And a dangerous one, health-wise. People who wear soiled clothes for long periods of time are more at risk of contracting serious diseases like MRSA and debilitating conditions like body lice, both of which can spread on dirty laundry, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Further, poor hygiene habits can put people at greater risk of getting sick with illnesses that regular sanitation can greatly prevent (like the common cold, for example) and can worsen social rejection, according to a 2019 article in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.