# When do you toss your undies?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-you-toss-your-undies/132348
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [October 15, 2002, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-you-toss-your-undies/132348 "2002-10-15T16:18:05Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)
#### Post date: [October 15, 2002, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-you-toss-your-undies/132348/1 "2002-10-15T16:18:05Z")
Yeah, yeah, I know - “When Tom Jones comes to town.”
I was folding laundry last night, and I noticed that some of my undergarments are getting kinda ratty looking. I’d consider the number of holes, the amount of fraying, and the stretchiness of elastic when deciding whether to fold or discard the item, but I couldn’t tell you what my criteria are. Certainly not color - I’ve accidentally bleached colored panties, or washed whites with reds, getting pinks, and that makes no difference. A single hole doesn’t matter, or even more than one, but what’s the deal breaker? Dunno.
I suspect it comes down to my mood. If I’m feeling frugal, I save everything. Otherwise, I may be more inclined to toss tatty drawers and bras.
So, do weigh in on this less-than-earth-shattering issue. When do your unders become undesirable and replaceable?
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### Author:  [@TeaElle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TeaElle)
#### Post date: [October 15, 2002, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-you-toss-your-undies/132348/2 "2002-10-15T16:32:03Z")
If the elastic separates from fabric or the crotch panel seams (on the seamed pairs) start unraveling, they’re gone. I wash all of my undies on the delicate cycle, though, so it takes a while for them to really get that worn.
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### Author:  [@roadrunner70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roadrunner70)
#### Post date: [October 15, 2002, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-you-toss-your-undies/132348/3 "2002-10-15T16:47:17Z")
I tossed mine back in '93. [Kramer] And I’m _lovin’_ it. [/Kramer]
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### Author:  [@Dumbguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dumbguy)
#### Post date: [October 15, 2002, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-you-toss-your-undies/132348/4 "2002-10-15T16:47:40Z")
Call me old fashioned, but I keep mine until they’re ready to leave on their own.
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### Author:  [@EchoKitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EchoKitty)
#### Post date: [October 15, 2002, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-you-toss-your-undies/132348/5 "2002-10-15T17:04:05Z")
I just took inventory over the weekend. They just didn’t have any pizazz anymore, so I pitched 'em. I will put them in the “do not wear” pile for months before I actually send 'em packing. Just in case.
The reason behind this is that I actually DID have an accident and I was wearing shabby underwear. I was conscious of it the whole time. Yikes!!!
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### Author:  [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)
#### Post date: [October 15, 2002, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-you-toss-your-undies/132348/6 "2002-10-15T17:10:40Z")
When do you toss your undies?
Right before I toss my cookies.
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### Author:  [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)
#### Post date: [October 15, 2002, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-you-toss-your-undies/132348/7 "2002-10-15T17:28:55Z")
When Mick takes the stage?
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### Author:  [@Bumbazine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbazine)
#### Post date: [October 15, 2002, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-you-toss-your-undies/132348/8 "2002-10-15T17:31:55Z")
I toss mine when the elastic waistband separates from the rest of the assemblage. Actually, they go into the ‘rag’ cupboard to be used as paint rags or to wash the cars or whatever. Sometimes they creep back into the laundry and have to be disciplined, but that’s another story.
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### Author:  [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)
#### Post date: [October 15, 2002, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-you-toss-your-undies/132348/9 "2002-10-15T18:02:26Z")
OK, I’ll 'fess up. I have two levels of undies: the good ones, and the older ones that I wear for “party week.” When I buy new ones, everybody drops down a level and the ratty ones get tossed.
Does no one else have this system?
Oh, and for bras I seem to hang on to the old ones “just in case,” and then never wear them again because I like the new ones so much better. How dumb is that?
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### Author:  [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)
#### Post date: [October 15, 2002, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-you-toss-your-undies/132348/10 "2002-10-15T18:07:19Z")
party week?
Color me intrigued.
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### Author:  [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)
#### Post date: [October 15, 2002, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-you-toss-your-undies/132348/11 "2002-10-15T18:12:36Z")
Uh, that would be the one week every month when a woman might be inclined to wear other than her nicest panties. Get me? 😉
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### Author:  [@ghandi5569](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ghandi5569)
#### Post date: [October 15, 2002, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-you-toss-your-undies/132348/12 "2002-10-15T18:17:54Z")
Bras get tossed when the underwire decides to attack the boobs rather than support them. It’s Mutiny of my Booty! 😃
Panties get tossed when they fall apart or I decide I’m not going to wear them anymore.
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### Author:  [@In\_Conceivable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/In_Conceivable)
#### Post date: [October 15, 2002, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-you-toss-your-undies/132348/13 "2002-10-15T18:25:57Z")
Life is too short to wear ugly underware or uncomfortable bras.
I pitch underware when they start to get ratty and bras when they start to get uncomfortable.
Of course I wash everything on a delicate cycle and in a bag so it takes them awhile to start to go bad.
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### Author:  [@Gorgon\_Heap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorgon_Heap)
#### Post date: [October 15, 2002, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-you-toss-your-undies/132348/14 "2002-10-15T18:36:44Z")
I’m keeping my eyes on one particular pair right now. Every few weeks they seem to get a little worse, but I haven’t fallen out of them yet, so I’m keeping them.
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### Author:  [@Bongmaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bongmaster)
#### Post date: [October 15, 2002, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-you-toss-your-undies/132348/15 "2002-10-15T19:02:32Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Scarlett67 \*
> \*\*OK, I’ll 'fess up. I have two levels of undies: the good ones, and the older ones that I wear for “party week.” When I buy new ones, everybody drops down a level and the ratty ones get tossed.
>
> Does no one else have this system?
>
> Oh, and for bras I seem to hang on to the old ones “just in case,” and then never wear them again because I like the new ones so much better. How dumb is that? \*\*
Right here, same exact system! 🙂
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### Author:  [@Shera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shera)
#### Post date: [October 15, 2002, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-you-toss-your-undies/132348/16 "2002-10-15T23:34:01Z")
I haven’t thrown out panties in a long time. At least not in the last six or seven years. I accumulate them. I only have about ten pairs that I ever actually wear, but I have have at least forty, maybe fifty. As for bras, I usually keep those too. I actually have a special drawer specifically for bras that I never wear. How sad it that. I am such a pack rat.
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### Author:  [@medstar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/medstar)
#### Post date: [October 15, 2002, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-you-toss-your-undies/132348/17 "2002-10-15T23:40:56Z")
I, too, toss bras when the underwire starts attacking me. As far as the panties, I buy all cotton granny panties until I have about 30 pair. I wait until I have two clean pair left and I do a wash. I save just starting to disintegrate panties for THAT WEEK and toss them when the elastic waist surrenders.
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### Author:  [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)
#### Post date: [October 16, 2002, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-you-toss-your-undies/132348/18 "2002-10-16T00:27:04Z")
I toss mine when the elastic gets so frayed that I have to pull them up constantly. I save some less-than-desirables for “heavy likelihood of staining times”, too. BTW, I also have one old set of sheets I use that week.
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### Author:  [@Cosmopolitan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cosmopolitan)
#### Post date: [October 16, 2002, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-you-toss-your-undies/132348/19 "2002-10-16T00:29:14Z")
Bras: Attack of the Underwire gets a bra tossed, as does severe ripping of a seam somewhere.
Panties: N/A
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### Author:  [@Jojo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jojo)
#### Post date: [October 16, 2002, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-you-toss-your-undies/132348/20 "2002-10-16T00:58:20Z")
Am I a pervert for being a male who’s quite enjoying this thread?
As regards underwear, I let skidmarks be my guide (eventually they’ll point towards the door).
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