This is what it means if you find a “bleach” spot on your underwear:

The Internet and the huge amount of information it offers are very useful tools for many reasons that anyone can list.

It seems to have a lot of benefits for our daily lives, but the fact that it’s a never-ending source of shared knowledge may be what makes it the best invention of the last few hundred years.

If you know where to look, there is no subject you can’t read up on and no answer you can’t find. We can solve mysteries that would have been impossible to solve for decades with just a few clicks of the mouse or keystrokes on the keyboard.

In the past few years, many old myths have been busted online. At the same time, life hacks and helpful hints have become common knowledge, when only a few people knew them.

For example, have you ever thought about why your underwear looks like it has a bleach spot on it? If you have, you’re not the only one. Women looking for answers have asked the same question online.

As well as answers they found. It turns out that those spots of color have nothing to do with your machine, as some people thought.

Different news sources say that these “bleach” spots are actually caused by the vagina’s natural pH levels.

Before we go any further, let us make it clear that this is not a problem. Instead, finding those patches on your underwear is a good sign. We all know that pH levels tell us how acidic or basic a liquid or substance is. Here’s what one helpful Twitter post said:

“Just so everyone knows, it’s normal for women to find lighter spots in their underwear or knickers because the vagina is acidic (pH range: 3.8–4.5).

So, I guess it’s time to give up on the idea that it’s because of bad hygiene. What’s more, a healthy uterus can bleach the fabric.

“The vagina has a self-cleaning mechanism through natural secretions,” says Dr. Vanessa MacKay of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. This thing has good bacteria in it that keep it safe.

The National Institutes of Health say that the pH level of the vaginal area is usually between 3.8 and 5.0. This means that it is moderately acidic compared to the naturally neutral pH level of 7.

According to Dr. MacKay, it is normal and healthy for women to have clear or white discharge from their vagina. However, infections can happen if the natural balance is upset.