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Typically, when we take part in our habits, we don't think about it that much — after all, it's a habit for a reason — it's something we're used to; something that comes naturally to us. Yet, if you stop yourself from thinking about them, you might realize that at least some of them are rather weird.
Or maybe even disgusting. That's what today's list is all about — gross habits that people realized they had, but didn't shy away from sharing online. Well, read on to see what people confessed to, but beware, some of them are actually repulsive.
More info: Mumsnet
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Sometimes I dust the bedside table, bathroom shelves etc with clothes im about to put in the wash. Socks, leggings etc
marianne eliza 2 weeks ago (edited)
Of course. And I clean the bathroom floors weekly with the damp bath towels when they are due for a wash.
RELATED:
#2
Not disgusting but weird
I sometimes climb the stairs on all 4s when dd isn't home 🤭
LakotaWolf (she/her) 2 weeks ago
I used to run around on all fours all the time in the house when I was a kid - because I wanted to be a dog/wolf and not a human XD I still do it sometimes. Not in public, only in my own house :p
#3
When I’m tidying up I kind of treat myself like a human bin if I find a crisp on the sofa or something.
my mum dusts the telly with her fluffy cat
LakotaWolf (she/her) 2 weeks ago
But then poor kitty grooms itself and ingests all that extra dust and c**p :( That's horrible. Poor kitty.
People are gross, that’s no secret. What we mean by that is that our bodies can do (and simply have) so many disgusting things — from sweating to producing snot to burping to name a few — we’re gross, aren’t we? These are just the common things every body does and/or has. Additionally, there are some other things people can do that would count as disgusting.
Let’s take a look at today’s list — it contains people’s confessions about the revolting habits they have. All of them were shared on the Mumsnet forum when a user asked, “What disgusting thing do you do?”
Over 600 folks decided to spill their guts (yes, this rather gross saying was deliberately chosen for today’s topic) about it, and so, we picked the most interesting ones and created this list.
#4
Sometimes I don’t clean my teeth before going to bed (alone).
I am 53, have no fillings and the dentist always tells me I have good strong teeth as if I am a horse.
LakotaWolf (she/her) 2 weeks ago
Apparently the pH of a person's mouth "environment" can make them less prone to cavities! There's a genetic component as well, but my dentist and my hygienist both say that I have the type of mouth environment (more alkaline?) that makes me way, WAY less prone to cavities. It makes me more prone to tartar buildup, but less prone to cavities.
#6
I have a habit of chewing my right forefinger, just the bit between the first knuckle and my hand. I noticed that black hairs were growing on the bit where I dribble and chew the most.
As you can see, some folks actually have very, let’s say, questionable habits. Like biting off both your nails and toenails. What’s that about? How does one even manage to bite off their toenails? That’s some impressive body flexibility! Well, to each their own, we guess.
Since we don’t want to spoil anything other than that, we encourage you to look up the list yourselves (and don't forget to upvote the most interesting takes!)
#7
Bite my nails. Including toenails.
LizzieBoredom 1 week ago
This has inspired me to see if I can get my toenails anywhere near my mouth.
#8
Use the same towel for over a week before it gets a wash, I'm clean when I dry myself with it then I hang it up to dry.
Ace 1 week ago
I fail to see anything remotely odd about that. I always use two, one to get the worst of the wet off and the other to wrap round me for a while until I'm properly dry, two or three times a week - no, I don't shower daily, but enjoy good long soaks in the bath - and get washed, I dunno, every three or four weeks, I guess, or if they get stained or start to smell if that's sooner.
#9
I smell the armpits of DH tshirts before I put them into the washing machine. I have no idea why but I do it every time.
Furthermore, since you already opened this list, have you ever considered why you’re so intrigued to read about others’ gross habits? After all, the icky feeling was wired into our brains as a way for our ancestors to know which foods they should and shouldn’t eat. Basically, the disgust kept people safe from harmful bacteria in rotting food, toxic water, and things like that.
Over time, it spread to more things than just food — people started being grossed out by a variety of other things, from certain animals to diseases, bodily injuries, or even a violation of morals and cultural rules (for example, saying you’re disgusted by homophobia).
So, why do we still like consuming content — like this list — about things that gross us out then? And it’s not even a new thing. Gross content-seeking reaches even the times of Shakespeare. Just take a look at the playwright’s tragedies — they’re pretty full of gore.
#10
Wipe my mouth with the bathroom towel if i still have a load of toothpaste around it in a morning.
#11
I sometimes pick my nose with tweezers
White Sauce Hot Sauce 1 week ago
I do this, too. It feels great to pick out a solid nugget from way in there.
#12
I wee on the compost heap if I need to go when in the garden
As an example, let’s take Titus Andronicus. The play contains murders, intimate violence, a live burial, insanity, and even cannibalism. Sounds like a wild ride, doesn’t it? Well, apparently people enjoyed it, especially when it initially came out. This just shows that we aren’t strangers to seeking things that are disgusting as a form of entertainment for centuries now.
But, why though? Well, again, it has to do with the way we’re wired. Apparently, this emotion is formed in a way that manages to seize our attention more effectively than neutral stimuli do. But it not only gets our attention — it makes us enjoy it, too.
Basically, it's something called “benign masochism” —a tendency to seek “negative” experiences for enjoyment.
#13
I have no issue with letting my cats roam around on the kitchen work surface while I’m preparing food. Sometimes a cat hair or two will land in what I’m cooking, and I’d usually just ignore it.
Wild Cream 1 week ago
Cats stand in their own toilet 😅 I let me cats have free rein of the house but I don’t like their poopy toes all over the surface I make food on. They’re allowed everywhere but the kitchen counters 😂 (yea I know they still jump up there when I’m not home)
#14
I blow my nose into my hands when I am in the shower.
#15
I must have a pocket full of my dogs eye bogies because I never have anywhere to put them when I wipe their eyes in the morning😂
As psychologist Nina Strohminger explains: “Any negative feeling has the potential to be enjoyable when it is stripped of the belief that what is happening is actually bad, leaving behind physiological arousal that is, in itself, exhilarating or interesting.”
That’s why we like such things as spicy foods, rollercoasters, and things like that — they “put us in danger” without actually doing so. Enjoying disgusting content fits right in here, too.
Since you opened this list, we presume you enjoy said disgusting content. The only question is, what kind? Is it only along the lines of this list or does it go beyond that? Share with us in the comments!
#16
I use my face to stroke my cat. I love the smell of his fur.
LakotaWolf (she/her) 1 week ago
All cat owners shove their faces into their cat's fur at some point. Any cat owner who says they don't do this is lying XD I also "forehead bunt" my oldest girl because that's how cats say hello!
#17
When I'm alone and I burp, I say burp as I'm burping.
I'm 51. It's revolting.
#18
I sniff my dog’s paw pads, it’s a weird popcorn smell but I find it comforting.
#19
I wear trainers without socks, which is a disgusting sin according to mumsnet.
#20
I used to LOVE picking my kids noses when they were babies 🤣 couldn't do it now though 🤢 but when they were babies it was my favorite 🤣
#21
If I can't find a hand towel after I've washed my hands, I often dry them on the cat
#22
I dunk my bacon sandwiches in tea. I dont know why but everyone finds it revolting. I think it tastes absolutely banging 🤣🥲
#23
I keep my own used teabags from work, bring them home on Friday and put them in the food waste bin.
#24
When we are out and I take my grandchildren to the toilet after they have washed their hands I get them to dry them on my jeans! (They are little and don't like the dryers yet) 😂
Becky Samuel 1 week ago
The dryers are gross! So long as the jeans are fresh on (and probably even if they aren't) it's going to be more hygienic than the bacteria-blasters.
#25
I love eating on my own as I get to mash up food. I don’t do it with everything but I do with veg
#26
I have dyspraxia* (so I'm clumsy) and find it hard to eat with a knife and fork. I get the bags of pre made salad and (with clean hands) pick it up & put it in my mouth. I was eating chicken nuggets and chips tbh and working on my computer at the same time....
#27
I dry my cats in a hand towel when they come 🫴in soaked after being in the pouring rain.
I sometimes forget I've used said hand towel in this way.
Serena Myers 2 weeks ago
Yuki doesn't mind a bit of rain, but it was sheeting down this morning (UK) and he was grumpy because it was too wet for even him to go out (back garden only) so he sat on my desk, dug his claws into my shirt, and tried to bite me, because, of course, it was my fault. Rossi just sits and scowls and flicks his tail. I, apparently, am responsible for all weather conditions!
#28
I wash my face & brush my teeth in the shower my reasoning is that the sink in my en-suite (shared house) is absolutely tiny & the plug is broken so I end up flooding the room & get toothpaste everywhere.
I also pick my toenails & feet, the feeling of nail clippers goes through me & my toenails have to be super short.
Wild Cream 1 week ago
I wash my face in the shower too - doesn’t everyone? Or are there people who wash their whole body except for their face in the shower, and then get out and wash their face in the sink instead?
#30
Also re wear my sweaty workout clothes but I couldn't keep up with the washing otherwise.
What do you think ?
Wild Cream 1 week ago
For real - some were pretty gross but most were fine 😂
Load More Replies...
Rick Murray 1 week ago
I have a block of cheddar in the fridge wrapped up in cling film. If I can't sleep (usual) and I manage to will myself to get up (unusual) then I go into the kitchen and break off a piece of cheddar and eat it, then go back to bed. The strangest thing is I'm not really aware that I'm doing this so I'll go get the cheese and I'll be like "where did it go?".
Melanie Filmer 1 week ago
I couldn't do this, my mam used to say eating cheese before bed gives you nightmares, so I just can't lol
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Artful Penguin 6 days ago
I have been a huge nose picker for over 30 years. I find it relieves anxiety and it's very satisfying. I pee in the shower, and blow my nose in the shower. I go 2-3 days between showers, but I don't have any natural body odor so I don't stink. I am otherwise a very neat and tidy person. Borderline OCD on some things.
Wild Cream 1 week ago
For real - some were pretty gross but most were fine 😂
Load More Replies... Rick Murray 1 week ago
I have a block of cheddar in the fridge wrapped up in cling film. If I can't sleep (usual) and I manage to will myself to get up (unusual) then I go into the kitchen and break off a piece of cheddar and eat it, then go back to bed. The strangest thing is I'm not really aware that I'm doing this so I'll go get the cheese and I'll be like "where did it go?".
Melanie Filmer 1 week ago
I couldn't do this, my mam used to say eating cheese before bed gives you nightmares, so I just can't lol
Load More Replies... Artful Penguin 6 days ago
I have been a huge nose picker for over 30 years. I find it relieves anxiety and it's very satisfying. I pee in the shower, and blow my nose in the shower. I go 2-3 days between showers, but I don't have any natural body odor so I don't stink. I am otherwise a very neat and tidy person. Borderline OCD on some things.
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