People Are Sharing The Baffling Hygiene Mistakes They Made For Years
Hygiene is one of the most fundamental practices we engage in - stuff we're taught from an early age and follow through on for the rest of our life.
That said, have you ever really questioned your hygiene routine? These Redditors explained some hygiene practices they learned embarrassingly late in the game - and there's plenty of good advice here.
Don't forget your ears
"That washing behind the ears wasn't a silly expression/concept from movies to denote getting really clean but a literal activity."
"I’m an aggressive hair washer and face washer so it wasn’t an egregious situation but I was very grown before I intentionally and thoughtfully washed my ears and behind them. Similarly, really going to town on my belly button was a weirdly late in life realization."
Only the finest things
"Silk pillowcases don't break my fine hair like cotton. I used cotton for 35 years! Also silk pillowcases are better for your skin."
"I have some cheaper satin pillowcases from Amazon that are also friendly on my hair as well, for those looking for something a bit more budget friendly."
Backpackers already know
"That your backpack straps and sometimes the backpack itself holds your sweat."
"I don't think I would have ever noticed this. I had a tendency to cycle through bags trying to find one that works for me. I finally have and I love it enough that I throw it through the wash when I notice it's a little dirty because I want it to look clean all the time."
They get touched a lot
"I washed the hand rails along the stair case today. So gross!! I think we would hit the tops occasionally, but the sides are what were so nasty."
"Oh god. I recently had my stairwell painted and they removed the handrail. I was HORRIFIED when I saw how filthy it was especially the sides and bottom."
Level up your skincare
"I was a teenager when I learned proper skin care. I was raised by my dad and had a bar of soap and shampoo. My stepmom asked what I was using for products cause I didn't have anything in my room or the bathroom."
"She taught me about lotions and less harsh soaps even conditioner for my hair and how to properly care for it. We went shopping and she bought me some stuff. I wish I had known earlier just how to take care of myself cause I had dry skin and dry hair. I am in my forties and still use the advice she gave me."
There's more to laundry than just throwing it in the machine
"Laundry bags are essential to making sure your bras don't break while you clean them..."
"I never used a laundry bag for bras growing up (I always wore underwires), but now I do. I don't do underwire anymore, but I have had the straps or hooks get tangled."
Everything in moderation
"Washing your face until it's squeaky clean is a bad thing. Skin is not supposed to be squeaky clean. It is also not, despite what half the people on this subreddit seem to believe, supposed to be sterile!"
"I did this for years to try and get rid of the 'germs' that were causing my acne. All it did was destroy the moisture barrier and make the acne ten times worse."
You don't know until you know
"I put on a very large amount of weight… after being flat chested my whole life I didn't know you needed to get right under your boobs to clean and dry them until I had them."
"Same! I wasn't flat but I have DDs now and yeah, cleaning protocols change."
Go to bed fresh
"Putting deodorant on at night after a shower instead of waiting till the morning. I learned that like 2 months ago…I'm 39, lol."
"I do both. If I take my shower at night, I put it on. But before I leave in the morning, I spray my pits again."
De-ash that skin
"Using lotion. I smelled bad every day for 19 years. No friends, no gf, no prom, no hangouts. At the age of 22 I finally realized I just needed lotion due to ashy skin. It for sure stunted my mental growth. I'm 24."
"It just leads to excessive dead skin cells which causes body odor."
Save a few bucks
"You don't have to wait to get a pedicure to have soft feet. When you put lotion on after showering, you’re supposed to use it on your feet and the bottoms and sides of your feet."
"Same with actually washing them with soap and not just letting the soap drip down on them in the shower. My fiancé taught me this and my feet have never been softer."
Wash your hair, wash your brush
"Washing your hairbrush, when I first tried it and what was left in the sink was gross. Fill it up with warm water, put some good quality shampoo, soak your brush and comb for a few minutes."
"Then scrub them with your hands trying to get in between the bristles. You'll see what come off, there’s more then you think."
Everyone says this
"Bidet toilet is the only way to live."
"Ever since I started using a bidet, I was disgusted at how I managed all the years of my life without it. Not even wet wipes make me feel as clean afterwards as a bidet does and I preach it to anyone I can. If I go anywhere, especially back to my parents home, and there is no bidet, I basically have to shower right after visit to the bathroom."
Make sure to dry off properly
"You have to actually use the towel to dry off. Not just wrap it around yourself and expect magic."
"I imagine this varies based on humidity in your geographic area. I can definitely air dry in Utah, but not in Washington."
Word to the wise
"If it smells like hell died in your mouth (or an old aquarium), despite flossing assiduously everyday, it's probably tonsil stones. While there is no way to prevent them, they seemed to be caused by post nasal drip."
"Most people report that when they stop consuming dairy products, it stops, but I will never give up cheese."
Smoke hangs around
"If you, or someone close to you, smokes or vapes, then you probably smell like it and don't realize it."
"Smokes - yes. Vapes - less so. That odor doesn't linger and soak in the same way cigarettes do."
Get way back there
"Flossing the way back of your teeth. I've always tried to floss the front but never got far back. Now I’m using expandable black floss and it’s changed the game. Also cleaning behind ears and neck"
"Floss picks changed the game for me. I couldn't get the back teeth without them."
Washing machines aren't necessarily clean
"Cleaning your washing machine. It never occurred to me. You're washing clothes there’s soap should be good right? NOPE. I run the clean cycle almost every month."
"I wipe the door, the seal, the detergent tray and all around the buttons down with a sanitizer."
Isopropyl is a game-changer
"I worked construction for 35 years. I lived in work boots 10-18 hours a day, sometimes more. My feet sweat nonstop, so I'd always have a fresh set of socks with me during the day."
"I’d wipe my feet with isopropyl alcohol on a towel, dry and put new socks on. I’d wear a different set of boots every day so the last ones would dry out. In the winter they would go on a boot dryer or over a hot air vent."
You're almost definitely not washing them enough
"I wish someone told me earlier that pillowcases and towels need way more frequent changing than they look like they do because I really thought once a week was already enough."
"Now I try to switch them more often since it makes a big difference without you even noticing"
Almost as good as floss
"I didn't get a Waterpik for a long time."
"Absolutely life changing. My teeth are super close together and floss just doesn't get between some of them. I was amazed the first time I used it."
Bacteria is nasty
"I learned literally a few weeks ago, why you shouldn't keep lip products for too long. I had some that were… dare I admit on the interwebs….. ranging between probably 3-8 years old."
"I picked up a tube of clear lip gloss in a clear tube and saw stuff growing in there that should not be there."
Cars get very gross very fast
"I still haven't done this yet but wiping down the steering wheel of the car (especially since I share with my SO). I recently heard it gets NASTYYYYYY!"
"I was shocked when I wiped my steering wheel down for the first time a few weeks ago!!"
Don't neglect the scalp
"If you have hair longer than chin length you need to shampoo the scalp in sections. Just smooshing it all over the head at one time doesn't get down to the scalp between the hairs as well and leaves dirt and oils behind."
"Literally just taking an extra minute to put smaller amounts in sections right at the scalp makes a HUGE difference."
Go for a second round
"I know the bottle says to lather, rinse, repeat but I always thought that was a gimmick to make you run out of shampoo faster."
"But I've been washing my hair twice in the shower now and my hair has grown significantly."
Sweaty people, take note
"If your shower is hot you will keep sweating when you finish it and smell sweaty again in an hour."
"You can solve this by rinsing in cool water for a minute at the end so your body stops sweating."
Only takes a few seconds
"Brush your tongue, too, not just your teeth! It cuts way down on bad breath and for me sometimes heartburn (no idea why the latter)."
"Also, you can zap your arm pits with an Iontophoresis device to stop your sweat glands from sweating. No more antiperspirant! I'm one year in with an at home machine, use it 2x a week. No sweat!"
Power up that nose-blowing
"The best way to blow your nose is by closing one nostril at a time while blowing out the other. My mind was blown (and my nose)."
"I used to just push air through both nostrils at once to no avail. I spent most of my life not being able to breathe out of my nose until I had surgery. So yeah, pretty neat!"
Can't properly lather up without water
"I didn't know until I was 21 that you’re supposed to wet your hands before putting soap in them when you wash them."
"I had a manager tell me I did it wrong and they were so kind to let me know I’ve done it wrong my whole life."
Don't rely on trickle-down suds
"I only learned not too long ago that I need to really wash my feet. I scrub the rest of my body very well, but I just…never thought about washing my feet."
"I assumed the soapy water dripping down my legs was enough, and I was worried about the soap making my feet slippery"
