I have been losing my mind for the last month because every time i pulled a fresh shirt out of the drawer it had this faint metallic mildew smell. I use decent detergent and i never leave the clothes sitting in the washer for more than ten minutes after the cycle ends so i couldn't understand what was going on. I even tried those expensive scent beads but it just smelled like flowers mixed with garbage which was honestly way worse. I thought maybe it was my pipes or something wrong with the water in my apartment.

Yesterday i finally decided to actually look at the washing machine and i pulled back the big grey rubber seal around the door of my front loader. Guys i almost gagged . There was this thick layer of black slimy gunk trapped inside the fold that looked like something out of a horror movie. It was basically a wall of hair and old soap scum and literal mold just sitting there marinating in every single wash cycle. I spent two hours scrubbing it with bleach and an old toothbrush and the amount of grey sludge that came out was insane. I have lived here for two years and it never even occurred to me that the machine itself needs to be cleaned like that. I feel so gross knowing i was "washing" my underwear in that soup. If your clothes smell even a little bit off please go check your rubber gasket right now because it is probably a swamp in there.

I can smell peoples hair when they don’t wash it. It’s pungent and I can smell it from otherwise well put together, hygienic seeming people. I smell it when I go out or when I’m at work frequently and it’s nauseating. Scalps are stinky when they aren’t washed. You become nose blind.

If your hair isn’t textured (no I don’t mean barely having waves) please wash it a couple times a week I’m begging you. Dry shampoo is a bandaid and I can still smell your scalp. Hair training is a myth. No your average person with straight hair should not be going 2 weeks between washes. Thats it. That’s all I had to say

I don't mean "wash your hair before your body" or "don't wear underwear when you sleep", I mean the sort of TMI tips that most people don't know that will CHANGE MY LIFE!

There's this guy at school who I think likes me and i'm terrified that I smell bad and will ruin my chance with him, I need tips that I don't already know/do.

I really just don’t think that people close the toilet lid when they flush the toilet. Every time I go into a public toilet the toilet is open and it freaks me out.

Here’s one simple thing you can do.
The moment your first “delivery” hits the water, flush immediately. Then, if there’s another round coming, flush again afterward.

Seriously, it makes a huge difference. The smell doesn’t have time to build up, and the next person won’t have to walk into a gas chamber.
Especially if you’re at work, visiting someone’s house, or using a public restroom. It’s a tiny bit of courtesy that everyone will appreciate.

I keep seeing posts from people saying their partner doesn’t brush their teeth, use a tongue scrapper,mouth wash,floss,or barely showers, leaves skid marks in their underwear, doesn’t wipe their ass/wash their ass properly, doesn’t wash their hands properly after taking a shit and I honestly don’t get how anyone would be in a relationship with these people. Please explain to me like I’m five years old how these people manage to be in relationships when there are plenty of single people who have great basic hygiene.

Edit: fixed the typo. I meant to write skid marks instead of squid marks.

Warm water with a little bit of dawn dish soap, left overnight in a container. That's it. An unholy amount of dirt and grime was left in the water after. I don't have to wipe my lenses as much now, they feel brand new!

Before I used to just wipe the handles and around with a wipe, and clean off the lenses obviously.

If it's been a while for you, it's time. Trust me.

edit: I didn't need a lot of dawn, a very tiny amount. also you might not need to do it overnight (i had no issues doing it personally), a small amount of time like 5 minutes might work if you're concerned about metal screws or coatings. Also, dawn absolutely does not hurt coatings.

https://www.reddit.com/r/hygiene/s/cePbv4DvFS

So if you haven’t read my last post, my bf grew out of his good showering habits and we had a talk in regard to his hygiene. I let him know that his lack of showering was really turning me off, and if he continued these nasty habits I wouldn’t stay with him. I told him that was a main reason why I didn’t want to get intimate or sleep in the same bed with him. I explained that his lack of cleanliness would also affect my health considering it could get me UTIs and other bacterial infections.

He was a little taken aback since I hadn’t told him anything for a while, which is really my fault for not being blunt sooner. He told me the main reason he didn’t shower was because he didn’t have a job and didn’t do anything else around the house other than play on the pc and occasionally feed our cats. He also felt like he was a burden for not helping with bills or around the house, and fell into a depression. I didn’t know as soon as I should have since I was always working 10-12 hour shifts, so I never really had the energy to stay awake as soon as I got home.

This morning he did make the effort to get out of bed, wash the bed sheets, clean the cat litter, and feed our gremlins. He also showered this morning (as well as last night) and made an appointment with his dr to tell him the things that he has been going through (he recently got a job so he did have to call out today). He’s hoping he’ll be able to get things figured out this week since he let it go on for too long. Last thing I did tell him is that I would appreciate if he would shower as soon as he got home from work since he does work construction and his feet tend to smell. He told me he’ll get into the habit and to push him from time to time if I see him falling back into bad habits.

I keep seeing this new trend (fad) all over the internet, primarily tiktok of course, that regular body wash does not clean your body and that you need antibacterial all of the sudden. I had a customer who was around 50 who was one of those rich moms who use tiktok because her kids do frantically asking where the antibacterial body wash is. Of course I showed her where it was and nodded along while she told me how dirty we all are from regular soap because I'm not going to waste time arguing. Guys. Regular body wash such as dove bar works to clean you! If it didn't, you'd stink! That being said I understand where this fear mongering is coming from, but there is a lot of evidence pointing toward regular body wash being the best option. That being said, I also watch a guy named DermAngelo if I'm correct. He is a certified dermatologist and reacts to overconsumption trend followers and people who will follow what the government wants you to believe: you are not doing enough, so you need to spend more money and damage your body. Antibacterial body wash not only dries out your skin, but strips away necessary natural bacteria, especially if you're a woman with female body parts. This goes for using antibac hand soap only, everyday, especially if you're not a doctor and just use it as a regular person. It weakens your immune system! It has been proven while things like dove beauty bar do not kill germs on contact (which would be caustic to you and your skin micro biome), but it essentially forms a bubble around germs and dirt and makes them wash away. That is all you need. The same goes for dish soap. There are also some germs that will not ever be fully killed from either soap, but this makes antibac soap more of a problem as germs can form a resistance to this kind of soap.

TLDR; STOP FOLLOWING TIKTOK TRENDS! LISTEN TO YOUR BODY AND DOCTORS WHO CARE ABOUT YOU.

Asking as a step mom. My husband and the boys mom have them shower maybe twice a week if that. My husband gets upset with me when I say the kids need to be more on top of their hygiene. I feel crazy saying they should shower at least every other day.

I’m a hot yoga and pilates teacher, teaching at least 4 different days a week so I am constantly showering - probably more than the average person. I don’t know if I’m overreacting thinking they need to bathe more.

So my bf(m25) and I (f27) have been living together for the last 3.5years. At first my bf was pretty good when it came to showering, then it turned into him showering every other day. For the last year he has been showering about twice a week (sometimes once) and changes his boxers and applies deodorant daily. I have been telling him to at least wash his behind, private area, and underarms every day since those tend to smell after 2 days of him not showering. It turns me off whenever he tries to get intimate since all I’m smelling most of the time is just his mustiness. I never tell him that; I just tell him I’m not in the mood. I have tried bringing up that he should at least wash his bum after going number 2, but he’s so stuck on just telling me it’s a waste of time and water. His stench is honestly so bad that the blankets only smell clean for a week and the pillowcases for only 3 days. I honestly don’t know what or how to tell him his showering habits gross me out without sounding so mean.

EDIT: I already posted an update. Thank you to everyone that was able to give me some good advice 🩷

EDIT 2: The update! https://www.reddit.com/r/hygiene/s/NKuMezocWW

Okay so I don't think I have ever actually said this out loud but I have a very strict inside clothes / outside clothes system and I genuinely cannot stop.

The second i get home I change. jeans that touched the subway seat, jacket that brushed against strangers, all of it comes off before I sit on my couch or get anywhere near my bed. It's just automatic at this point, I don't even think about it.

The part that gets me is when guests come over and just sit on my bed in their outside clothes like fully lay back on my pillow in the same pants they wore on the bus. I never say anything because what am I supposed to say, but internally I'm already thinking about washing my sheets.

It does something for my brain though, keeping the outside world out like there's a mental line and crossing it in outside clothes just feels wrong now.

Idk if this is a normal thing people quietly do or if I've just convinced myself it's normal. Does anyone else have this same unspoken rule or is this a bit much?

17F

so i normally wear a bra for 5 days in a row before changing into another. my rule of thumb has basically been: if it doesn't smell like sweat or look dirty yet, it’s fine to wear, so sometimes as long as 1 week 😭

i never smell and i’ve never had any skin issues, but i’m starting to wonder if this is actually hygienic cuz i saw a tiktok of someone who does the same thing and the comments DRAGGED the hell out of her for being dirty so now im getting paranoid.

i honestly don't know if this is normal or not. i never had a mom who cared enough to teach me all this, so i’ve just been doing what makes sense to me this whole time. please be my mother/sis and teach me 🙏

edit: Thank you so much to everyone who responded!!❤️🤧🥹i read each of these comments and took notes. It is a lot to respond to each one individually, but just know that i’ve learned more in a few hours than i have in years lol. I’m definitely changing my routine now!

People claim this on the internet and it seems to be the case in many US TV series but I wonder if it's really a thing many or most people do? If yes, how do you keep your floor clean and prevent outside dirt to be smeared all over the place? As an Austrian running around my house in shoes seems pretty unhygienic to me and I don't know anyone who would do that

I’m from Australia and I always see black Americans on social media talk about using a wash cloth - I usually just use one of those plastic loofahs (bath pouf) and thought that was fine. I recently tried a wash cloth in the shower and I can’t believe how much better it is for getting into all the nooks and crannies - I don’t think my ears had been properly cleaned in 10 years lol

I've always wondered this since I was a kid, because it always takes me at least 20-25 minutes to take a shower whereas other people can do it in 5-10 minutes easily. The main part for me that takes the longest is drying off, which takes me about half the total time. After I shut off the shower I just stand in there for a while until I'm pretty dry already then I use the towel. I really just hate the drying off in general so if anybody has anything I can do please let me know!

edit: bit of a late edit but thank you to everyone who commented! to clarify and give a bit more detail on my old routine I would turn off the shower than stand in the shower and let myself dry off for only about 5 or so minutes before getting the towel. It really doesn't get that cold if the door is closed and I was showering with warm water. It was all because my dad once told me to wait in the shower until you stopped dripping then dry off with a towel. Then I think I developed this thing where I don't want to get the towel too wet otherwise it won't dry as well and honestly I'm not really even sure. but I just took a shower and when I was finished I immediately wiped off the water all over my body and started using a towel, and it was great. I was dry in about 5 minutes which was really good so thanks everybody

My right ear has always been a bit more muffled and likely to become clogged. I have mostly always used q tips despite all the warnings not to. Three times yesterday I tried the method where I lay down, put hydrogen peroxide in my ear, and then flush it out with warm water and a suction bulb. I did this at the sink with basically mixed results. Some wax removal, mostly still feeling like I couldn't hear.

Went to reddit and a ton of posts mentioned doing this in the shower with warm water, instead of at the sink. Figured I'd give it one more shot. Applied peroxide, waited five minutes minutes. Took a shower. Used warm water and a suction bulb. I was extremely surprised by the effective results and significant wax removal. 10/10

A lot of people still wash raw chicken before cooking, but food safety experts generally advise against it.

Raw chicken can carry bacteria such as Salmonella and Campylobacter. Washing it in the sink can spread those bacteria through water droplets onto your sink, countertops, utensils, and nearby surfaces. Properly cooking the chicken to a safe internal temperature kills these bacteria, so washing it doesn't make it safer.

Chicken sold in supermarkets is already processed and doesn't need to be washed before cooking. Instead of rinsing it, pat it dry with paper towels if needed and focus on preventing cross-contamination by washing your hands, utensils, and cutting boards after handling raw chicken.

P.S: I didn't mean to start a controversy. I was simply sharing a perspective that's backed by food safety research. The comments have turned into a playground, and that's fine, but let's keep the discussion respectful. If you disagree, feel free to explain why. I'm always open to learning.

I always see people talk about loofahs and washcloths, but no one ever mentions just using their hands to apply and lather soap. Is that nor also a normal thing to do?

I used to love swimming pools when I was younger but in my adulthood, I just can’t get over how grossed out I am about public pools. Logically I’m aware that they’re monitored and chemically treated so nothing harmful can really live and they’re not a public health risk or they’d obviously be shut down, but the thought of submerging myself in water that tons of other people are marinating in, PEEING IN, shedding skin cells in, etc. is so gross to me. I want to enjoy a hot girl pool summer but I just get the ick so bad. Can anyone relate?

And before you ask, I’m even less cool with swimming in lakes or oceans but I’m super landlocked so that doesn’t really come up.

ETA: I don’t have OCD, I’m not a crazy germaphobe, I KNOW there’s no actual danger in pools. I’m talking about the mental aspect of sharing [even sterile] water with strangers. We seem to be divided between people getting it and people thinking I’m some sort of ridiculous priss for being yucked out. All I’ll say is, next time a used bandaid gently caresses you on its way by in the public pool, think of me.

ETA 2: someone just referred to it as “sitting on the bus but wet”. Thread over, no one is ever changing my mind on this now.

I constantly have a bad taste, especially when I wake up in the morning with irritated throat. My specialist recommended gently pushing them out, so I have. I have dislodged massive smelling ones on either side, but every time I think it's done..more appear. They are usually deep in behind my tonsils but now I've noticed white spots appearing on my actual tonsils on the left side. Now I'm worried I've irritated everything and made it worse.

Every time I run a q-tip across my tonsils, it ALWAYS smells of the tonsil stones even when I can't see anything present. I'm seriously considering getting my tonsils removed because my throat feels irritated all the time. I have tried gargling with salt water and drinking plenty of fluids.

Is this normal for so many to be constantly appearing??

My partner has long hair that she puts into a tight bun pretty much daily. It’s got highlights and she had a perm to curl it a long time ago and it has remained like that.

Anyway, anytime she takes the tight bun out (at night in bed) it STINKS like corn chips. I bought her anti dandruff shampoo (she doesn’t get flakes but I thought maybe it’s a fungus???). She will wash her hair and even after washing it with shampoo and conditioner, the smell remains. wtf can she do?

I smell it if she lays on my pillows. She needs extra affection so she always asks to lay on me and I can smell it then. She also asks me to rub her head. It’s just gross.

Edit/updates: Wow I was not expecting so much activity on this post. Thanks to those of you who replied with genuine questions, similar experiences and solid advice. I really appreciate it so much. We are going to figure the corn chip mystery out lol.

To those making rude comments about her lady bits and other weird ass unhelpful comments…🖕🏼

Anyway, I wanted to respond to some of your questions here:

1. She works a job where she works extremely long hours, it’s quite physically demanding, and she absolutely cannot wear her hair outside of a bun (it’s a job requirement).

2. She is aware of the smell and we’ve been trying to figure out how to address it for a while now (so I came to you all lol)

3. She washes her hair about 2 times a week, scrubs her scalp (we shower together often and I’ve watched her do it - like nails in scalp scrub lol). I did notice recently that she puts the conditioner directly on her scalp and suggested only putting it on her ends. Not sure if that could have something to do with it too (trapping even more moisture into the scalp)

4. I think we need to wash our pillowcases, her hair ties, and brushes more frequently based on everyone’s advice. (She just ordered new brushes and said she’s just gonna throw the old ones out).

5. I told her about the vinegar rinse and she said she’s actually ordered a deep cleaning hair rinse online to try first, but will do the white vinegar or apple cider vinegar if that doesn’t change things.

6. I don’t actually think she’s gross or unhygeinic. I just can’t deal with her taking her hair out of the tight bun and waving it back and forth to let it down and have me rub her scalp when it smells like corn chips lol that’s the only gross thing. Truly, weve only noticed this in the last year or so (been together three) when she start working more and during a different shift. She also started using more/different products in her hair because she’s wearing her bun a different way than when we first started dating (using hair wax and gel and mousse I think)

7. She usually air dries her hair at night just before bed on wash days. I don’t think this helps at all and if there’s the smell on her pillow case then it transfers to her wet hair (I also know it’s not best practice to sleep on wet hair). I’m thinking she needs to wash immediately after work shift where she gets out earlier in the day so there’s hours before getting into bed, and on those same days change pillow cases (at least hers lol).

Idk how invested everyone is in figuring this out with us, but she has a derm appt next week and plans to ask about it. I’ll keep everyone posted on all the other things we try implementing.

I used to love Fritos…. Rip

It's probably not the worst thing this forum has seen, but I am super embarrassed about it. I hid the grossest bit.

I'm a guy in my forties. I'm a computer person, so long hours in the same chair. I'm a larger person. I prefer to sleep very warm. Shower in the morning, a good scrub with a washcloth and plain soap. I dry the best I can. But I've been having recurring jock itch. It's been a couple of years of this. I use miconazole nitrate and Gold Bond every day, but they really only seem to dampen the symptoms. The second I stop, my crotch starts growing a slimy, bad smelling film in the folds. I have no idea what to do. My regular doctor acts like I'm just a dirty person. He has prescribed me medication before and the itch cleared up for a while, but it came back. And he was kind of a dick about it. I've switch from polyester underwear to cotton, from briefs to boxers. No change. Anyone have any care tips? Or something I could try?

Edit: Thanks for the advice! Here is what I’m doing to fix this:

Clothing: Swapping to cotton underwear as the budget allows and grabbed some Hibiclens/zinc cream.

Routine: Implementing the blow-dry method and the "socks first" rule to prevent cross-contamination.

Laundry: Fresh towel daily and high-heat washes for anything that touches the area.

I did not expect this level of support. You all are super cool. Thank you.

Okay, hear me out

Nobody ever taught me how to shower in the details, only the basics of washing myself

I always assumed that whoever showered me used soap everywhere, even inside my bum

So I always did it since I was little whenever I showered

I'm now looking this up and it seems I'm the odd one out?

Isn't it nasty that poop comes out of there?

Aren't you supposed to wash it well?

I mean it doesnt burn like in front, so i never ever thought it was weird even for a second