We probably don’t have to tell you that hygiene is one of the most important skills a person can have, right? While for some it comes naturally, stemming from their childhood, for others mastering it is a tad more difficult.
Luckily, these days we have the internet, where people can share various tips and tricks. A perfect example of it is the Reddit thread, which resulted from a netizen asking others “What are some unpopular hygiene practices you swear by?” People shared what they know and some of these answers ended up on today's list, which might be useful even for those who think they’re the most hygienic person on earth.
More info: Reddit
#1
I am a man and I sit down to pee (at home).
I do not care what you say. I lived alone in my own property for about 1.5 years and in that time I started noticing the amount of splatter around the loo, no matter how good your aim. As I was lazy, I wanted to minimise the amount of cleaning, so I started sitting down to pee at home.
My wife loves me for it, especially after family came to visit for a long period of time as she notices what I am talking about when they stay over.
Image credits: SA_Swiss
#2
I work for a sock design company. Sooooo many people think they have bad foot odor, and some do, but most people are just wearing really low quality all polyester socks. Switch to a cotton blend or wool blend!!!! You will see a huge difference.
Image credits: Theltorither23
#3
If you find yourself without time for a shower or your deodorant stops working during the day, spray some alcohol gel/hand sanitiser on your underarms. The smell of body odour is caused by bacteria feeding on the sweat, so killing the bacteria with the sanitiser eliminates the smell.
Image credits: cats-ate-my-vagina
One of the most important things parents must teach their children is hygiene. From the early days, parents have to ensure their kid knows how vital hygiene is and how it is achieved. For instance, showing how to brush their teeth, washing hands coming from outside or before a meal, washing their bodies and hair, you know the drill.
After all, good hygiene not only makes the person presentable but also prevents the spread of infectious diseases, as every day we get exposed to various bacteria and viruses. So, the person doesn’t infect others and saves their own health too.
#4
I'm a man that shaves his armpits because I hate the long hair.
Image credits: Buffylover_Angel
#5
Clean your belly button! It has an odor if you don't.
Image credits: TeaseMissBlush
#6
I don’t care how cold it is, I love to open my living room slider and let all of the cold air in, at least once a day. It makes my house smell fresh and crisp. I also love to hang my quilts and blankets outside in the cold. It smells devine. My mom does the same thing and so did both of my grandmothers. People do this in cold countries I hear for germs, idk how true that is (?) I just do it bc it smells good lol.
Image credits: Turbulent-Cicada-104
We all got to experience how important hygiene was for stopping the spread of illnesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. During that time, besides the masks and other measures, we were urged to wash our hands thoroughly and often to prevent the virus from spreading as much as we could.
Still, some people lack these skills. There are many reasons for this. For some it could be due to poor mental health, others might not have enough resources for it and others simply lack skills for it.
#7
I can only shower once every 2-3 days or my skin gets really dry and hurts.
Image credits: TransLadyFarazaneh
#8
Years and years ago I saw a comment on reddit that said mangoes are great if you have acne. So I started eating lots of mango and when I regularly do it after a few weeks my face clears up, then I get lazy stop eating mangoes consistently and the acne comes back. I mention this to people every now and then and nobody else ever heard of this tip but it seems to work for me.
Image credits: MujerFleur
#9
In public spaces I never put my backpack on the ground.
Image credits: heyjoebanane
As we mentioned at the beginning, parents must teach their children hygiene, but it doesn’t mean that all of them do. It is considered to be a form of neglect, as this way a child doesn’t get the care needed for them to properly grow and it negatively influences their future as well.
Without parents giving guidance on things like that, people grow up to struggle with it. You could find plenty of stories like that online.
#10
I only use soap on the “T*ts, Pits, and Bits” when showering.
My dermatologist recommended (with that phrasing!) because I have pretty sensitive skin due to allergies/psoriasis. The rest of my body just gets wet washcloth and exfoliating. The swap immediately cleared up soooo much redness, acne, dryness, ect.
I cant often repeat the advice because all anyone hears is “I don’t use soap ?”
Edit: ‘T*ts’ is said for the rhyme, but really represents anywhere that skin touches skin and traps sweat, i.e. underb**b and fat rolls.
For anyone else with sensitive skin, I highly recommend Cetaphil Gentle Cleanser Fragrance Free, and for lotion afterwords CeraVe.
Image credits: skellyclique
#11
In the summer after I shower I will blast cold air from my hairdryer on my lady parts because I be sweating! I swear it helps SO much with odor! I actually learned this from someone on here.
Image credits: groo0vycat
#12
After taking a hot shower I’ll switch the temp to cold for about a minute. This helps with those after shower sweats that keep me from feeling clean.
Image credits: Royweeezy
Luckily, with the internet we have today, Googling and learning about stuff like that is easier than ever. Ultimately, the internet is so wide, that it’s hard to comprehend, so you can find tips and tricks for basically everything you can imagine, even if it’s horrific. But let’s not focus on that. Instead, let’s get back to the hygiene we discussed so much already.
Here, for instance, this Reddit thread about unpopular hygiene practices is useful for everyone, even if you think you’ve got it together. It was posted as the question on r/AskReddit and within a few days nearly 6K provided their input.
#13
I wash my face with just water. That’s it. If I use a product I break out. My skin is happy, and clean, with just water. People think it’s gross, but my face isn’t dirty. I have very clear skin.
(I secretly think most products marketed to “cleanse” your skin is knocking the balance off, creating more of an issue.).
Image credits: fluffysnoopdog
#14
Cleaning/ disinfecting your phone. It has so much bacteria and I hate when someone shows me to look at their phone and that sh*ts crusty.
Image credits: CharmingCupcakke
#15
I'm German and have a mite allergy, so I'm obsessed with "Stoßlüften" - regularly opening the windows for 5 minutes and exchanging as much air in the room as possible. It's been proven to be healthy (doubly so during an airborne pandemic...), but really the most important Stoßlüften you can do is *right after getting out of bed*. Your warm, damp bed is the perfect breeding ground for mites. Airing it out is the most effective way of limiting their population growth.
And the other weird thing: if it gets freezing cold in winter where you live... freeze your bed-stuff. On the balcony or in an unused room. Resets the mite population to zero!
Image credits: LeftRat
Since that’s way too much to read through for one person, we made a list of the best answers provided there. In it, you can find such tricks as eating mango to treat acne, cleaning your bellybutton, cleaning your feet before bed, and many others.
If you already opened this article up, it means you’re interested in them, so don’t be shy, and upvote the ones you think are the best! Also, share some practices you think could be useful to others in the comments too!
#16
All unscented soap, laundry soap, face soap and body soap. My skin feels better and when I wear perfume it's not clashing with any other cheaper fragrances.
Image credits: pollyp0cketpussy
#17
I put a bit of witch hazel on a cotton ball and put it on my b******e every day after I wash it. It helps a ton with any type of burning or itching or irritation I used to get from difficult bowel movements. I never get painful poops anymore!
Image credits: laceybacey2626
#18
Distilled white vinegar is the best cleaning product you can have in your home. It takes away unpleasant smells in your laundry and softens it, it cleans a toilet bowl better than those harsh toilet bowl cleaners, it gets most stains out.
Image credits: Asleep_Agent5050
#19
Actually scrubbing my a*s and legs, instead of "just letting the water run down".
Image credits: Medievalqweer
#20
Flossing before brushing my teeth at night. The floss picks up more and by the time I brush the bristles can reach the crevices better.
Image credits: the_queens_speech
#21
Ever since I started using a silk pillowcase, my hair has been noticeably less frizzy and my skin is smoother when I wake up in the morning. It felt a bit luxurious at first, but it's been amazing for keeping my curly hair tangle free through the night and has even reduced breakouts for me. Highly recommend for anyone looking to up their beauty sleep game!
Image credits: VanessaPoppy
#22
Dry shampoo is a lifesaver, especially when I’m too lazy to wash my hair but still wanna look like I got my life together. It’s like a magic trick for your scalp.
Image credits: TemptingBlushFlick
#23
Qtipping my ear holes. i’ll never stop!
Image credits: SapScriber
#24
I wash my shoes in the washer every month or so. They look like brand new for months. They also don’t stink.
Every time I mention this to someone they act surprised. Just throw a couple towels with a pair of shoes on cold water wash. Then air dry the shoes.
Image credits: BigIceTuna
#25
For larger people: After showering, use a hydrophobic zinc-oxide/pramocaine-based cream and spread it where your legs meet your crotch. I get excessive sweating and smells from there and the zinc helps prevent sweating/smells. It stays nice and dry for days. I use Nestosyl.
Image credits: mmaster23
#26
I exfoliate often. My skin isn’t rough or dry, except my heels in the winter, but I have a somewhat rough face cloth and body scrubber that I use in the bath every day. People say my skin is “creepily smooth.”
I started getting a little obsessed with my skin-care routine when I was a teenager and had terrible cystic acne (it turned out it was from PCOS), and it seemed to take so much work to keep my skin some semblance of clear. The cysts were painful, and I had them along my jawline and on my back where my bra straps pressed into my skin. I started exfoliating and obsessing about clean skin, non-comedogenic skin lotions, and clean clothes and bedsheets.
Now I don’t have much of a skincare routine except exfoliate every day, I apply face cream with hyaluronic acid at night, shea butter moisturizer for the rest of my body, and wear face creams with sunscreen every day, rain or shine.
Image credits: vocabulazy
#27
I always grab a square of toilet paper on public restrooms before using the urinal. After finishing, I press the zone between balls and a*****e (perineum) so the last pee drops are out, then I wipe.
If I just do the shake thing, I feel a pee soaked prepuce and my day is ruined.
Image credits: Mental-Variation-399
#28
Using a body lotion cream right after shower
Men, stop being stubborn and use it to hydrate your skin. It's a game changer
It also helps your fragrances stick better and last longer when you apply it on after.
Image credits: mrureaper
#29
Idk if this is unpopular, but shampooing your hair twice (i have silky, straight hair). you'll know it's clean once your hair is bubbly.
Image credits: exploradorita
#30
I've made it a ritual to apply almond oil to my cuticles every night before bed. Paradoxically, my habit of tapping away at the keyboard all day actually leaves my fingers looking neat and nourished come morning. Seems odd, but having strong, healthy nails is a subtle confidence boost!
Image credits: RileyOrchid
#31
Scrubbing my feet clean before bed! I usually shower in the mornings so for my night routine I brush my teeth, wash my face, then wash my feet and put on fresh socks. Idk it feels incredible.
Image credits: glyphwarp
#32
Using a bidet instead of toilet paper—cleaner and better for the environment!
Image credits: RetroGamingRoyalty
#33
I do my own pimple popping, those blackheads and whiteheads aren’t going anywhere unless I step in.
Image credits: Kooky_Angle4476
#34
I eat chicken wings with gloves on.
Image credits: ryanmclean5000
#35
I can't go anywhere without my baby wipes.
Image credits: Nexaran
