Humans have been stinky from day one. Over time, our understanding of hygiene has evolved, shaped by cultural, religious, and scientific advancements. Yet, even today, people have a tendency to overlook some of the simplest hygiene habits.
Someone asked the internet, “What’s one basic hygiene that you see people overlooking the most?”, and netizens didn’t hold back with their answers. Here’s a collection of some of the worst offenders.
More info: Reddit
#1
Closing the toilet lid BEFORE flushing the toilet. I can’t for the life of me understand why people don’t.
#2
My girlfriend used to work at a concert hall/art exhibit.
She said the men’s soap dispensary needed changed once a week as opposed to the women’s which was needed daily.
Wash your hands lads.
#3
Y’all need to clean underneath your fingernails. That includes those of you with long artificial nails where dirt and bacteria accumulate easily. It’s gross 🤢.
It only took a global pandemic to get the world to sit up and take notice of essential hygiene habits like washing our hands regularly and practicing cough etiquette. Yet, humans have a long and interesting relationship with staying clean.
From rudimentary cleansing methods and early rituals to the sophisticated sanitation systems of modern day, the history of human hygiene provides a fascinating insight into how societies have prioritized cleanliness and health over the ages.
#4
I haven’t seen this comment so I’ll state it here: clean your headphones/earphones. They look gross when covered in wax.
#5
When you go to bathroom, you need to WASH YOUR HANDS, throughly, with soap and scrub them together, NOT just hold them motionless under the water for a few seconds.
#6
Not sure if this counts but people who pee on the seat and don’t clean it. Especially men. They’ll swear up and down that they can aim and it wasn’t them, instead of simply wiping it up. Nasty.
In ancient Egypt, cleanliness was considered sacred, and people bathed daily in the Nile River using a form of soap made from animal and vegetable oils mixed with alkaline salts. Egyptian priests actually shaved their entire bodies to prevent lice and washed multiple times a day as part of their religious duties.
Hundreds of years ago, Mesopotamians used soaps made from animal fats and ash. The famous Code of Hammurabi, one of the earliest legal codes, contained laws related to sanitation and cleanliness, emphasizing the importance of maintaining hygiene to prevent disease.
#7
Clean your bellybutton!
#8
Not washing behind the ears 🙁 stinky.
#9
Keeping their glasses clean! I work as an optician and frequently clean people’s grimy lenses that have a build up of oil and finger print smudges on them. Another common thing I see is dead skin trapped between the frame and lenses 🤢 keep your glasses clean by spraying your lenses regularly with lens cleaner or use a mild dish detergent with cold water. Also, if you wear nose pads on your glasses and notice they’re going a bit green, go and get them replaced!
Ancient Greeks and Romans took hygiene habits a step further. The Greeks promoted physical cleanliness, often linking it to health and athleticism. Hippocrates, the father of medicine, placed an emphasis on the importance of bathing, clean air, and a balanced diet in maintaining good health.
The Romans built vast public bathhouses, known as thermae, which were not only places for bathing but also social hubs. Roman cities even had aqueducts to supply clean water and underground sewage systems to remove waste, setting a foundation for modern sanitation.
#10
I still can’t get over the fact how many people don’t brush their teeth daily. It’s the first thing I do after waking up.How could you talk to someone in close proximity if you know you didn’t brush your teeth. Absolutely mind blowing!
#11
Wash your a*scrack. It doesn’t affect me on a daily basis if someone doesn’t do this, but I know you’re a filthy f*****g animal when you tell me you don’t.
#12
How to floss properly and effectively. Have to go in deep and around the tooth.
Following the fall of the Roman Empire, much of Middle Ages Europe saw a decline in hygiene practices and a rise in the spread of diseases. While the Renaissance saw an uptick in cleanliness, the real advances came when scientists like Louis Pasteur and Robert Koch provided evidence for the germ theory of disease, demonstrating that microorganisms caused infections.
Advertising and marketing have since played a crucial role in shaping modern hygiene habits. Companies like Procter & Gamble and Colgate-Palmolive popularized products like toothpaste, shampoo, and deodorant. One ad agency even came up with an interesting incentive to get disadvantaged kids to wash their hands – Hope Soap.
#13
Not scrubbing the bottom of their feet/in-between their toes in the shower. It is not enough to just let the water run down to your feet, you need to scrub the bottom of your feet and in between your toes too.
#14
Proper taintenance.
#15
Go to the dentist.
If you’re looking for an alternative to store-bought soap, why not make your own? The internet is awash with handmade soap recipes – you can even make the iconic pink Fight Club soap if you’re feeling like something cinematic in the tub.
Have you ever seen someone skipping hygiene habits like the folks in this list? Upvote the ones you think are the grossest and don’t forget to leave a comment if you can relate!
#16
F*****G DEODORANT.
#17
The middle of the back has the magic ability to wash itself.
#18
People taking their phones into the restroom, not disinfecting their phone in general, flushing the toilet with the lid up, no toothbrush protecter, not washing their feet. I can think of so many that it’s actually disturbing 🤮😫.
#19
Wearing a mask when sick.
#20
Wash your bedding every week! Especially if you sleep with another person, and especially especially if you aren’t a ‘shower in the evening’ type of person.
#21
Ok, strange one but do people here wash their legs and feet in the shower?
I do, but I have a friend that says he doesn’t bother actively washing his legs and feet because the soap washes down over them, whereas I think it’s important to at least lather soap over legs and feet, particularly in between toes, so that it gets rid of loose skin etc which might not be agitated by the flow of water alone.
#22
Wiping and cleaning their phones when they get home.
#23
Breath. Scrape your f*****g tongue, floss your f*****g teeth.
#24
Wiping correctly.
#25
Using the dryers in public bathrooms.
i saw a lottttt of comments saying handwashing but we are cleaner off using our own clothing than any air that shuffles poo particles around.
#26
People with disgusting toenails or feet wearing flip flops. If your toenails have a fungus and are discolored and untrimmed and curling away from the nail bed or you have big cracking calluses and corns please don’t wear flip flops in public, especially in restaurants.
#27
Lotion the elbows. Nothing worse than dry elbows.
#28
Stop touching your face.
Stop licking your fingers. Absolutely gross to be licking your fingers.