10-15T17:46:45Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > Why have I always let my clothing storage practices be dictated by the tyrannical arbitrary principle of garment-type segregation??!? _Resist tyranny!!!_ 😃 I can see that that would work well for some people. I rarely wear shoes at home, though, so I put on a fresh pair of socks every time I wear shoes when I go out. Which could be anywhere from zero to two or three times in a day. I’m just not going to re-use a smelly pair of socks, even if I only wore them for an hour or two. It’s not like extra pairs of socks won’t fit in the next laundry load. OTOH, the number of pairs of underpants I wear in a day is almost always 1. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2025, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-fold-your-underwear/1023498/84 "2025-10-15T17:51:37Z")
I’m the reverse. I usually use one pair of socks a day, unless I’m dancing hard, when i might use 2 or even 3. But I’ll never put on a used pair of underwear, even if I’ve only with it for an hour. So if i take a shower mid day, I’ll always change my underwear. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2025, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-fold-your-underwear/1023498/85 "2025-10-16T12:14:36Z")
Statistically, I can’t see how FIFO makes your underpants last longer _as a whole_. In fact, if you wear all your undies at equal frequency, that means they’ll all get worn out at the roughly the same time, which can lead to a crisis. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2025, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-fold-your-underwear/1023498/86 "2025-10-16T13:52:24Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > But I’ll never put on a used pair of underwear You don’t turn them inside out for a second wearing? 🤫 > [@Alessan](#): > > Statistically, I can’t see how FIFO makes your underpants last longer _as a whole_. In fact, if you wear all your undies at equal frequency, that means they’ll all get worn out at the roughly the same time, which can lead to a crisis. I don’t find this to be true. They will all start wearing out around the same time but not exactly the same week, so first one pair goes into the trash, then a couple of weeks later another one gets tossed. Now I’m on notice to go buy a couple of new packs. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2025, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-fold-your-underwear/1023498/87 "2025-10-16T13:59:48Z")
> [@Spiderman](#): > > I don’t find this to be true. They will all start wearing out around the same time but not exactly the same week, so first one pair goes into the trash, then a couple of weeks later another one gets tossed. Now I’m on notice to go buy a couple of new packs. But before you buy them, if you suddenly need a pristine pair of underpants for a special occasion, you don’t have one, whereas I have a whole bunch of them at the bottom of my pile. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2025, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-fold-your-underwear/1023498/88 "2025-10-16T14:10:07Z")
I was taught one should always wear clean underwear in case one has an accident; but isn’t that what an accident is??? 🤔 Seriously, who sees my underwear except my SO, the doctor (scheduled physical) or someone glancing over in a locker room? If I’m wearing a tux at a wedding no one there should see my underwear short of a split pants wardrobe malfunction. What kind of special occasion do you need pristine underwear for? ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2025, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-fold-your-underwear/1023498/89 "2025-10-16T14:12:53Z")
Well, to be blunt… if you think there’s a chance you might be gettin’ some, so to speak, then wearing nice underwear is only polite (and may increase your chances!) ---
**Author:** ![abcdefghij](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/43a26b/32.png) [@abcdefghij](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/abcdefghij)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2025, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-fold-your-underwear/1023498/90 "2025-10-16T14:16:49Z")
> [@Spiderman](#): > > Seriously, who sees my underwear except my SO, the doctor (scheduled physical) or someone glancing over in a locker room? Says the guy with underpants on the outside ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2025, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-fold-your-underwear/1023498/91 "2025-10-16T14:38:12Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Well, to be blunt… if you think there’s a chance you might be gettin’ some, so to speak, then wearing nice underwear is only polite (and may increase your chances!) Yes, this is the only situation where i think it might matter. My doctor never sees my underwear. They talk to me for a bit, then ask me to uncover whatever parts they need to physically examine, and leave the room while i do that. I usually shove my disreputable underpants into my pants when i disrobe. I suppose the ED doctors or the EMS team might see my underwear while cutting off my clothing after a major accident, but i can’t imagine my somewhat worn-out underwear is remarkable enough that it would distract them. But i like to have a range of underwear because: 1) > **possibly tmi** > > When i have a rash, a really plush, new pair may be better for my crotch 1. i like to go through the pretty-good underwear, leaving the maybe-should-replace-soon pairs, because if I’m lazy or busy and don’t want to do laundry, it gives me a week’s leeway of “I’d be happier if i did a load of laundry, but this is good enough.” So I’m very happy putting the freshly-washed on the top of the pile, and digging through the pile to find an appropriate pair for today’s needs. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2025, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-fold-your-underwear/1023498/92 "2025-10-16T14:53:03Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Well, to be blunt… if you think there’s a chance you might be gettin’ some, so to speak, then wearing nice underwear is only polite (and may increase your chances!) I’m in a long-term, monogamous relationship; she’s more concerned with what’s _in_ the underwear than the last garment to be removed, sometimes in conjunction with another garment or sometimes under the covers & out of view anyway. > [@abcdefghij](#): > > Says the guy with underpants on the outside Do not _dare_ confuse me with Messrs Wayne or Kent. 😡 ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2025, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-fold-your-underwear/1023498/93 "2025-10-23T17:33:20Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > I’ll never put on a used pair of underwear, even if I’ve only with it for an hour. So if i take a shower mid day, I’ll always change my underwear. Same about not putting used underwear back on, but since I rarely have a need to take showers midday, I rarely need a second pair of underwear. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-fold-your-underwear/1023498.md?page=4)