Doctor says we've all been washing our underwear wrong - and it's disgusting

Many of us have been cleaning our knickers and pants all wrong - and it means we're still wearing dirty underwear, even if they've just come out of the washing machine

We all know the drill - change your underwear daily and keep them sparkling clean with regular washes.

But, brace yourselves, because you might still be slipping into not-so-fresh briefs despite your best efforts. A health expert has dropped a bombshell, claiming that a lot of us are laundering our undies all wrong, leaving behind a horde of bacteria.

Dr Lisa Ackerley, also known as The Hygiene Doctor, has revealed that if your washing machine isn't cranked up to a specific heat, it's not doing enough to exterminate the germs on your garments. This means you could be donning dirty drawers without even realising it. And there's more - she warns against tossing your undergarments in with other household linens.

Talking to HuffPost, Dr Ackerley warned: "With knickers and pants, anything under 60 degrees won't kill the bacteria. Don't put the knickers in with the tea towels on a low wash, because you might have faecal contamination in your knickers and you wouldn't want that near your kitchen."

So, those delicate wash cycles at 30C or 40C, or mixing them with your other laundry, haven't been getting your panties properly pristine. It's a grim thought, indeed. For those who can't crank up the heat on their washing machines, there's no need to fret – you can still keep your underwear free from faecal nasties.

Dr Ackerley recommends adding a laundry sanitiser to your wash to kill off any lurking germs. And if that hasn't already made your head spin, brace yourself for another shocker: there's actually a 'wrong' way for women to wipe post-loo visit, according to Tap Warehouse.

Their survey across the UK revealed that a surprising 33 per cent of women wipe from back to front – a method that could lead to uncomfortable infections. While men might get away with this technique, women risk transferring bacteria from the anus to the urethra, potentially causing urinary tract infections, warns Dr Luke Powles from Bupa UK.

He advises: "A woman's urethra and anus are quite closely located, so it's best to wipe from front to back. Otherwise, you could be spreading faeces from the anus to the urethra. Spreading bacteria to the urethra can lead to a urinary tract infection."