17 Hygiene Tips Not Everyone Follows, But Definitely Should
Recently, Reddit user u/Little-Willingness88 asked, "What’s a hygiene habit that people don't talk about but really should?" Here are some of the top-voted responses (which include personal-hygiene tips as well as household-hygiene tips!):
1."Lads, clean your fucking facial hair. Too many guys I know don't wash it at all because they think the shampoo running off their heads is enough. You're going to give your partners a rash/acne."
2."Wash your pillowcases."
"Once I realized my acne flare ups were caused by dirty pillowcases, my constant acne problems disappeared"
3."Change your hand towels (and the towels you use after showering) frequently."
"Doing this plus using different towels for my face and body really did wonders for my skin!"
"I hate when it's obvious that someone never washes their hand towels because the towel smells moldy and then so do my hands after using it."
4."Cleaning your belly button. Yes, it needs attention too."
"I've heard horror stories from nurses about people who just do not deep clean their navels."
5."Clean your piercing holes, no matter how old they are. Take your earrings out and scrub because even non-stretched lobes can get really built up and nasty."
6."Coughing and sneezing should always be inside your vampire cape or, at the very least, your hand so germs aren't spewing out in front of you. I've lost count of how many people in public sneeze or cough without covering their mouths."
7."Put the lid town before you flush the toilet."
"Seriously, poop particles spray everywhere. It's so easy. And, if you're a dude, you'll get a compliment every now and then."
8."Flossing — people act like it's optional, but your dentist can tell when you don’t do it."
"I started flossing more because Steve-O said his biggest regret in life was never flossing. This is the same man who got a gigantic tattoo of himself while high…but not flossing is his biggest regret. Say no more. I'll start flossing daily."
9."Properly clean your feet rather than just letting the soapy water run over them in the shower."
10."Wipe around the edges of your dishwasher door, the door itself, and the door frame of the dishwasher. Dishwasher Cleaner can’t reach the places around the door seal and, when you start to clean it, you realize how much disgusting gunk builds up."
"Also, if yours has a filter, clean it. For those that haven't done it yet (or in a bit)...I'm sorry for what you're about to experience."
11."Don't put wooden utensils in a dishwasher. They'll trap moisture and get more bacteria in them, which means they'll get ruined faster."
12."Wash behind your ears. Wash your scalp. Like really go into your hair to wash it."
"Scrub the back of the neck with soap and water. I'm a hair stylist so I see the back of people's necks on a daily basis, and not nearly enough people are cleaning that area adequately. Just letting the shampoo drip down the neck is not enough. You actually have to scrub off the dead skin and oil that builds up. This is especially important for people who have creases in their neck (absolutely no shame, I also have a neck crease – we just gotta give her some extra TLC is all)."
13."Brush your tongue and the roof of your mouth! I first read that when I was around 12 and, once I started doing it, my breath got way better."
14."Clean the bottom of your purse. You set it down everywhere, all the time and then you plop it in the kitchen counter. Barf."
15."Clean your keys. I know that sounds insane, but hear me out. My husband carries a set of about 20 keys on a daily basis. They end up on my kitchen counter and I pick them up to move them out of the way. I can FEEL the grunge on them. And my husband is fastidious about hand washing. Well, I take that set of keys and soak them in hot, soapy water, then rinse and lay them out to dry. The next morning, they feel clean. The difference is shocking. I think about everything he touches when he’s out working and I don’t want all those germs in my house."
16."Clean your phone regularly. It’s basically a germ festival you carry everywhere and then press against your face. Wipe that thing down before it starts evolving."
17.And finally, "Wash your hands...WITH SOAP. Believe me, it still needs to be talked about."
What other hygiene tips do you think deserve to be on this list? Let us know in the comments!
Some submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.
