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Remember when we were all obsessively washing our hands and sanitizing everything in sight?
Fast forward to today, and many of us have quietly let those habits slip right back to pre-pandemic times.
That became painfully clear when an online thread went viral asking for uncommon hygiene practices people swear by. Surprisingly, a ton of the responses were super simple habits that shouldn’t be unusual at all — like washing your feet in the shower or actually replacing your bedding on a regular schedule.
We combed through the responses and compiled a list of the most useful tips to help you wipe the slate clean and reset your daily habits.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Wash your hands when you get home, not just after using the bathroom. You’ve been touching door handles, carts, keypads and your phone for hours.
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Most of us know how germs spread — we basically took a global crash course on it a few years ago.
Yet, one in five US adults still forget, or choose not, to wash their hands when it matters most — after visiting grocery stores, restaurants, coffee shops, or a doctor’s office.
Some people claimed it was unnecessary, some said they lacked the time, and others were worried about drying out their skin.
This data comes from a 2025 report by the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases.
The report noted that this is a risky gamble since simple handwashing can prevent up to 80% of infectious diseases.
#4
Wash your feet, with soap. A lot of people seem to think water flowing over them is enough.
Alyssia M Corbett 6 minutes ago
i wash my feet and my toes and inbetween my feet and toes really well and sometimes i do that 2x times daily especially when going swimming or just having a really long day
Global estimates show that if everyone routinely washed their hands, about one million lives could be saved each year.
Clean hands serve as our first line of defense against foodborne illnesses, respiratory bugs, and dangerous antibiotic-resistant superbugs. It’s the easiest, cheapest health insurance policy available — yet it’s often the very first thing people skip when they’re in a rush.
#7
Not wearing shoes in the house.
Alyssia M Corbett 5 minutes ago
i dont wear shoes in the house i wear socks and or slippers so i dont get my carpet dirty
#8
Have a shower at night to wash off the day.
You’ll be so much cleaner getting into bed, and it’ll relax you so sleep will come much easier.
#9
Your pillowcase. it is against your face for eight hours a night soaking up oil, and whatever your hands dragged onto your phone, and most people wash it maybe once a month. flip and swap it a couple times a week and a lot of people random breakouts would quietly go away.
For millions of people around the world, though, clean hands aren’t a choice.
In 2024, 1.7 billion people still lacked basic hygiene services — including 611 million who had no handwashing facilities at all.
This data proves that having the simple ability to wash your hands whenever you want is a privilege.
So, while millions fight for basic facilities, the rest of us really have no excuse to skip the tap.
#12
Change your bedding every week. It absorbs so much from you when you sleep. You deserve a clean lovely bed. It will help your skin!
If physical health isn’t enough to motivate you, do it for your brain.
A study published in the journal Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin found that people living in cluttered or unkempt homes had significantly higher levels of cortisol — the body’s primary stress hormone.
High cortisol directly leads to anxiety, brain fog, and chronic fatigue.
“[Cleaning] gives people a sense of mastery and control over their environment. Life is full of uncertainty, and many situations are out of our hands, but at least we can assert our will on our living space,” says Darby Saxbe, author and assistant professor of psychology at the University of Southern California.
#13
I don't know if it's uncommon, but having a shower before and after a bath,, but also with the shower after the bath or whenever I'm drying off, I always use a fresh, clean bath towel.
#15
Clean your phone often...I am shocked by how grimy and disgusting people's phones usually are.
A study involving more than 3,000 participants from the UK, the US, and Canada found that the act of cleaning ourselves can reduce our anxiety during stressful moments.
The researchers found that even watching a hand-washing video alleviated the anxiety participants felt after watching a stress-inducing scene.
The science behind a simple shower is surprisingly powerful. Hot showers trigger your brain to release oxytocin — a hormone that instantly lowers stress and calms anxiety. Cold showers boost blood circulation to give your body a quick, refreshing reset.
“When we engage in cleaning behavior, it involves separating residues from our body (e.g., washing dirt off your hands). This basic, physical experience of separating residues from our body can trigger a more psychological form of separation, namely, separating the residual influence of past experiences from the present (e.g., wiping the slate clean),” explains study author Spike W.S. Lee, an associate professor of management and psychology at the University of Toronto.
#17
Wash you belt. You go to the toilet and then do up your belt. Your shorts/trousers get washed but no one washes belts.
Basic hygiene is also a matter of respect for the people around you.
If you’re unclean, the germs and bacteria you carry can be transferred to every surface you touch and every room you walk into.
For example, if someone skips showering for three days, the bacteria on their skin breaks down the sweat into volatile organic compounds. This buildup creates a breeding ground for microbes that can easily transfer to shared couches, car seats, and door handles.
While it can put others in harm’s way, it can also impact your personal and work relationships.
“When body odor is strong, it can be very distracting. People may not want to work directly or even communicate with a person if they feel odor is a problem,” says Steve Browne, a member of the Society for Human Resource Management’s board of directors.
#19
Whenever I wash my hair (instead of just washing my body for a shower), I change my pajamas that night too. It's practically eliminated any back acne I used to get!
#20
Properly washing hands (scrub with soap for 20 seconds). So many people just rub the hand soap on and then immediately wash it off, or apply soap and then scrub their hands under the running water.
Hygiene is one of the most overlooked symptoms in the mental health conversation. Because talking about our bodies and habits carries a bit of shame, few people admit when they’re struggling to keep up with basic self-care.
Yet, losing the motivation to shower, brush your teeth, wash dishes, or do laundry can be a major warning sign of conditions like depression.
Understanding this connection works both ways. Poor hygiene can signal a mental health slump, but small and low-effort routines can also help you climb back out.
Experts believe that daily care, such as brushing your teeth or making your bed, serves as a behavioral baseline. Completing even one minor task releases a small hit of dopamine, which signals to your brain that you still have a sense of control.
#21
Get a nail brush. You touch everything with your hands, and just washing them doesn't properly clean out under nails.
#22
Don't shave/wax the nether regions.
Hair removal of any sort, but ESPECIALLY shaving, creates micro cuts/tears in the skin that leave you more susceptible to STIs...hair is there for a reason y'all. It's the Year of the Bush. Embrace it. .
We understand that life gets busy, and fatigue is real. But nobody is expecting perfection every single second of the day.
You don’t need a ten-step care routine to feel good in your own skin and surroundings. Just pick one tiny habit from this list, and start there… your future self might just thank you for it.
#23
Using (biodegradable) wetwipes or a bidet on one's behind. Toilet paper alone doesn't "clean" anything.
#25
Sneeze into your elbow or shoulder, NOT into your hands! Seems uncommon based on how few people I see actually sneezing into their elbows.
#26
Do NOT put your suitcase on your bed! I travel for work so I use a suitcase multiple times a week, and airports/airplanes are filthy! The overhead bins are not cleaned regularly, and I know friends who have gotten bedbugs from putting their bags next to bags that have bedbugs. Do not put your luggage, purses, backpacks, etc on any bed! They have been through all kinds of dirt and germs. Place your bags only on easy to clean surfaces, and clean them regularly!
#29
Be aware of and care for your skins microbiome - focus on gentle cleansing, preserving the skin’s natural acidic pH (around 5.5), and avoiding harsh antibacterial soaps and over-exfoliation that strip away beneficial bacteria. Nourish your skin barrier by integrating hydrating, microbiome-friendly products.
#30
Washing your reusable water bottle every day, especially the lid and straw. Those little crevices get gross way faster than people realize.
#31
Cleaning your keyboard, mouse (or equivalent), and phone regularly. The amount of absolutely *nasty* input devices I see is absurd.
#33
During Covid the Public Health Agency of Canada recommended cleaning kitchen counters with a spray bottle containing a mix of 2 tblsps. of chlorine bleach to 500 mL water (yes, they used mixed units). I still use it every day.
#34
I see a lot of influencers online doing "GRWM while I do my skin care routine" and they begin without washing their hands first. Hand hygiene is the very first step. Wash them long enough to sing the ABC song twice, under finger nails and on the tops from fingers to the palms. I cringe when I see people that do not start their skin care routine with clean hands.
#35
If you use a landline phone at work be sure to sanitise it with wipes regularly.
Back in the boom days there was a company that convinced businesses to employ them to do just this and cited many statistics of how many sick days the business would save after it was done.
#36
Washing your hands in the morning, especially if not showering, before making breakfast. Who knows what your hands were scratching in the night.
#37
- Do not sit on the bed with outside clothes.
- No outside shoes in the house.
- Wash your hands when you come home from outside.
- Wash your hands after opening packages.
#38
Never walk on carpet with outside shoes on. You never know what you have stepped on when you walk outside. Either change to indoor shoes or simply take them off. You can not deep clean the carpet that often.
#39
Don’t touch public doorknobs. Use your sleeve or body. They’re filthy. Especially use a paper towel to open bathroom doors when leaving.
#41
Don't wear your outside clothes inside. Change your clothes when you get home. You've been outside all day, they are dirty. Dont sit on your furniture or bed or whatever else.
#42
Wash your behind after taking a dump. Dry toilet paper isn't enough. You wouldn't wipe your hands with dry toilet paper instead of washing, would you?
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