According to a new survey from The Derm Review, 60 percent of men are washing their penises all wrong (more on that later), and many are not doing it enough. What’s going on here?

The survey itself is fairly straightforward. The Derm Review asked 1,113 men about how often they wash their penis. Half of the men were aged 25 to 43, a quarter were 35 to 44, 12.1 percent were 18 to 24, and about 10 ish percent were 45 years and up.

Even though the standard medical advice, according to The Derm Review, says you should watch it daily, 21.6 percent of men surveyed fail to do so. 11.9 percent of respondents said that they only wash their genitals once every few days, and, worse, almost 10 percent wash their penis once a week or less.

That being said, it’s not all bad news — the majority of men who responded to the survey did say they wash their penis once a day (39.7 percent), and just about the same amount of men who responded they wash twice a day — but more isn’t always better, as there is such a thing as too much showering and overwashing.

“Washing too often can actually cause problems as well. The skin in this area is very sensitive and washing it more than once a day can cause irritation, dryness, and itching,” Elle McLeman of Derm Review says.

Still, worse than washing too often is washing not often enough, and Macleman points to the dangers of not washing your junk in blunt terms: “Infrequent washing will not only result in an unpleasant smell, but it is also a breeding ground for bacteria and can cause pain and infection.”

So frequency of washing is easy enough to fix (just wash your penis, people), but what about technique? The study found that 60 percent of men are washing their penis incorrectly which leads to the question: What is right? And why don’t we know?

The answer and solution is clear enough: A generation of dads has failed us and this one needs to take charge. So take care to wash your penis, dads, and teach your kid how to wash them as well. Don’t shy away from this important hygene conversation for boys (second only to how to wipe a butt).

How to Wash Your Penis

• Step 1. Wash your penis and the area around it with warm water and shower gel or soap that is not heavily perfumed. No need to scrub or exfoliate — your hands will do here.
• Step 2. Be sure to wash the tip of your penis and, if you’re uncircumcised, pull back and clean underneath the foreskin.
• Step 2. Rinse well.
• Step 3. Dry your undercarriage completely — and we do mean completely — before putting on underwear. This includes drying the area underneath your foreskin.
• Step 4. Yeah, that’s it. It really isn’t that difficult.
• For Kids: You don’t have to pull back the foreskin on a child’s penis as, according to Healthdirect, there is no need to clean underneath the foreskin in young children.
• For everyone: You should not wash it too often; once a day is perfect. And do not use talcs, deodorants, or heavily perfumed products that could cause even more irritation considering the skin is super sensitive.

This article was originally published on June 25, 2021