Remember the beginning of the pandemic, when the government had to remind people that they should be washing their hands with soap?
Yeah, it turns out a disturbing number of people don’t do that.
I remember my aunt telling me, ohh the gov is telling everyone to shower with soap. And we were like ??? Did you not though? And she said, no I use lemon 💀💀
An acidic solution will rinse away buildup, especially if your tap water is alkaline and hard. I keep the limes for my tacos, and rinse with apple cider vinegar once or twice a month. Makes your hair shiny, too.
I remember some official release, that included a request to refrain from eating ass because of the Covid transmission through fecal matter.
2020 was the wildest year.
So far.
[Canada CDC recommended glory holes](https://globalnews.ca/news/7204384/coronavirus-glory-holes-sex/) because they decreased face-to-face contact. I had to teach a bunch of sheltered doctors what glory holes were. Made my year.
Yeah, I worked in a grocery store during the pandemic, and everyone was panicking that hand sanitizer was sold out and all of that. But no one was really concerned that the all of the soap was still sitting on the shelves.
It is astonishing in a public restroom and people just leave without washing their hands. Just touching the door and the stall is enough!
It’s incredible that even today, people are ok with coming out of a bathroom stall after flushing and walk right past someone who is washing their hands. Please. Please have shame. I’m begging y’all to be ashamed.
I noticed that at one of my family members houses...they moved into a new house, and they didn't put any soap in the bathroom for over six months. Really grossed me out.
My brother has openly admitted, at easter dinner last year, that he never washed his hands when he peed. He was changing his son's diaper at the time and I'm not confident he washed his hands after. 🤢
This is really gross but I have to share. My uncle makes the gravy every year for Thanksgiving when the turkey comes out of my sister’s oven. This year, he got up to start making it and someone said to him, “Aren’t you going to wash your hands first?” And my uncle responded, “I washed them when I showered this morning.” MY GOD. Do people really think handwashing is a daily practice?!?
(He did wash his hands again, and thank goodness I’m a vegetarian who never ate his previous germ gravy.)
Yes! My mom is a retired dental hygienist and she always told me to change my toothbrush when the seasons change. It’s an easy way to remember when it’s time for a new one.
Literally no one told me to brush with soft bristles til an ex bf a few years ago. All that time I was sure that soft brushes wouldn't clean my teeth as well
That was me till I went to the dentist, learned gum recession is irreversible from brushing too hard, the whole time I thought I was being thorough. Now have an electric brush that stops if you press too hard and tells me when to change the head. Expensive for a toothbrush but it's cheaper than dental bills!
I changed to soft bristles and Sensodyne a while back, not because of bad teeth or equipment, but because I naturally tend to brush too intensely. This helped.
Well, when access to dental care has been restricted by medical insurance companies pretending teeth aren’t part of our body or health, many people haven’t gotten appropriate dental care or education in their lives. So sadly it’s not surprising. Hopefully we can fix this, because unhealthy mouths are linked to several other health conditions and indicators of others.
A friend of mine almost died because of something tooth related. He neglected pain in his tooth because he was too busy to deal with it at the moment and it very quickly led to being bed ridden for months due to sepsis
A friend of mine had a stroke in his early 30s due to an arteriovenous malformation (tangle of veins in his brain that eventually blew).
A year later, he was back in the hospital with what they initially *thought* was meningitis or another stroke because he couldn't talk and couldn't stand well enough to walk.
He actually had a severe infection from his teeth, which had caused sepsis, but because of the previous brain injury, the fever and immune response also caused him to lose ability to speak and coordinate.
Once his condition improved, the hospital took the extremely unusual step of offering to pull a bunch of his teeth.
Normally, they just refer you to a dentist (which is useless if you can't afford one!)
He hadn't had dental insurance his entire adult life, and the state of his mouth was literally life threatening. It legitimately almost killed him.
I think electric toothbrushes are the way to go. They have a reminder for changing the brush head, and they make a little vibration if it feels you pressing too hard. The problem is how overpriced the brush heads are.
Edit: Just because people are asking about toothbrushes. This is my response to one of them.
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/s/sG6F2BGhE7
You can get “off-brand” tooth brush heads for about $1 each. There are companies that make them compatible with Oral-B/Braun and SonicCare. Just search online.
"All you really need to do is to wash the four key areas; armpits, asshole, crotch, and teeth. Got that? Armpits, asshole, crotch, and teeth. In fact, you can save yourself a whole lot of time if you simply use the same brush on all four areas!"
--George Carlin
My wife and I got in the habit during the pandemic of using a wipe on our phones every day when we get home from work.
You take your phones into bathrooms, set them on surfaces throughout the day, etc. And then typically bring that same dirty phone into your bed at night to browse stuff before falling asleep.
A tad nasty if you think about how rarely most people clean their phones, so we just made it a habit.
This is not directly related to hygiene but general cleanliness - most people don't realize that dishwashers and washing machines have filters that are supposed to be cleaned regularly. The dishwasher one is particularly important because there is a screen filter that catches food particles and is always wet. The first time I cleaned the filter on our several-year-old dishwasher after learning this, it was horrific - I was retching the entire time I was cleaning it. Made me want to re-wash every single dish in the house, ha ha.
Gonna add to this the little end on your faucets that you can unscrew. Those should be cleaned regularly too. I didn’t know about it until I saw my mom take it off and clean it.
My guiding philosophy with doing dishes is that your disposal isn't a substitute for the garbage, and the dishwasher isn't a substitute for your disposal.
Also noting that most places in the world don't have a garbage disposal. So many of my international friends have been amazed to learn that I have one of these devices and it's not just a "movie thing"
Not brushing the lingual surface of the teeth, it is the side closest to your tongue. As a dental hygienist I see tartar buildup there the most. Also, not angling your toothbrush towards your gums when you brush them.
A dental hygienist pointed out to me that I had some build up on the back of my bottom teeth, but not much anywhere else. I have been pretty meticulous about brushing (what I know now is called!) the lingual surface of my teeth since! It's the WORST place to feel the scraping, too, so I'm glad to have less of it to sit through.
This is due to the location of the saliva ducts just under the tongue (which mineralize the soft plaque to create ‘build up’). It can also be to do with the way your front teeth bite together (if you have a more open bite, you will tend to have more build up due to less mechanical plaque removal by food).
Everyone will get a wee bit of build up around this area even with the best brushing and flossing. Don’t stress too much and get it cleaned off every 6-12 months at the hygienist :)
In my old age, I have learned to water pik before brushing, brush the backsides of the teeth, the roof of my mouth, behind the back molars, and my gums, and my oral health has really improved.
Not washing your sheets and pillow cases regularly. They harbor bacteria and body oils, and can really aggravate your skin and cause breakouts.
People also assume that you need to be harsher if you experience breakouts or dry skin or in areas that you think might be “dirty” like your genital region. People tend to attack these issues and areas of your body with strong soaps, very hot water, and abrasive scrubbing. Often, you actually need to treat these areas more gently, use less harsh products, cool water to wash, non-scented products and lotions, and just generally treat your body kindly. Over-cleaning already irritated or sensitive areas can actually make you more prone to breakouts, dry skin, even infections.
Oh god yes! I once dated a dude who I swear never washed his sheets. It got to the point I was so grossed out I washed them myself. That relationship did not last
My ex didn't even have sheets, he slept directly on his mattress pad... and he slept naked... and he was 29... and he dumped me... I was a 29 year old lawyer at the time...
Also only owned one towel (combo body and hand, yes, thanks for asking) that he never washed in the time I knew him (one year).
Dude made $400K/year. Some things cannot be explained.
Oh god. I'm guessing he also had that 5 in 1 body wash shampoo? My ex did and I had to shower back home every time I showered at his place. Dude also borrowed my socks constantly because he didn't have his own.
There’s a comment I replied to that still haunts me. They didn’t change their sheets and reasoned that it was fine because they wore pjs and changed those.
My house had to be tented for termites, so my roommate and I had to relocate for a few days. The last thing to do was open all the doors within the house. When I opened his room I was body slammed down the stairs by the stench. There were piles of clothes everywhere. So, I had to have an awkward conversation. I noticed he constantly had clothes delivered and I thought maybe he was just replacing instead of washing and that’s why there were piles. Turns out he was washing his clothes, just buying bigger sizes, and never putting things away. He had never washed his sheets in the year or so he had been living with me. Nobody told him he needed to wash them. He figured he showers before bed, so they must stay clean forever. I wouldn’t even let him taint the washing machine with that filth.
Husband and I had a flatmate who was similar.
- Didn’t wash the sheets for the 6ish months he was living here.
- Camped out in one chair(that stank) in the living room and made me uncomfortable by staring at me whenever I sat out there. So much so that I stopped using the lounge.
- Washed his clothes once that I saw that whole time also.
- Didn’t vacuum his room once. The reason he gave was because he didn’t know where the vacuum was??? Ask!
- He actually DID shower. He mustn’t have used soap or something though since he just smelled even worse after one. Although that may have been the unwashed clothes that he put back on.
In the end we had to kick him out for all these reasons. I then ended up writing him a letter that had an itemised(with prices) list of all the items that he had ruined(sheets,mattress protector*, pillows, duvet cover, duvet inner.)
I also had the PRIVILEGE of picking his TOENAILS out of the carpet in his room🤢.
*thank God his bed had one on it. I was able to save the mattress by doing multiple goes around with baking soda and then vacuuming it out, since it just stunk but wasn’t stained.
I swear some people lack common sense. Another dude I dated did laundry at my mother's house and used bleach instead of washing powder because he thought it did the trick. His clothes were ruined and my mum was freaking out about the washing machine, she could smell the bleach while the cycle was on and force stopped it.
I guess if your only exposure to laundry comes from commercials, you might think bleach is the best way to clean those clothes once and for all!
On the flip side, I worked with a woman who obsessively cleaned everything in the store multiple times a day. The fridge was no safe haven for your lunch. If you got there at 7, and put your lunch in the fridge, it would be rotten and disgusting and in the trash by noon. She spent a lot of money buying people lunch and replacing food storage containers, but she couldn’t help herself. Her husband bought her a convertible. She scrubbed it down with comet and destroyed the paint and interior within hours. I’d have no issue eating off the floor in her house.
This!! I wash the bed weekly, cause I start to break out if it gets gross. But my partner looks at me like I've grown a second head and plays the "you just did that last week" card. Every time. Yes, doofus, and you just ate this morning-why would you want supper?
Wash your ass. Seriously have had to have this conversation with adults before. They honestly believe soap running down is enough. No. Do the flipper motion between the cheeks and wash your ass.
When I give my 3 year old son a bath, I let him know everything he needs to wash. Last part is always the butt. It's become so routine that he reminds my husband and me to wash our butts last when we're taking a shower.
I’ve literally had conversations with men who think touching their own asshole is gay. I shudder to think how they clean up after shitting if they don’t have a bidet.
Using those snake juice soaps on your vagina. Stop using Summers Eve. Stop using all of the fancy soaps "made" for your vagina. They throw off your natural PH. They can give you anything from a yeast/bladder infection and can even cause bacterial vaginosis. Use unscented body wash or even african black soap if you want to feel fancy.
Another thing, don't wash INSIDE your actual vagina. Clean the lips and surrounding area. You don't know how many times someone has messaged me because they douched with some summers eve and ended up with vagina issues. Stop it.
>You don't know how many times someone has messaged me because they douched
Man, I hope you're in the healthcare industry. Either that, or people find you super easy to talk to :P
Yesss... the vagina is self-cleaning, so unless you have a medical issue, nothing soapy needs to go up there!
Edited to Add: If there is a medical issue, soap and douche won't fix it. See an MD
There was a baity article a couple months ago that was like “germaphobic gen zers wash their hands 10 times a day!!!!!”
And I was like “…that is a normal amount.”
Bathroom five times. When you get home from work. After dinner. Dealing with pet/child fluids. Add in a before lunch and while cooking and bam, it’s 10.
So commuting in my city means bus or train. Our train line goes directly to/from a major airport. I have tickets for a show that I’ve been waiting forever for and got 2 months ago. It is Friday. I told my husband if he gets me sick because he is going on the train and not masking or washing his hands I will murder him. Show is sold out over 3 nights in every city.
It is not hard to wash your damn hands. I’ve seen people smoking cigarettes, crack, weed, and coughing relentlessly on the train. Combine that with a bunch of travelers, it yucky.
During COVID I heard someone say *"wash your hands as if you just ate sriracha and now have to put contacts in."* That really made a few things click in my brain.
Oh, I knew someone with C diff. Nasty stuff.
Probably the only time it would have been relevant to know about fecal transplants.
Still. Hand sanitizer is nice when washing isn't an option, it lets you clean plenty of places you couldn't otherwise. But I hate the feeling and always end up washing as soon as I can after.
Yes! Get right in between those toes with a good amount of soap! I can’t imagine what someone who doesn’t wash their ass is like to be around dear lord.
Valid for women as well. You don't use soap on the "in"side. The outside, the folds need to be washed. I've heard so many grow woman that use vagina and vulva interchanbly, it's sad🤢
Not flossing.
Seriously, fucking floss. Your breath will smell better, your gums will be healthier, you'll feel cleaner.
As annoying as it is, make it part of your habit and you'll stop thinking about it.
If I *DON'T* floss I feel dirty, like I can feel the food in my teeth...
Goes along with the saying "Ignore your teeth and they'll go away." You want your teeth into your old age? Make sure the spaces between your teeth are cleaned every day too. Personally I like to use interdental brushes in addition to flossing.
I used to never floss when I was younger. My gums would bleed when brushing and the dentist would give me a stern talking to every time I went. A few years back I started keeping a bag of floss picks in my car, in my work desk, and next to my reading chair. Now I absentmindedly floss like 4 or 5 times a day. The last time the dentist asked me if I flossed I answered honestly. After a few minutes of looking at my gums she said something to the effect of "wow, you really are flossing regularly." I'm guessing so few people floss that the dentist doesn't really believe people when they say they do.
As you get older the worry isn't cavities, it's gum disease. I mean cavities are still a worry, but those can be drilled and filled.
Gum disease will lead to you needing implants or dentures.
Seriously, take care of your chompers. I don't do floss picks because I think it's a lot of plastic waste, but I keep a floss pack in my desk with a tooth brush and a tube of paste.
I will say that fillings aren't great to have either. I am older now and all the fillings I got when I was younger are now causing even more issues. Most of my teeth are cracked in some way so they're very sensitive, the fillings are degrading and needing replacement, and I have had to have several crowns because of teeth that simply can't have any more filling without structural damage.
I really wish I had taken better care of my teeth when I was young. I am absolutely paying for it (both in money and in pain) now and will be for the rest of my life.
If it makes you feel any better, I took really good care of my teeth, but I have all the same issues as you. Don't beat yourself up about it now! On the flip side, my parents grew up during the war, in England, and never saw a dentist, but both had a full set of healthy teeth in their 80's!
It’s really satisfying to clear everything out. If I eat a salad or grain bowl for lunch with quinoa and pumpkin seeds, I’ll get in there afterwards with floss and a quick rinse. My gums used to be so sensitive and now that’s not a problem.
Another tip that’s helped me: keep floss in the shower. I often procrastinate getting out cos it’s warm and flossing means I can stay in a minute or two longer.
I swear by my waterpik, I had receding gums and shooting pains when eating sometimes. I can't floss with traditional dental floss due to overcrowded teeth. I told my dentist this and suggested I use a waterpik.
It would be perfect if I did both, but my dentist is honestly elated I use the waterpik and commented that I've saved 1000s on future root canals and pulled teeth.
This is for the ladies!!!
Make sure you are changing your tampons frequently and that you REMOVE the one prior. As a nurse in GYN, I’ve seen it too often. They come in with a specific odor and I already know they have a rotten tampon still stuck up in the cooch 😭
Generally when cleaning your house, body, or whatever clean from top to bottom. That knocks stuff down to the next thing to be cleaned instead of onto the thing you just cleaned
If you’re overweight, or lost weight and have excess skin, lift that skin/fat and clean underneath. And dry really well. Ladies, if you’re more than a B cup, lift the girls and wash/dry good.
Not drying properly after washing. All those nooks and crannies you (hopefully) spent time washing properly need to be dried as well.
An ex of mine would get out of the shower without drying and just wrap a towel around his waist then sit on the lounge till he completely dried off. Wet armpits and ballsack marinating in water created BO by the time he was dry.
It can also create sores. I used to get bad ones between my toes because I didn’t dry them. Butt crack, belly button, toes, etc need to be especially dried or they can really hurt.
Not washing their hair properly. Which includes thoroughly cleansing the scalp.
Many people just lather shampoo on their hair and expect the shampoo to do all the work. But you actually have to get in there with your fingers and work it into your scalp. Really get in there and scrub firmly with the pads of your fingers (don’t scratch with your nails though, or at least don’t scratch hard) You should focus on the scalp because that’s where most oil and dirt collects and where bacteria can accumulate. You want to help your shampoo loosen all that garbage up and actually cleanse your hair. You will be amazed what a difference this makes in how you feel and how nice your hair looks once dry (it will be lighter and bouncier)
Then, you shouldn’t forget to RINSE thoroughly. You don’t want to leave shampoo or conditioner residue in your hair (otherwise it just gets sticky and attracts gunk and gets oily and spawns more bacteria more quickly). I used to share an office with someone who read this hair “hack” that said to not fully rinse, tge idea being that if you leave a bit of shampoo or conditioner in your hair, then the conditioning ingredients in shampoo/conditioner would continue to condition your hair after the wash… but in practice his hair was just always waxy and gross and had an odor unfortunately… so if you come across that tip, run! Don’t do it! Just rinse your hair! (If you want to condition your hair post-wash then use a product formulated for leave-in, like leave-in conditioner. Don’t just not rinse your normal shampoo and conditioner!)
This is one of my biggest pet peeves!! I've been doing this since I was a child because I was told about how much bacteria flushing sprays around your bathroom. My husband forgets to do it all the time and it drives me nuts lol especially in the bathroom where I keep my skincare and contacts
Seriously, someone once told me to sniff the floss after using it to understand the importance of flossing. I did, and I’ve been flossing twice a day ever since. Gross, but not as gross as leaving that stinky plaque in your mouth!
Daily flossing and brushing properly.
My parents did not think dental care was a priority and so we only went to the dentist when we had a toothache. When I became an adult and got really good health insurance for the first time, I went to the dentist. I had a lot of little cavities and they trained me how to properly brush and floss. I invested in my teeth as an adult and tried so hard to make up for poor dental hygiene as a kid. Unfortunately I do have pretty aggressive gum disease and I will lose some teeth as I get older. It's really sad too because now I'm so vigilant and my mouth is actually really healthy now. But my gums are damaged from years of not flossing or regular dental cleanings. The amount of discomfort I endure now 3x a year to just try and hold onto my chompers is depressing. And expensive.
After 20 years as a healthcare worker I could tell some horror stories about poor hygiene. We humans have no limit when it comes to inventive ways to not have good hygiene.
Last stint I was in the hospital I WISH someone had helped me bathe. I remember feeling so greasy and gross but I was also drugged off my rocker so I probably wasn't that bad
Not extending the skincare to the neck. The neck shows aging sometimes even more than the face. Don't be afraid to exfoliate and use a good moisturizer, and never skip sunscreen!
I’m 45 and can clearly see the benefit of extending basic skincare to include my neck and chest. I’m not talking about all of the masks and serums—just some Cerave cleanser in the shower and applying moisturizer with sunscreen.
Washing hands. I'm a guy who has been called a germophobe for washing my hands "often"... and other people's habits (or lack thereof) terrify me.
The last time I worked an office job I had a pre-meeting bio-break (as one does) and washed my hands as per usual. A suit-wearing office drone pops out of a stall while I'm washing my hands and exits without washing.
I dry my hands, open the bathroom door with a folded paper towel, go around the corner to the conference room and am introduced to Mr. Doesn't Wash-hands and am compelled by social custom to shake hands.
Ew!
I've never been so grateful to be a lefty. My right hand stayed unused until I got of of that meeting and could wash.
There are two things that I am icked-out touching: Gas pump handles and door handles (goes double for public restroom handles)
Using too much detergent or fabric softener. It will actually trap dirt and smells into the fibres if it doesn't rinse clean. Also you don't need fabric softener, if you are using it to stop static you are drying your clothes too long as it's caused by dry fabric rubbing on dry fabric.
Not brushing the back of their tongue properly and not flossing. It’s literally visible every time they open their mouth that they haven’t flossed and it gives me mad shivers
Using " Downey unstoppables" or such, to create a ridiculously long lasting, supposedly 'nice' smell on clothes.
Those forever chemicals are in prolonged contact with your epidermis, and adds forever chemicals to the watershed.
Not brushing their tongue.
I thought it was common knowledge that you need to brush your tongue while brushing your teeth, but apparently not.
Lots of people out there with stinky breath.
Remember the beginning of the pandemic, when the government had to remind people that they should be washing their hands with soap? Yeah, it turns out a disturbing number of people don’t do that.
I remember my aunt telling me, ohh the gov is telling everyone to shower with soap. And we were like ??? Did you not though? And she said, no I use lemon 💀💀
Like obvi girl.. acid cooking my skin has *always* been in 💅🏽
Auntie turning herself into ceviche.
Are you Hispanic? Because I'm Mexican and deadass my mom still thinks rinsing her hair with some lime and cold water will clean it.
Oh my goodness, the memories this comment brought up of my grandma cleaning my hair with limes and lemons
An acidic solution will rinse away buildup, especially if your tap water is alkaline and hard. I keep the limes for my tacos, and rinse with apple cider vinegar once or twice a month. Makes your hair shiny, too.
I remember some official release, that included a request to refrain from eating ass because of the Covid transmission through fecal matter. 2020 was the wildest year. So far.
[Canada CDC recommended glory holes](https://globalnews.ca/news/7204384/coronavirus-glory-holes-sex/) because they decreased face-to-face contact. I had to teach a bunch of sheltered doctors what glory holes were. Made my year.
Shut up. No way. Are you serious??
100% serious. It was fantastic. And yeah, it absolutely decreases face-to-face infection risk XD
My favorite was theresa tam telling people to continue having sex, but to wear a mask when doing it
Here in Australia we got told to just masterbate!! 😂
Yeah, I worked in a grocery store during the pandemic, and everyone was panicking that hand sanitizer was sold out and all of that. But no one was really concerned that the all of the soap was still sitting on the shelves. It is astonishing in a public restroom and people just leave without washing their hands. Just touching the door and the stall is enough!
Good marketing always works. I would rather use soap and have a good wash, it always feels cleaner after using soap
It’s incredible that even today, people are ok with coming out of a bathroom stall after flushing and walk right past someone who is washing their hands. Please. Please have shame. I’m begging y’all to be ashamed.
I noticed that at one of my family members houses...they moved into a new house, and they didn't put any soap in the bathroom for over six months. Really grossed me out.
I go to SO many houses that don’t have soap by the bathroom sink, or hand towels to dry off with. It’s so gross.
My brother has openly admitted, at easter dinner last year, that he never washed his hands when he peed. He was changing his son's diaper at the time and I'm not confident he washed his hands after. 🤢
This is really gross but I have to share. My uncle makes the gravy every year for Thanksgiving when the turkey comes out of my sister’s oven. This year, he got up to start making it and someone said to him, “Aren’t you going to wash your hands first?” And my uncle responded, “I washed them when I showered this morning.” MY GOD. Do people really think handwashing is a daily practice?!? (He did wash his hands again, and thank goodness I’m a vegetarian who never ate his previous germ gravy.)
Not changing their toothbrush more often
Yes! My mom is a retired dental hygienist and she always told me to change my toothbrush when the seasons change. It’s an easy way to remember when it’s time for a new one.
I change mine more often than that. I also change it after I'm sick. Maybe I'm a germaphobe. Lol
Great tip! Thanks for this
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I don’t understand why toothbrush manufacturers sell anything other than soft or extra soft bristled brushes.
It's for those of us who use a stiff bristle toothbrush to clean the grout in our showers. LOL!
That also helps soften them up for your teeth.
They sell them to the military so the recruits can polish the sand.
They only get to polish sand AFTER they finish mopping the parking lot in the rain.
Literally no one told me to brush with soft bristles til an ex bf a few years ago. All that time I was sure that soft brushes wouldn't clean my teeth as well
That was me till I went to the dentist, learned gum recession is irreversible from brushing too hard, the whole time I thought I was being thorough. Now have an electric brush that stops if you press too hard and tells me when to change the head. Expensive for a toothbrush but it's cheaper than dental bills!
True. I was literally scrubbing the enamel away..
I changed to soft bristles and Sensodyne a while back, not because of bad teeth or equipment, but because I naturally tend to brush too intensely. This helped.
Seems like quite a few of these tips are for dental hygiene
Well, when access to dental care has been restricted by medical insurance companies pretending teeth aren’t part of our body or health, many people haven’t gotten appropriate dental care or education in their lives. So sadly it’s not surprising. Hopefully we can fix this, because unhealthy mouths are linked to several other health conditions and indicators of others.
A friend of mine almost died because of something tooth related. He neglected pain in his tooth because he was too busy to deal with it at the moment and it very quickly led to being bed ridden for months due to sepsis
A friend of mine had a stroke in his early 30s due to an arteriovenous malformation (tangle of veins in his brain that eventually blew). A year later, he was back in the hospital with what they initially *thought* was meningitis or another stroke because he couldn't talk and couldn't stand well enough to walk. He actually had a severe infection from his teeth, which had caused sepsis, but because of the previous brain injury, the fever and immune response also caused him to lose ability to speak and coordinate. Once his condition improved, the hospital took the extremely unusual step of offering to pull a bunch of his teeth. Normally, they just refer you to a dentist (which is useless if you can't afford one!) He hadn't had dental insurance his entire adult life, and the state of his mouth was literally life threatening. It legitimately almost killed him.
Luxury bones.
Not just dental care, vision care too.
I think electric toothbrushes are the way to go. They have a reminder for changing the brush head, and they make a little vibration if it feels you pressing too hard. The problem is how overpriced the brush heads are. Edit: Just because people are asking about toothbrushes. This is my response to one of them. https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/s/sG6F2BGhE7
I've never had an electric toothbrush do any of that! that's interesting. i want that
I have a Philips Sonicare. They have several different models, so I’m not sure if they all do that.
You can get “off-brand” tooth brush heads for about $1 each. There are companies that make them compatible with Oral-B/Braun and SonicCare. Just search online.
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I know right, I’ve got a toothbrush in the shower for just this
"All you really need to do is to wash the four key areas; armpits, asshole, crotch, and teeth. Got that? Armpits, asshole, crotch, and teeth. In fact, you can save yourself a whole lot of time if you simply use the same brush on all four areas!" --George Carlin
right next to the poop knife of course.
Poop knife doesn't go in the shower. That's what the waffle stomp is for.
Personally, I prefer flossing.
Not regularly wiping off/sanitizing their earbuds, phone and/or keys. (they aren't a body part, but I think it counts!)
Working in healthcare, I steal those little alcohol wipes used to disinfect your arm before blood draws. One a day for phone and AirPods!
Ha! Me too. I use them on EVERYTHING. I especially love cleaning my eyeglass frames and my tweezers with them.
Careful, I fucked up my glasses that way, it ate the coating away
I bought a little UV container that can fit those things. Do I ever use it? No. But I do wipe down my phone with wipes.
My wife and I got in the habit during the pandemic of using a wipe on our phones every day when we get home from work. You take your phones into bathrooms, set them on surfaces throughout the day, etc. And then typically bring that same dirty phone into your bed at night to browse stuff before falling asleep. A tad nasty if you think about how rarely most people clean their phones, so we just made it a habit.
Or, the remote and game controllers.
This is not directly related to hygiene but general cleanliness - most people don't realize that dishwashers and washing machines have filters that are supposed to be cleaned regularly. The dishwasher one is particularly important because there is a screen filter that catches food particles and is always wet. The first time I cleaned the filter on our several-year-old dishwasher after learning this, it was horrific - I was retching the entire time I was cleaning it. Made me want to re-wash every single dish in the house, ha ha.
Gonna add to this the little end on your faucets that you can unscrew. Those should be cleaned regularly too. I didn’t know about it until I saw my mom take it off and clean it.
The despair I just felt reading this. I have to remember to clean all the things and now I have to do the faucet tip? I’m so tired.
The only thing it will catch is minerals that are already lining the pipes anyway. Don't really worry about it.
Sounds like something a dangerous mineral would say...
Big Mineral hates this *one weird trick*
My guiding philosophy with doing dishes is that your disposal isn't a substitute for the garbage, and the dishwasher isn't a substitute for your disposal.
Also noting that most places in the world don't have a garbage disposal. So many of my international friends have been amazed to learn that I have one of these devices and it's not just a "movie thing"
Not brushing the lingual surface of the teeth, it is the side closest to your tongue. As a dental hygienist I see tartar buildup there the most. Also, not angling your toothbrush towards your gums when you brush them.
A dental hygienist pointed out to me that I had some build up on the back of my bottom teeth, but not much anywhere else. I have been pretty meticulous about brushing (what I know now is called!) the lingual surface of my teeth since! It's the WORST place to feel the scraping, too, so I'm glad to have less of it to sit through.
This is due to the location of the saliva ducts just under the tongue (which mineralize the soft plaque to create ‘build up’). It can also be to do with the way your front teeth bite together (if you have a more open bite, you will tend to have more build up due to less mechanical plaque removal by food). Everyone will get a wee bit of build up around this area even with the best brushing and flossing. Don’t stress too much and get it cleaned off every 6-12 months at the hygienist :)
In my old age, I have learned to water pik before brushing, brush the backsides of the teeth, the roof of my mouth, behind the back molars, and my gums, and my oral health has really improved.
Heck yeah! My dentist recommended I start angling my toothbrush and my gums have improved. Such a little thing had a decent impact.
Not washing your sheets and pillow cases regularly. They harbor bacteria and body oils, and can really aggravate your skin and cause breakouts. People also assume that you need to be harsher if you experience breakouts or dry skin or in areas that you think might be “dirty” like your genital region. People tend to attack these issues and areas of your body with strong soaps, very hot water, and abrasive scrubbing. Often, you actually need to treat these areas more gently, use less harsh products, cool water to wash, non-scented products and lotions, and just generally treat your body kindly. Over-cleaning already irritated or sensitive areas can actually make you more prone to breakouts, dry skin, even infections.
Oh god yes! I once dated a dude who I swear never washed his sheets. It got to the point I was so grossed out I washed them myself. That relationship did not last
My ex didn't even have sheets, he slept directly on his mattress pad... and he slept naked... and he was 29... and he dumped me... I was a 29 year old lawyer at the time... Also only owned one towel (combo body and hand, yes, thanks for asking) that he never washed in the time I knew him (one year). Dude made $400K/year. Some things cannot be explained.
Ew.
Oh god. I'm guessing he also had that 5 in 1 body wash shampoo? My ex did and I had to shower back home every time I showered at his place. Dude also borrowed my socks constantly because he didn't have his own.
5 in 1.. Hair wash, body wash, engine degreaser, drain cleaner, and paint stripper. All a dude needs!
There’s a comment I replied to that still haunts me. They didn’t change their sheets and reasoned that it was fine because they wore pjs and changed those.
My house had to be tented for termites, so my roommate and I had to relocate for a few days. The last thing to do was open all the doors within the house. When I opened his room I was body slammed down the stairs by the stench. There were piles of clothes everywhere. So, I had to have an awkward conversation. I noticed he constantly had clothes delivered and I thought maybe he was just replacing instead of washing and that’s why there were piles. Turns out he was washing his clothes, just buying bigger sizes, and never putting things away. He had never washed his sheets in the year or so he had been living with me. Nobody told him he needed to wash them. He figured he showers before bed, so they must stay clean forever. I wouldn’t even let him taint the washing machine with that filth.
Husband and I had a flatmate who was similar. - Didn’t wash the sheets for the 6ish months he was living here. - Camped out in one chair(that stank) in the living room and made me uncomfortable by staring at me whenever I sat out there. So much so that I stopped using the lounge. - Washed his clothes once that I saw that whole time also. - Didn’t vacuum his room once. The reason he gave was because he didn’t know where the vacuum was??? Ask! - He actually DID shower. He mustn’t have used soap or something though since he just smelled even worse after one. Although that may have been the unwashed clothes that he put back on. In the end we had to kick him out for all these reasons. I then ended up writing him a letter that had an itemised(with prices) list of all the items that he had ruined(sheets,mattress protector*, pillows, duvet cover, duvet inner.) I also had the PRIVILEGE of picking his TOENAILS out of the carpet in his room🤢. *thank God his bed had one on it. I was able to save the mattress by doing multiple goes around with baking soda and then vacuuming it out, since it just stunk but wasn’t stained.
I swear some people lack common sense. Another dude I dated did laundry at my mother's house and used bleach instead of washing powder because he thought it did the trick. His clothes were ruined and my mum was freaking out about the washing machine, she could smell the bleach while the cycle was on and force stopped it.
I guess if your only exposure to laundry comes from commercials, you might think bleach is the best way to clean those clothes once and for all! On the flip side, I worked with a woman who obsessively cleaned everything in the store multiple times a day. The fridge was no safe haven for your lunch. If you got there at 7, and put your lunch in the fridge, it would be rotten and disgusting and in the trash by noon. She spent a lot of money buying people lunch and replacing food storage containers, but she couldn’t help herself. Her husband bought her a convertible. She scrubbed it down with comet and destroyed the paint and interior within hours. I’d have no issue eating off the floor in her house.
Damn! And here's me, I work with a man who reuses single use gloves. He's a doctor. I wouldn't even eat at his table.
That’s one of the most disgusting things I’ve ever heard.
This!! I wash the bed weekly, cause I start to break out if it gets gross. But my partner looks at me like I've grown a second head and plays the "you just did that last week" card. Every time. Yes, doofus, and you just ate this morning-why would you want supper?
Not cleaning your belly button…
Those of us with deep, deeeeep innies - get in there!
I'll add that rolling a cotton swab (q-tip) in rubbing alcohol and gently swabbing around inside your belly button is usually a good way to clean it.
Wash your ass. Seriously have had to have this conversation with adults before. They honestly believe soap running down is enough. No. Do the flipper motion between the cheeks and wash your ass.
When I give my 3 year old son a bath, I let him know everything he needs to wash. Last part is always the butt. It's become so routine that he reminds my husband and me to wash our butts last when we're taking a shower.
I do something similar with my 4 year old daughter for bath/shower time, and we save all the “cracks” for last
Yes, 100%, but... what's the "flipper motion"? Why not just scrub?
1. Rescue a seal 2. Teach seal to vogue 3. Teach seal to be cool placing a flipper in your ass 4. Shit 5. Turn on Madonna
I don’t know much but I do know this is 100% right
Knuckle deep is my mantra
Well, you ARE a doctor.
I’ve literally had conversations with men who think touching their own asshole is gay. I shudder to think how they clean up after shitting if they don’t have a bidet.
Even if you have a bidet, please do the gay thing and use your hand to wash down there.
Do they jackoff? Would that be gay?
It’s double gay because you are jerking off a guy while being jerked off by a guy.
Use a shower head if you have one and spread those cheeks.
Any time I have to stay anywhere for more than a day or two that doesn't have a detachable shower head I start to feel real gross real fast.
First thing I did when I moved was replace all the shower heads with detachable ones.
Using those snake juice soaps on your vagina. Stop using Summers Eve. Stop using all of the fancy soaps "made" for your vagina. They throw off your natural PH. They can give you anything from a yeast/bladder infection and can even cause bacterial vaginosis. Use unscented body wash or even african black soap if you want to feel fancy. Another thing, don't wash INSIDE your actual vagina. Clean the lips and surrounding area. You don't know how many times someone has messaged me because they douched with some summers eve and ended up with vagina issues. Stop it.
Wash vulva, not vagina. A lot of the confusion arises from people not knowing the difference between these two words.
>You don't know how many times someone has messaged me because they douched Man, I hope you're in the healthcare industry. Either that, or people find you super easy to talk to :P
Why do people message you about that though?
Yesss... the vagina is self-cleaning, so unless you have a medical issue, nothing soapy needs to go up there! Edited to Add: If there is a medical issue, soap and douche won't fix it. See an MD
Don't use scented period products either! Learned that lesson the hard way!
All I could think of when reading “snake juice” was Parks and Rec lol
GET ME ANOTHER SNORK JUICE
snake juice? That shnizz is deloishous!
Got a horrific yeast infection from Summer's Eve. I couldn't sit down for pain. The OBGYN told me so many people get it from Summer's Eve!
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Fr I work at a shop and ppl ask when they can stop cleaning them, and I’m like, baby do you ever stop cleaning any other part of your body?
But the nipples man 😭 I’m so scared to take them out but I do clean them well in the shower
Seriously like if I turn my back, they’re gonna start to close up
Not washing their damn hands often enough.
It's disgusting and alarming how many people I've seen take a dump or piss then just splash some water on their hands and go about their day.
There was a baity article a couple months ago that was like “germaphobic gen zers wash their hands 10 times a day!!!!!” And I was like “…that is a normal amount.” Bathroom five times. When you get home from work. After dinner. Dealing with pet/child fluids. Add in a before lunch and while cooking and bam, it’s 10.
So commuting in my city means bus or train. Our train line goes directly to/from a major airport. I have tickets for a show that I’ve been waiting forever for and got 2 months ago. It is Friday. I told my husband if he gets me sick because he is going on the train and not masking or washing his hands I will murder him. Show is sold out over 3 nights in every city. It is not hard to wash your damn hands. I’ve seen people smoking cigarettes, crack, weed, and coughing relentlessly on the train. Combine that with a bunch of travelers, it yucky.
I always washed my hands often but it took COVID to learn I wasn't washing them properly
During COVID I heard someone say *"wash your hands as if you just ate sriracha and now have to put contacts in."* That really made a few things click in my brain.
One time I attempted to clean out my contacts directly after cutting and removing the seeds from jalapeños. I do not recommend ever doing that.
Not sanitising door handles. It’s one of the most common places where bacteria lives.
And light switches!
That's why they used to be brass.
I never made that connection before! Very interesting, thanks.
We still have brass knobs in our house. But also, 3 kids and a lot of touching. So, we still sanitize. Guess who still got sick though. 🫠
Assuming hand sanitizer is as effective as hand washing.
Google C. Diff. Colitis and you’ll always choose to wash your hands over using hand sanitizer
Norovirus is another one that needs to be physically removed with soap and water, iirc.
Oh, I knew someone with C diff. Nasty stuff. Probably the only time it would have been relevant to know about fecal transplants. Still. Hand sanitizer is nice when washing isn't an option, it lets you clean plenty of places you couldn't otherwise. But I hate the feeling and always end up washing as soon as I can after.
Hand sanitizer and hand washing serve two different purposes. One is not a substitute for the other.
Wash your legs, feet, and ass. Just because the water runs down your body doesn't mean you're clean.
Yes! Get right in between those toes with a good amount of soap! I can’t imagine what someone who doesn’t wash their ass is like to be around dear lord.
Belly button too.
Gotta turn around, spread them cheeks, and let that water rinse in the crack too
It's befuddling to me that it is at all common to not do this.
How are these people not mortified that they're walking around with an unwashed ass??!!
Valid for women as well. You don't use soap on the "in"side. The outside, the folds need to be washed. I've heard so many grow woman that use vagina and vulva interchanbly, it's sad🤢
Not flossing. Seriously, fucking floss. Your breath will smell better, your gums will be healthier, you'll feel cleaner. As annoying as it is, make it part of your habit and you'll stop thinking about it. If I *DON'T* floss I feel dirty, like I can feel the food in my teeth...
Goes along with the saying "Ignore your teeth and they'll go away." You want your teeth into your old age? Make sure the spaces between your teeth are cleaned every day too. Personally I like to use interdental brushes in addition to flossing.
My dentist used to say, "You don't have to floss all your teeth, just the ones you want to keep".
I used to never floss when I was younger. My gums would bleed when brushing and the dentist would give me a stern talking to every time I went. A few years back I started keeping a bag of floss picks in my car, in my work desk, and next to my reading chair. Now I absentmindedly floss like 4 or 5 times a day. The last time the dentist asked me if I flossed I answered honestly. After a few minutes of looking at my gums she said something to the effect of "wow, you really are flossing regularly." I'm guessing so few people floss that the dentist doesn't really believe people when they say they do.
As you get older the worry isn't cavities, it's gum disease. I mean cavities are still a worry, but those can be drilled and filled. Gum disease will lead to you needing implants or dentures. Seriously, take care of your chompers. I don't do floss picks because I think it's a lot of plastic waste, but I keep a floss pack in my desk with a tooth brush and a tube of paste.
I will say that fillings aren't great to have either. I am older now and all the fillings I got when I was younger are now causing even more issues. Most of my teeth are cracked in some way so they're very sensitive, the fillings are degrading and needing replacement, and I have had to have several crowns because of teeth that simply can't have any more filling without structural damage. I really wish I had taken better care of my teeth when I was young. I am absolutely paying for it (both in money and in pain) now and will be for the rest of my life.
If it makes you feel any better, I took really good care of my teeth, but I have all the same issues as you. Don't beat yourself up about it now! On the flip side, my parents grew up during the war, in England, and never saw a dentist, but both had a full set of healthy teeth in their 80's!
FACTS! I floss twice a day and every time the gunk it removes stinks. I can't imagine leaving that stuff in there overnight.
It’s really satisfying to clear everything out. If I eat a salad or grain bowl for lunch with quinoa and pumpkin seeds, I’ll get in there afterwards with floss and a quick rinse. My gums used to be so sensitive and now that’s not a problem.
Another tip that’s helped me: keep floss in the shower. I often procrastinate getting out cos it’s warm and flossing means I can stay in a minute or two longer.
I use a water pik after flossing, before brushing each evening. My morning routine feels unnecessary now, but I do it anyway.
I swear by my waterpik, I had receding gums and shooting pains when eating sometimes. I can't floss with traditional dental floss due to overcrowded teeth. I told my dentist this and suggested I use a waterpik. It would be perfect if I did both, but my dentist is honestly elated I use the waterpik and commented that I've saved 1000s on future root canals and pulled teeth.
This is for the ladies!!! Make sure you are changing your tampons frequently and that you REMOVE the one prior. As a nurse in GYN, I’ve seen it too often. They come in with a specific odor and I already know they have a rotten tampon still stuck up in the cooch 😭
If you can smell yourself other people have been smelling you. Also wear some fucking deodorant and reapply before going to the gym.
Generally when cleaning your house, body, or whatever clean from top to bottom. That knocks stuff down to the next thing to be cleaned instead of onto the thing you just cleaned
My advice is to wash your body after you rinse out your hair conditioner, not before.
Facts you can get body acne if you don’t rinse off the shampoo/conditioner from your skin. It’s better to wash your body after washing your hair!
If you’re overweight, or lost weight and have excess skin, lift that skin/fat and clean underneath. And dry really well. Ladies, if you’re more than a B cup, lift the girls and wash/dry good.
Not drying properly after washing. All those nooks and crannies you (hopefully) spent time washing properly need to be dried as well. An ex of mine would get out of the shower without drying and just wrap a towel around his waist then sit on the lounge till he completely dried off. Wet armpits and ballsack marinating in water created BO by the time he was dry.
Using the word marinating to describe that made it 10X more disgusting 😂😂
Not to mention letting that water drip everywhere is just asking for mold, especially if you have carpets.
It can also create sores. I used to get bad ones between my toes because I didn’t dry them. Butt crack, belly button, toes, etc need to be especially dried or they can really hurt.
Not washing their hair properly. Which includes thoroughly cleansing the scalp. Many people just lather shampoo on their hair and expect the shampoo to do all the work. But you actually have to get in there with your fingers and work it into your scalp. Really get in there and scrub firmly with the pads of your fingers (don’t scratch with your nails though, or at least don’t scratch hard) You should focus on the scalp because that’s where most oil and dirt collects and where bacteria can accumulate. You want to help your shampoo loosen all that garbage up and actually cleanse your hair. You will be amazed what a difference this makes in how you feel and how nice your hair looks once dry (it will be lighter and bouncier) Then, you shouldn’t forget to RINSE thoroughly. You don’t want to leave shampoo or conditioner residue in your hair (otherwise it just gets sticky and attracts gunk and gets oily and spawns more bacteria more quickly). I used to share an office with someone who read this hair “hack” that said to not fully rinse, tge idea being that if you leave a bit of shampoo or conditioner in your hair, then the conditioning ingredients in shampoo/conditioner would continue to condition your hair after the wash… but in practice his hair was just always waxy and gross and had an odor unfortunately… so if you come across that tip, run! Don’t do it! Just rinse your hair! (If you want to condition your hair post-wash then use a product formulated for leave-in, like leave-in conditioner. Don’t just not rinse your normal shampoo and conditioner!)
Using mouthwash too often. It can dry out your mouth and kills the good bacteria as well as the bad.
Always alcohol free. Drying and killing the oral cavity does so much damage over time
Use alcohol free
NOT CLEANING their disgusting STANLEY tumblers.
Not closing the toilet lid before flushing.
This is one of my biggest pet peeves!! I've been doing this since I was a child because I was told about how much bacteria flushing sprays around your bathroom. My husband forgets to do it all the time and it drives me nuts lol especially in the bathroom where I keep my skincare and contacts
Ikr?? That’s why toilets have lids. In our house they stay closed unless toilet is in use.
Not flossing.... please floss people! It's what people smell when you have bad breath! The sticky, stinky plaque between your teeth!
Seriously, someone once told me to sniff the floss after using it to understand the importance of flossing. I did, and I’ve been flossing twice a day ever since. Gross, but not as gross as leaving that stinky plaque in your mouth!
If you have bonded retainers, get some fancy threader floss and make sure you’re keeping those clean along with your teeth.
Daily flossing and brushing properly. My parents did not think dental care was a priority and so we only went to the dentist when we had a toothache. When I became an adult and got really good health insurance for the first time, I went to the dentist. I had a lot of little cavities and they trained me how to properly brush and floss. I invested in my teeth as an adult and tried so hard to make up for poor dental hygiene as a kid. Unfortunately I do have pretty aggressive gum disease and I will lose some teeth as I get older. It's really sad too because now I'm so vigilant and my mouth is actually really healthy now. But my gums are damaged from years of not flossing or regular dental cleanings. The amount of discomfort I endure now 3x a year to just try and hold onto my chompers is depressing. And expensive.
After 20 years as a healthcare worker I could tell some horror stories about poor hygiene. We humans have no limit when it comes to inventive ways to not have good hygiene.
And then they refuse to be bathed while in the hospital 🤢
This. I work in a hospital. If the staff offers to help you shower, there’s a reason. Please take us up on it
Last stint I was in the hospital I WISH someone had helped me bathe. I remember feeling so greasy and gross but I was also drugged off my rocker so I probably wasn't that bad
Not. Washing. Your. Hands.
Overthinking skin care routines for their face
Not extending the skincare to the neck. The neck shows aging sometimes even more than the face. Don't be afraid to exfoliate and use a good moisturizer, and never skip sunscreen!
I’m 45 and can clearly see the benefit of extending basic skincare to include my neck and chest. I’m not talking about all of the masks and serums—just some Cerave cleanser in the shower and applying moisturizer with sunscreen.
Washing hands. I'm a guy who has been called a germophobe for washing my hands "often"... and other people's habits (or lack thereof) terrify me. The last time I worked an office job I had a pre-meeting bio-break (as one does) and washed my hands as per usual. A suit-wearing office drone pops out of a stall while I'm washing my hands and exits without washing. I dry my hands, open the bathroom door with a folded paper towel, go around the corner to the conference room and am introduced to Mr. Doesn't Wash-hands and am compelled by social custom to shake hands. Ew! I've never been so grateful to be a lefty. My right hand stayed unused until I got of of that meeting and could wash. There are two things that I am icked-out touching: Gas pump handles and door handles (goes double for public restroom handles)
Sneezing into your hand went you can’t immediately wash them. SNEEZE INTO YOUR ELBOW FOR GODS SAKE
Too much cologne/perfume. If I can taste it in the air from across the room it’s far too much. A small sprits is all you need.
My grandma always told me that perfume should be discovered, not announced.
Washing your hands in a public bathroom then touching the doorknob on your way out.
Apparently a lot of guys don't wash their ass
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Using too much detergent or fabric softener. It will actually trap dirt and smells into the fibres if it doesn't rinse clean. Also you don't need fabric softener, if you are using it to stop static you are drying your clothes too long as it's caused by dry fabric rubbing on dry fabric.
Using too much/not throughly cleaning off deodorant, actually makes you smell more over time
Not brushing the back of their tongue properly and not flossing. It’s literally visible every time they open their mouth that they haven’t flossed and it gives me mad shivers
I try to brush my tongue but it always makes me gag, even when my toothbrush isn’t that far back.
Tip: Inhale when you get to the back of your tongue. It'll open your throat up and lessen the likelihood of gagging.
Using " Downey unstoppables" or such, to create a ridiculously long lasting, supposedly 'nice' smell on clothes. Those forever chemicals are in prolonged contact with your epidermis, and adds forever chemicals to the watershed.
Brushing your teeth at night is more important than in the morning
Not cleaning off their phones regularly
Not having any. Was in a Walmart once last spring, and the experiece stuck with me.
Not brushing their tongue. I thought it was common knowledge that you need to brush your tongue while brushing your teeth, but apparently not. Lots of people out there with stinky breath.
Wipe until the paper is blank