Can this simple practice keep you from getting sick? Or is it a waste of laundry?
I have a bit of a routine that I only recently realized might not be the norm for everyone.
In short, I have dedicated 鈥渙utside clothes鈥 and 鈥渋nside clothes.鈥 I can鈥檛 imagine lounging around the house in the same clothes that I wore to work or out to run errands. I live in Manhattan, and even when I leave the building to take out the garbage or run to the corner bodega for milk, I pull on specific sweatpants and Uggs to do so. I consider this a clean, sanitary routine.
I鈥檓 also an evening shower person 鈥 I take one almost immediately after returning home (and before I put on my inside clothes). I鈥檝e never given much thought to whether doing these things actually makes any difference or not.
Until, that is, a few months ago, when, during a conversation with friends, I realized not everyone shared my predilection for designated inside clothing. Granted, most everyone in my friend group said they eventually changed clothing after arriving home, trading in what they鈥檇 been wearing outside for something more comfortable 鈥 but none of them necessarily did so because of concern for cleanliness or germ transmission.
That led me to wonder if there鈥檚 any science behind my madness. Here鈥檚 what experts said when I interviewed them on the matter.
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Can germs from public spaces really find their way into your home?
Any time we venture outside, and especially when in a populated public space, we鈥檙e exposed to all sorts of germs, some of which can potentially make us sick.
According to Shanina Knighton, a nurse and infection preventionist at Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing at 扒哥黑料, 鈥淧reventing public contaminants from entering the home is a key infection control measure.鈥
She explained that spaces where our exposure to bacteria, fungi and viruses increases include public transit (specifically the seating) and work settings, especially when cloth is involved. Fabric-covered benches or seats on trains and buses can potentially harbor more pathogens than those fashioned from wood or plastics.