Behind the scenes
Galaxus survey: 7 in 10 people in Germany dry off with dirty bath towels
by Jana Pense
Germany in goblin mode: 1 in 4 men don’t change their underwear daily
22.3.2023
Translation: Katherine Martin
Since the pandemic, we’ve been spending much more time at home, with sweatpants becoming our working-from-home dress code and our beds becoming our living rooms. So what does this mean for our personal hygiene? A representative survey commissioned by Galaxus has revealed that 1 in 3 people in Germany wash their bed sheets too infrequently. Not only that, but a quarter of men don’t change their underwear daily.
In a nutshell, going goblin mode means holing up at home, being lazy and sloppy, and disregarding social norms and expectations. So how clean are the Germans in their own homes? Market research institute GfK polled 1,500 people aged 16–74 on Galaxus’ behalf, selecting a representative sample of the German population.
Still squeaky clean?
A glance at the data by age group reveals Germany’s 16 to 29-year-olds to be most likely to wear dirty underpants, followed by 50 to 74-year-olds. Many underwear goblins can be found among those with lower education and incomes. As education rates and salaries increase, underwear hygiene improves.
A feast for mites
In Germany, the cleanest age group are the 16–29 year-olds. Evidently, Gen Y and Gen Z are a step ahead of their elders when it comes to bed-based cleanliness. This could be because, in the era of binge-watching and Netflix and chill, they spend more time in bed, and are therefore particularly appreciative of fresh bed linens.
The number of people living in one household is also a decisive factor in German bed-cleanliness. Germans change their bed linen less frequently in single and two-person households than in larger family households. This is probably down to a lack of social control. In large families, on the other hand, there’s generally more laundry to be done. And if the washing machine is running every day anyway, the bed linen can simply be chucked in with the rest of the load.
Reality bites
a theory confirmed by a glance at the breakdown of the results by monthly income. Low income groups tend to be most likely to go goblin mode in this respect. In addition, employed people replace their toothbrushes more frequently than unemployed people. Germany fares better in comparison to Austria and Switzerland – with a goblin rate of 8 per cent, it’s much more hygienic than its neighbours.
Out of the shower, into dirty underpants
What’s your personal hygiene routine? Do you live in goblin mode? Or is everything at your place spotless? What do you especially care about keeping clean? Join the discussion in the comments section.
The survey was conducted between 27 December 2022 and 5 January 2023.
Jana Pense
Communications Manager
Jana.Pense@galaxus.deBehind the scenes
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