Germany in goblin mode: 1 in 4 men don’t change their underwear daily

From hand-sanitising on the bus, to washing our hands in time to the happy birthday song, hygiene guidelines have been our constant companions in public spaces over the last three years. Cutting down on socialising, however, has caused us to neglect our cleaning and washing routines in private too. On the back of the trend, Oxford Languages dubbed «goblin mode» Word of the Year for 2022.

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?

When it comes to their underwear, the Germans seem pretty hygienic at first glance. 84 per cent of respondents change theirs at least once a day as recommended (linked page in German). A second look at the stats reveals that almost a quarter of men do it less frequently. As for German women, only 1 in 10 are in goblin mode. However, women are also at an increased risk of infection if they don’t change their underpants daily.

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

Famously, when you’ve made your bed, you’ve got to lie in it. And apparently, many Germans have made theirs pretty pongy. It’s recommended (linked site in German) we change our sheets every two weeks. However, four out of ten respondents admitted to changing their bedding less often. This makes German beds the stalest in the DACH country comparison. Although, Switzerland and Austria, each with a goblin rate of 1 in 3, have no reason to celebrate their bedroom hygiene either.

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

Healthy dental hygiene involves replacing your toothbrush regularly. Dentists recommend doing so every three months (linked page in German). Most goblins in this regard can be found among 16–29 year-olds, with a rate of around 10 per cent. Dental hygiene improves continuously with age, perhaps because younger people have to watch their spending more. Their budgets may occasionally lack the cash for new toothbrushes –

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

In asking people about personal hygiene, we’d have been remiss not to include showering habits. It’s recommended you shower or bathe two to three times a week (linked page in German). Compared to the previous categories, there are the fewest goblins in this area. Showering or bathing regularly seems to be a high priority in Germany (as is the case in Switzerland and Austria) – even more so than having clean underwear each day.

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.