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49 Hygiene Tips That Are Worth Considering As Small Habits Make A Big Difference
Interview With Expert
Every time you visit the dentist, you probably have the importance of flossing drilled into your brain. I’m sure you’re also highly aware of how crucial hand-washing is, especially since the pandemic. But the truth is there are countless things we could be doing to improve our hygiene. So if you’re looking to stay fresh as a daisy, you’ve come to the right place!
Redditors have recently been discussing the most underrated health and hygiene tips that everyone should know. From using a tongue scraper to disinfecting your phone on the daily, enjoy scrolling through this advice that might awaken your inner germophobe. And keep reading to find a conversation about keeping clean in the kitchen with Food Hygiene and Health & Safety Consultant Sylvia Anderson!
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
These are more for people with depression, disabilities or other issues that make showering/cleaning up a bit harder… because I see a lot of comments talking about things being gross to not do and I know firsthand that sometimes you just can’t.
- A quick PTA sponge bath or wipe down is still better than nothing at all. Genital safe wipes after you use the bathroom will do wonders if showering is difficult.
- Mouthwash is better than nothing brushing your teeth at all. Keep a pack of toothbrush heads (like for reusable toothbrushes) next to your bed, so if you need. a quick clean you don’t have to go far.
- Wipes are better than nothing washing your hands and work great if there’s no hand washing facilities nearby.
- Keeping your hair in a bonnet can prevent mats and tangles if you can’t brush your hair (or if you’re like me and your hair insists on becoming one entity after a nap)
And wear a mask in public.
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#2
Washing your hands frequently for at least 20 seconds wasn’t just a pandemic thing, it’s a generally good health and hygiene thing.
Glen Ellyn 7 months ago
I'd hoped that people re-learned good handwashing technique during Covid, but no. We still see people every day who don't wash their hands after using the toilet and the ones who only do what I call the "splash & dash." They stick their hands under running water for about 2 seconds flat and think it's all good. No, they've just wasted that water because they accomplished nothing with it.
To learn more about kitchen hygiene specifically, we got in touch with Sylvia Anderson, Director and Food Hygiene and Health & Safety Consultant at Sylvia A Consultancy. She was kind enough to have a chat with Bored Panda and reveal some of the most underrated kitchen hygiene tips.
"Swap out dishcloths/sponges daily as they can harbor more bacteria than a toilet seat," the expert shared. "Clean your fridge weekly, wipe shelves and store raw meat at the bottom. Avoid cross-contamination, and use separate (ideally color-coded) chopping boards. Wash reusable shopping bags as they collect bacteria fast."
#4
Wash your belly button.
#5
Floss before you brush, not after.
Saint_Zipcodus 7 months ago
Even 'wrong' flossing is better than no flossing most of the time (as long as it's not done to a comlete excess - just like with basically anything else you could think of ;) ). Just to elaborate: With 'Floss first, brush after' the theory is that the biofilm on the interdental tooth surfaces will be gone and thus the sodium fluoride in the toothpaste can reach the interdental enamel surfaces. Better for remineralization and therefore caries resistance of these parts of the teeth.
#6
My personal experience is: Eating healthy does more for your body odor than any deodorant can ever.
I once had a bad phase in my life (depression etc.) and I ate a lot of c**p. I realized during this time, that I began to stink a lot even shortly after showering, wearing all clean clothes, using deo and barely moving. Eating clean took that away immediatly.
When it comes to why cleanliness is so crucial in the kitchen, Sylvia says, "Bacteria like Campylobacter, Salmonella and E. coli are invisible but dangerous. Good hygiene protects health, cuts waste and keeps food fresher. [And] a clean kitchen is a safer, calmer place to cook."
#8
Deodorant should go on a clean body after you shower. If not, you are just getting bacteria on your stick. ( from a derm ).
George Costanza 7 months ago
They're your bacteria. They were already on you. They won't make you sick if they get on your deodorant and then get back on you. They're just your normal skin flora. SMH.
#9
One hygiene tip that’s often overlooked is cleaning your phone! It’s crazy how much bacteria can build up on screens since we’re always touching them. A quick wipe down with a disinfectant cloth or a microfiber cloth can help keep things a lot cleaner, especially since our phones are always near our face. It’s one of those things people forget about but can make a big difference!
So if you're not sure if your kitchen is up to code, Sylvia shared a few hygiene tips to adopt. "Wash hands before and after handling food. Wipe surfaces daily with hot soapy water or antibacterial spray. Separate and label food, keep raw apart from ready-to-eat." She also recommends writing expiration dates on your leftovers (2 days after they've been prepared).
Finally, the expert added that food hygiene isn’t just for chefs. "Everyone has a kitchen and prepares and cooks at home, it’s self-care. When in doubt, clean it!"
#10
Fully dry your feet when you get out of the shower and before you put socks on.
#11
- Brush your fingernails and toenails.
- Brush your tongue.
- Use dental floss .
HardBoiledBlonde 7 months ago
I live in the US and I have a nail brush at every sink, shower and bathtub in my home.
#12
If you have no thigh gap or thick thighs and your inner thighs rub together, it can cause seriously sore rub marks over the course of the day. Not in pants but dresses, skirts, rompers.
Applying solid deodorant stick to the inner thighs prevents it completely:)
You’re welcome 🤓💃🏽.
#13
Use/get a bidet. I don’t understand why people are turned off on the idea of having a bidet. Easy hook up, not that expensive.
Glen Ellyn 7 months ago
Just not practical for some situations. Bathroom too small - yes, I know there are kits that you can add to your toilet, but the water in my house is much too cold for about 3/4 of the year.
#14
For long haired people: wash and condition your hair, wash your body while the conditioner sits, but wait to do the part of your back your conditioned hair is laying on until after you rinse the conditioner out, pull your hair up on your head or bend over and wash your upper back/shoulders. This helps prevent the conditioner from giving you bacne.
HardBoiledBlonde 7 months ago
I put conditioner on my hair, make a high bun and secure it with a clip. Later, I flip my hair and rinse with cool water to calm the cuticle. I have never, ever had bacne.
#16
If you wear glasses, wash the frames and lenses with dish soap periodically.
LillieMean 7 months ago
Unless the lenses have a coating. It can be quickly ruined with hand dishwashing liquid. I have coated lenses and the optician specifically forbade harsh detergents. I only wash with water and dry with a microfiber cloth that is intended for eyeglasses. Water washing is also recommended so that sharp objects such as sand do not scratch the lenses before wiping.
#17
Your washing machine needs a cleansing rinse cycle. Use a cup or two of vinegar and just run your washing machine like that. You may have noticed that the outer drum still sloshes around with water. Yeah...that is not clean water. That is full of whatever grime that's leftover from all of previous washes.
Same for your clothes as well, especially towels. If they have that mildewy smell, that means you need to run them through a vinegar cycle. And no, the vinegar smell does not stay.
The little grey flies you see in your bathroom are drain flies. It means you have stagnant debris and waste in your sinks and tubs. They are effectively harmless, but you might want to use some drain cleaner and snake out your pipes.
#18
I find that a bar of soap is far more effective in getting a “clean” feeling than body wash. .
superfluous 7 months ago
I find the opposite. When I use bar soap my skin feels slightly...sticky? Body wash makes it feel smooth and soft.
#19
Figure out how often you need to be washing your hair! Different hair and skin types have different needs, so you may be taking care of your hair sub-optimally.
#20
Brush your hair before you get in the shower (mostly longer haired people). It prevents forming tangles from getting knotted once wet.
#21
Open your bedroom and bathroom windows every day.
LooseSeal's $10 Banana 7 months ago
I love open windows, but when it's 90⁰ F and 90% humidity there's not a chance.
#22
If you've forgotten to wear deodorant (hopefully this doesn't happen often), putting hand sanitizer on your pits helps to keep the smells down. Handy tip in a pinch, but shouldn't be a go-to.
#23
Have separate cleansing cloths that are for your face only.
Featherytoad 7 months ago
My hands are my cleansing cloths. I'd be all red and broken out if I used a wash cloth.
#24
A metal tongue scraper for when you wake up. I'd brush my teeth and tongue but still would feel gross and like I had bad breath 20 minutes afterwards. I don't even rinse my toothpaste out after and it was still bad.
Got the scraper a year ago and it's completely changed my confidence regarding my oral health and speaking to people. It's definitely gross though sometimes when I have a lot of build up.
#25
Don't just brush your teeth, brush your whole mouth. Started doing this a couple years ago and my dental hygienist has almost nothing to do now.
keyboardtek 7 months ago
Any trauma to my mouth creates a canker sore. So brushing my tongue and walls of my mouth just creates pain for me.
#26
Use cornstarch in lieu of baby powder for any areas that retain moisture…. Under b***s, pits, etc. Very inexpensive and completely amazing technique.
#27
If you are going to wear a fragrance and you want it to last, make sure you put it on moisturized skin.
BookFanatic 7 months ago
I remember my grandmother spritzing the air and then sashaying through the cloud. No idea how well it works, but I do it more to remember her than anything else.
#28
If your feet sweat a lot use a good foot powder or spray. Always give your shoes time to dry out if they get wet.
*Learned the hard way after getting athletes foot last year for the first time.
Geoffrey Scott 7 months ago
And if you DO get athletes foot or nail fungus, the athletes foot sprays, name brand or generic, work well.
#29
Rinse with mouthwash after breakfast (coffee or cereal, etc). My dentist is ecstatic at how little extra work he has when I do it.
️Rando Panda 7 months ago
Flossing after meals and swishing with water is a help between brushings, too.
#30
Chewing gum (sugar free of course) is actually a great way to clean out your mouth / teeth after meals or drinking something acidic. Should always be paired with regular flossing and brushing though!
keyboardtek 7 months ago
Dentine gum used to have an advertisement that chewing their gum removed food particles. My aunt believed that ad, not realizing the gum was loaded with sugar. She stopped brushing her teeth and chewed Dentine gum all the time. She had a full set of dentures by the time she was 35.
#31
Glycolic acid is fantastic for controlling sweat smell on the body.
#32
Before getting down with a partner, wash your mitts, your pits, and your bits. Better for everyone.
#33
Wash your pillowcases very frequently. Every few days at least.
If you have face acne, this could be the reason.
And if you have dry skin and hair, try a satin pillowcase.
LooseSeal's $10 Banana 7 months ago
Every few days seems excessive. Once a week with the rest of my bedding seems like plenty.
#34
If you're sweaty and have stubborn BO, keep your body hair trimmed short (shaving is an option but it tends to irrtate the skin) as it will cling to hair and resist washing.
#35
Don’t rise after brushing your teeth. It washes away all the protective stuff in toothpaste. Spit out, obviously, but avoid the urge to rinse.
#37
Check for tonsil stones.
Around 10% of the cases of bad breath originate from tonsil stones and most people are not aware of them.
Had them my whole life. Ironically, after a tonsil removal, they started to build up in the pockets left behind.
Only found out in my twenties, but by now I have this weekly cleaning rituaI with 2 of my children, to get rid of them with a soft dental water jet.
Uncle Panda 7 months ago
It could just be a me-thing but I started swishing and gargling with a light peroxide-water mix after brushing (to improve a gumline problem) and my tonsiliths went away over a few months. What a relief! The gums got better too.
#38
Scrubbing under your nails with a nail cleaner
Glycolic acid under your pits before putting on deodorant
Cleaning your piercing holes every few days (no one likes ear cheese).
#39
Wash your face AFTER you brush your teeth. And scrub your d**n legs.
#40
Everyone needs to exfoliate sometimes.
George Costanza 7 months ago
No, they literally don't. There's no valid reason to rub off the top layer of your skin. It's there as part of your natural exterior barrier.
#41
Sort of hygiene-tangential: switching to an sls-free toothpaste completely stopped me from getting canker sores.
keyboardtek 7 months ago
Sodium Laurel Sulfate in case anyone is wondering. I have been plagued with canker sores since I was five. I have pinpointed my food triggers: sugar, salted potato chips, chocolate, tomatoes and tomato sauce, white flour food products, any acidic foods like vinegar.
#42
Use a brush to sweep the bed after waking up or before going to sleep, which gets rid of loose skin, hair, and other dust/dirt. the bed feels will feel clean everyday this way since you can't be washing out sheets everyday.
#43
Shower before bed. Most people change their sheet once a week (if not longer). I find it pretty gross that people go to bed without showering and sleeping in the same sheet for at least a week.
superfluous 7 months ago
Stop calling me gross! It's rude! Seems very judgemental when we have never met!
#44
N95 masks in public. I’ve been sick once in 5 years. *Highly* recommend.
#45
Remember in chemistry that like dissolves like.
Soap is great and all, but cleaning with oil will really remove any stubborn products like makeup or sunscreen or deodorant.
#46
Do not touch your face with your fingers/hand. Espicially near eyes, mouth, nose. Unless your fingers are really, really clean.
#47
Dudes, shave your armpits. It's a game changer. Deodorant covers better and you stink less.
Child of the Stars 7 months ago
Just clean your arm pits daily. I haven't removed my body hair in years and my deodorant works just fine because I wash daily.
#48
Don’t forget to scrub your ankles.
#49
Keep your floss in the shower for a reminder and easy access. Has been a game changer.
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ILoveMySon 7 months ago
Take a thorough shower after visiting ANY medical facility. I actually strip at my front door and go directly to the shower. My friend, a renowned physician, taught me this. Because I, unfortunately, have many appointments, I follow his advice after every visit. I also do as much if I am not the patient.
ILoveMySon 7 months ago
Take a thorough shower after visiting ANY medical facility. I actually strip at my front door and go directly to the shower. My friend, a renowned physician, taught me this. Because I, unfortunately, have many appointments, I follow his advice after every visit. I also do as much if I am not the patient.
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