Surprisingly, these patches have nothing to do with your washing machine. Instead, they are caused by the natural pH levels of the vagina.
These patches indicate a healthy vagina. pH levels measure the acidity or alkalinity of a substance, and as one informative Twitter post explains:
“Now that everyone is aware, it’s completely normal to discover lighter patches in a woman’s underwear or knickers due to the acidic nature of the vagina, with a pH range of 3.8-4.5. So, I suppose it’s time to abandon the notion of it being a result of poor hygiene. In fact, a healthy vagina is one that can bleach the fabric.“
Dr. Vanessa MacKay of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists clarifies: “The vagina has a self-cleaning mechanism through natural secretions. It contains beneficial bacteria that serve to protect it.”
