This is why your vaginal discharge is discolouring your underwear

Have you spotted bleached patches on your panties? Has it filled you with panic? Well, here’s why your vaginal discharge is discolouring your panties.

wearing wet underwear
Bleached underwear? Blame your vagina. Image courtesy: Shutterstock
Geetika Sachdev Published: 26 Feb 2021, 17:29 pm IST
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Ladies, you have a superpower that you didn’t even know about. Any guesses? You can bleach your underwear. Well, don’t raise your eyebrows! Most of you might have encountered this strange problem every single time you wore dark panties. If you noticed discoloured patches on your panties and thought something was wrong with you, then you can sit back and relax because it is actually a good sign. 

No, we aren’t kidding! A bleached patch in your underwear means that your vagina is healthy. A healthy vagina has a natural pH value between 3.8 and 4.5, which means it is largely acidic. No wonder, it leaves an orange patch behind when you send it over for laundry or put it in the washing machine. 

Why does it happen?

As we mentioned above, a healthy vagina is acidic. It can produce large amounts of discharge. Sometimes, the pH levels can fluctuate because of a range of factors, including your hormones, sex life as well as periods.

intimate hygiene tips
Solving the G-Spot mystery. Image courtesy: Shutterstock

Sometimes, wearing light coloured undies might not make much of a difference because you won’t be able to see the bleached patch. But, put on black or dark-coloured underwear and you see it all! 

The vagina has good bacteria called lactobacilli which keep your vagina healthy by maintaining optimum acidity levels and preventing bad bacteria from causing infection. This discharge generally increases when you ovulate, as well as during pregnancy. When this discharge is exposed to air, it can cause a yellow or orange colour stain on your underwear due to oxidation. 

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Just remember that the vagina produces 4ml of discharge every day, and that’s a healthy amount. It is part of your vagina’s self-cleaning process! If you feel that there’s an excessive amount of discharge being produced, then make sure to consult your gynaecologist. 

How can you prevent these stains?

Now, we aren’t saying this because staining your panties is unhealthy. This is mainly because like us, you might not want to spoil your pretty lingerie every now and then!

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First of all, you could avoid stains by wearing panty liners throughout the day which will prevent the discharge from touching your panties. 

You can also rinse your underwear right after wearing it, because if you let it sit in your laundry basket, then it’s bound to leave behind a patch due to oxidation. You could also soak your underwear for a few hours and then wash it. 

So, ladies, fret not because like we said, you all have a superpower! 

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About the Author
Geetika Sachdev Geetika Sachdev

An independent writer and journalist, Geetika loves sharp and fresh humour, just like her coffee! If not writing, you'll find her cafe-hopping and raiding the best book stores in town. ...Read More

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