Someone posted a question, yesterday about showering. My question is, how clean (hygiene-wise) are you?

I shower every morning, brush my teeth twice a day, and wash my hands before dealing with food and, of course, each time I use the bathroom.

I detest smelly shower gels, lotions, and perfume. I prefer humans to smell like humans. I’m not talking offensive BO here, but I find most artificial scents quite offensive.

I love water and long hot showers and do it at least once a day usually in the morning! ;) I also soak in the tub after my workouts which is now almost every day!

I love the smell of Yardley’s oatmeal and lavender soaps.

I’m pretty clean, but I’ll skip a shower every once in a while. I use black soap from head to toe, along with other great natural products, and no deodorant =) Don’t worry, I smell great. I also like to stay clean shaven as much as possible.

I shower and wash my hair every night.
I sometimes shower in the morning as well.
I wash my hands before I cook or eat and after I use the restroom, or change a diaper clean the litterbox etc.
I don’t like my hands to be dirty or sticky.
I brush my teeth several times a day.
I used to wear perfume sometimes, but I usually don’t anymore.
I do like a good soak in a tub with some naturally fragrant suds.

I sleep in the barn with the cows, so the shower isn’t an option. I tried staying with the pigs but they complained about me too much.

I shower most days. I’m more apt to skip a shower in the winter – Toronto in summer is just way too hot and humid to even think about skipping!

I also love yummy-smelling stuff – fruity scents, particularly citrus, do it for me.

I shower twice daily. Brush my teeth twice daily. When I’m not doing the Grizzly Adams thing, I shave every three days.

When I’m going out on the town, I wear a very slight hint of Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab’s Miskatonic University cologne. It’s rather chocolatey smelling, so I tend to go easy on it, but the wimminz do seem to appreciate it.

Mmmmm.. chocolatey smelling. :)

I am not that clean. There are a few silly reasons for this. One, my cats litter box is in the bathroom and it annoys me to no end when I get out of the shower and step on a stray piece of litter. Even with a rug down, it doesn’t matter. Even if I just swept! Two, my hair is long and takes forever to dry. Three, my skin is so dry out here in this climate, if I shower too much I end up depleting my lotion resources. And my skin just, in general, tends to do better if I don’t wash it too much. So depending on the day, and circumstances, and my work schedule, I shower once every 2 or 3 days. But if I’ve been sweating a lot or I start smelling, I’ll obviously shower. But if I don’t need to, I don’t. :)

@deni GA! I don’t think people need to shower every day.

I shower every other day unless I’ve done something that has made me sweaty. I don’t like smelly shower gels or perfume. I use lotion, but it has very little scent to it. I also use dye-free, perfume-free detergent and dryer sheets because my laundry doesn’t need to smell like anything!

@Facade I agree, ladybear.
@tedibear Laundry itself is one of my favorite smells. I love when I walk/run/bike by a house and I can smell the laundry going inside of it MMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!

Just a thought for the dry skin group: Have you ever tried fish oil supplements? The dry skin used to bother me in the winter, but when I upped my fish oil supplements, it hasn’t bothered at all.

Shower six nights per week; I’m always too tired on one night so I just get washed on that one. lol
I like pretty hot showers and bar soap like Tone because it’s cheap. But Irish Spring has the scent I prefer.
A morning shower often means you have to get in bed unwashed after a long day and that’s icky.
Especially if you’ve been working outside.

I shower and wash my hair every day. I have very fine hair, so if I sleep on it, it gets funky- shaped and starts to get oily. I apply a very lightly scented (often grapefruit) lotion before I dry off, that way I don’t end up with dry skin. I use a very lightly scented body wash and shampoo. I hate perfume and it makes me gag when I smell it on other people. Some of the gals at work smell like they would go up in flames if you lit a match around them.

I love to cook, so when I’m cooking I wash my hands before and after I pick up any new ingredient, or if I have to open the fridge door or a cabinet. So I might wash my hands 10 or 15 times while I’m cooking. In general I’m very good about hand washing after using the facility, or sneezing or coughing or touching the trashcan or petting a dog or cat.

Both of my folks have some pretty serious medical conditions, so we have to be very careful about germs around here.

My old boss, used to forgo showering (for how many days I could not tell you) and he actually told us that he never uses deoderant because he didn’t need it. He was SOOOOOOOO wrong. He reaked to high heck. He was a smoker and I think that is why he didn’t smell himself. But he reaked of B/O and cigarettes.

I brush, floss and use a dental rinse at least once a day. I know too many people that have horrible breath and don’t realize it

I haven’t taken a shower in 8 days, I’m trying create a 10ft radius so people can smell me before they are next to me.

I consider myself clean, though I’m not big on chemical “cleansers”.

I shower 3–4 times a week, and wash my hair twice a week, alternating between shampoo and conditioner, and plain soap (the plainest soap – ivory usually. I’d prefer a homemade glycerine or vegetable oil soap, but I’m on a tight budget.) and a little olive oil.

The other days of the week I take baths – hot ones. Hotter the better. That’s more for my own comfort, and for exfoliating. I usually just soak, scrub with salt, rinse with cold water, and get out.

I generally skip deodorant, though I will use a little for the few days each month that I can smell the hormonal overload on myself.

Personally, I think over-bathing and adding nine thousand million chemicals to your body has to do more harm than good.

I suspect that I’d pretty clean and germ-free. What I noticed from living in chilly England for the past three months is that my toes need a daily flossing, or they quickly get a build-up of sock wool/cotton.

I shower once daily (with occasional exceptions on lazy weekend days when I’m not going out anywhere and I don’t bother). It would be rare for me to shower more than once though. I don’t work out and it’s not exactly a warm climate even in the summer. I go swimming occasionally and shower after a swim to get rid of the chorine.

I take a shower almost everyday, just because it makes me feel better, I love a good clean, crisp, fresh soapy smell. I used to wring the wash cloth out after washing my face and just smell the plain white dove soap. I love the smell not feel of Ivory soap too

If Im not doing anything and just dont feel like it, I skip it. But as I said it makes me feel Good and when I feel good I am more productive and focused, even though Im “just a housewife/mother”

I brush my teeth 2x sometimes 1 , wash my hands like any normal person should as stated above in other comments

And I also share the Love of clean laudry! As a child and even now I loved to be close to or walk by a dryer vent while the dryer was on…..........steeeeamy and clean smelling! LOVE IT!

I don’t think I’m into hygiene, at all. I don’t really like showers but since I’m working these days, every couple of days I’ll shower and wash my hair. I brush my teeth daily and sometimes use deodorant. Otherwise, no other upkeep.

People please please PLEASE use deoderant. Those of us with keen senses of smells can smell your stink from a mile away! Your B/O and sex smells might be cute to your and your SO’s but they’re just rank and stanky to the rest of us. The folks with the worst scents (like that of rancid butter) seem to be the ones who don’t have any realization that they smell bad. My former boss was like that. We shared a very tiny office and sometimes I would actually get nauseous if I had to sit next to him for too long. And he casually announced to all of us, one day when we were talking about stinky people in a general way (we never told him how bad he smelled because we didn’t want to hurt his feelings) that he never uses deodorant because he didn’t need it. Sooooooo wrong!

I like to have a shower every day, but I do occasionally skip now and then…
I like to use a very mild smelling shower gel and usually brush my teeth, 3 times a day.
For me, washing my hands before and after eating and going to the bathroom is a must.
I love to wear perfumes but I am very picky…. I only like very soft and mild scents… I like that human me smell and I don’t wanna mask that.

It’s 12:39pm. I have been up since 9:30am. I went to Starbucks, Trader Joe’s and Ralph’s. I haven’t showered since Tuesday night and I haven’t brushed my teeth since last night.

Now, if I was seeing someone I knew, or going to work or school, I would brush my teeth and wash my face, but not necessarily shower. It’s hard to get dirty doing nothing.

@Blackberry has it really been that long? I went 8 days one day last summer while on a road trip and if I hadn’t had long hair I probably wouldn’t have minded. But my hair was soooooooooooooooooooo gross and knotted by the time I finally showered. Ew.

I should add that while I’m not into bathing very often, I am obsessive about brushing my teeth and flossing. Especially with the invention of floss picks. But that’s because I’ve had so many dental problems in the past, I’ll do anything to avoid another root canal. Plus a bad tasting mouth….I just can’t stand it.

Generally, I shower at least once a day. May be twice, depending on what I did that day. I don’t wash my hair each day, that is more like every other day.

I’m guessing since I work from my house, I tend to brush my teeth after each meal. So that’s an easy 3 times a day. Okay, it might be more, depending on the day.

I’m a freak about washing hands. I wash my hands before and after I eat. Anytime I do things with the dogs. After I clean something, I don’t want those lingering germs. After I’m off computer, I wash my hands. I can find a reason to wash my hands at the drop of a hat.

I can’t wear a lot of perfumes, they tend to trigger migraines. I wear very light scents, when I do wear them…I think I’m more in the habit of not wearing any perfumed product.

@cak Woah, you brush your teeth more than 3 times a day? Your dentist must love when you visit.

I shower up to three times a day, every morning & a when I get home from work then before bed, If I’m not working then just twice a day unless I’m out & about then typically three times a day :-/
At least twice but mostly three….. I brush & floss twice a day or use a tooth pick in emergencies, I use deodorants & moisturisers too :-/
I have to wash & moisturise my hands every day particularly at work, my nails aren’t the best, they’re just broken not bitten….. I trim my beard once a week the same for down below & yes I have a separate trimmer for that! :-/
I like a bath every now & then….... but prefer to shower.

I feel I should also add that I use deodorant but no strong scents only fresh .

I also use very mild fresh perfumes once in a while, heaven scent and sand & sable.

I smoke so I also carry febreze around everywhere and drown my clothes in it after smoking/before I go in anywhere. BAD STINKY HABIT:(

I shower once in the morning the vast majority of the time. If I work out or exercise extensively during the day, I will probably shower after that, but I will still always shower in the morning.

I always brush my teeth at night before going to bed and I often do it in the morning unless I know I’ll be eating something shortly after getting up (which I often do).

Always use deodorant, always wash my hands after going to the bathroom no matter what bathroom or what I was doing, don’t use cologne or anything like that.

@deni Holy crap, no. I took a shower this morning lol.

I love to go camping, but I avoided camping for many years because of the lack of showers problem (those camp showers that you pour water into and let it run down onto you and swimming in the lake are not adequate substitutes). I have long hair and it gets icky if I don’t wash it every day and I just can’t stand the idea of being/smelling dirty. So last summer, I found out that my favorite campground installed hot showers in the bathrooms. I was so happy, I couldn’t get up to the mountains fast enough! It was glorious. Now I want to camp all the time!

@ilana: or hates me…there is no profit margin on my mouth! My is a complete clean freak, I know where I get this from, and it’s gotten better over the years!

I shower at least once a day, sometimes more often. Depends on the weather. Wash my hair every other day unless I am going out somewhere special. Clean my teeth twice a day. Wash my hands before touching food/after going to the loo.

I am not obsessed though. I agree with Jude too. I don’t leap out of bed after dancing horizontally and have a shower. You want to luxuriate in the whole experience. I would shower before going out though.

I don’t tend to use lots of shower gels and stuff. Just a moisturising wash that is fairly simple in terms of perfume. I do like perfume though. Well no, I am a bit of a collector of perfumes and I love them. Don’t overdo it ladies or men though… less is definitely more.

I shower every other day. My skin and hair thank me for it.

I shower almost every morning during the school week. On weekends/vacation I get a little lax and tend to skip a day once in a while.

I only wash my hair twice a week, though; my hair is long and thick so it actually looks better when I haven’t washed it for a couple days. It also takes a million years to dry so washing it is kind of a chore.

I wash my hands regularly, but I don’t like hand sanitizer. It’s too smelly and causes you to build resistance to bacteria over time. I brush my teeth once or twice every day and am pretty good at flossing. But not lately because I’ve been so busy/tired/lazy

I like being clean, but I don’t obsess over it.

I shower twice a day most days and shampoo once a day. I’m a hand washer as well.

I shower/bathe twice a day, I clean my teeth too much apparently and I love getting smellies (shower gel etc). I would say I am sometimes a bit obsessed with hygene. However, having said that, I am more than happy to get my hands dirty and don’t have a problem with getting a bit grubby from time to time.

I shower every morning, but only shampoo my hair if it looks greasy (3–4 times a week). I use lots of moisturizer and Clinique 3-step my face twice a day. Soak in the tub at night after working out sometimes. LUSH bath balls are the greatest thing since sliced bread. They make my whole apartment smell awesome.

I am sort of a product whore, with lots of routines and specific hygiene items. Makes me feel good. And I actually like flossing…

Oh yes, and it sucks to EXERCISE next to someone that did not use deodorant. For an hour long cycle class, with a fan blowing their BO at you.

Ugh, or just have to be close to someone who either does not wash sufficiently OR (and it is just as bad) pours cologne/perfume on by the bottle. Yuck.

Here’s a lovely example of having to be near someone who doesn’t value good hygiene. A long time ago I was working for this company and we had to move some freight from our town to another town, way out in the desert, about 100 miles away. It wasn’t something that we generally did, but the company had a big old suburban and the 10 of us employees, in our department, piled in, with the cargo. This one guy, who I shall call “Myron” called shotgun and I was seated directly behind him. This suburban was old and didn’t have any air conditioning and it was pretty warm, as we were driving out to the desert. Well Myron was wearing a wife beater undershirt and a pair of loose fitting shorts (which I found out later, by seeing to my horror, that he lacked underwear). It was really hot so he rolled down the window, but then he proceeded to take off his shoes and put his feet up on the dash so that his cheese scented toes and his un-deoderized dripping underarm hair droplets could be blown back towards me. Needless to say, this was a trip from hell.

I know a kid that for some genetic reason always smells like really bad BO. He showered every day with no abatement of the smell. I’ve always felt so bad for him as he was teased like crazy in school. Some people just cannot help how they smell.

@Kardamom oh dear. Yuck!

@tranquilsea actually that reminds me of a story from when I was at college. There was one girl who always smelt rank. Really, really bad. We were all about 16/17 and thought it was a lack of showering thing but didn’t want to confront her or make her feel uncomfortable so we went to the teacher and she gave us all a talk on personal hygiene. Later on we found out she had some illness/syndrome that meant she had very bad body odour. We all felt very mean then.

I shower every day, but don’t necessarily wash my hair daily. I’m slow to start in the morning so I need the help of a shower to wake me up. I love fruity smelling products – I usually use Lush products. I moisturise daily with Cocoa Butter lotion.
Washing hands is an automatic thing. It terrifies me when I see anyone leave public toilets without having washed their hands.
I cannot bear the smell of bo. It kills me.
A guy from my class goes to the gym and then wears the same runners around all day. I’ve started to notice a sweaty-foot smell when he’s around. Ugh!

@stardust My skin just started to crawl when you mentioned the foot stink thing. B/O mixed with foot stink makes me want to run screaming for the door.

They should have some kind of a sign at the exit to all gyms: Please check your feet and underarms for stink before you leave this facility!

@Kardamom LOL…

Huh. For some reason, the smell of human beings (no matter how dirty) has never bothered me as much as the smell of the cologne aisle. I mean, I have no problem with some light scenting, but chemical perfumes kill me.

@Seek_Kolinahr I am in agreement with you about the cologne. Some women wear so much (and don’t even realize it) that it seems like a toxic cloud is hanging over them. Men’s cologne, seems not as bad-smelling to me, although I don’t particularly like it either, it just seems lighter, or maybe it’s applied with a lighter hand.

And even though I think that guy on the horse in the Old Spice commercials is a hottie, and the ads are cute, I can’t stand the scent of old spice. It’s so strong. I think my nose is a lot more sensitive than other people’s because I can spot bad scents (and good scents like pine trees and campfires and barbecue) when other’s can’t.

Does that mean I have good scents? Bah da bump.

I shower every morning except on weekends, then I only shower once, unless I’m doing something that weekend. I wash my hair every other day, and i brush my teeth twice a day. (I would brush three times except I have school) I wash my hands every time I go to the bathroom and every time I cook or bake something. I use deodorant daily and only sometimes wear perfume. When I do it’s a light scent like vanilla or sweet pea. I hate it when people use too much perfume. People at my school keep it in their lockers and spray it on themselves and people around them almost every time they go to their locker. I don’t consider myself obsessed with hygiene, but I am kind of afraid of germs. Whenever I use a public stair rail or open a public door I pull the sleeve of my jacket over my hand.

@Seek_Kolinahr I think people have been conditioned to like chemical scents. Since I began using essentials oils for various scent needs, I can’t stand chemical smells.

@Facade I love cedar, pine and grapefruit essential oils. It’s nice to take a whiff of those when I’m feeling stressed.

I think I better run down to Whole Foods and get some.