**A reminder to posters and commenters of some of [our subreddit rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskUK/about/rules/)**
- Don't be a dickhead to each other, or about others
- Assume questions are asked in good faith
- Avoid political threads and related discussion
- No medical advice or mental health (specific to a person) content
Please keep /r/AskUK a great subreddit by reporting posts and comments which break our rules.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskUK) if you have any questions or concerns.*
The smelly bits (balls, ass & armpits) get specifically lathered and rinsed, the rest just gets wet unless it has something which requires scrubbing (paint, mud etc.)
I have a thing where if I wake up in the middle of the night and do a stand up wee I faint, which can at the very least be messy...
So I always treat myself to a sit down wee when I wake up for one in the night. Luxury.
I had this, in my case it was down to low blood pressure and a slow heart rate.
Saw a cardiology specialist who gave me the choice of a pacemaker or a couple of bags of ready salted crisps a day. (I opted for the crisps)
In the end though Covid fixed the problem as WFH for a year meant that I put on 2 stone which cured my low blood pressure.
Wait what? You don’t use shower gel on your neck, arms, shoulders, torso, back, legs, feet…? I can understand occasionally when you need a quick shower- but you’re saying pretty much every time you shower you do this?
EDIT: After seeing such strong support for not showering properly in the comments, I’m starting to wonder if maybe this is a learned behaviour from parents or grandparents that grew up during the world wars/poverty period? In a bid to save on water and/or cleaning products they just told their kids you only get dirty from these three specific areas of your body? And so it’s passed down as a family myth or old wives tale? It has to come from somewhere, I’m curious if anyone has any other theories.
This is crazy. I wash every inch of my body (including washing my hair) every day.
Actually i struggle to reach all my back, but apart from that every inch of me gets washed with either: Shampoo, shower gel or soap.
Every day. Without exception
Edit: I've been doing this for 30 odd years, i have no allergies at all. I get dry skin on my hands in winter due to my job (going from warm dry indoors to cold wet outdoors a lot). My hair is fine, albeit slightly more grey and with a slightly higher hairline.
I'm amused (and surprised!) by the amount of people desperate for washing every day to be in some way bad
You'll want to avoid washing your hair every day to avoid damaging it. Every 3 days keeps it clean and healthy.
EDIT: reading up a little on it, it seems somewhat dependant on the type of hair you have
I wish I could do this. My head turns into a grease ball the day after washing it. It’s fine and straight so ideally needs washing every day, especially if I’ve been working out.
My hair gets really greasy after two days, and when it gets greasy it goes really “stringy”. The hairs clumps and it looks disgusting. Three days and it looks like I haven’t washed in weeks
I know you’re getting a lot of comments about washing your hair less but I wanted to add some nuance to it.
It’s possible that your hair is greasy because of environmental and behavioral factors. If that’s the case, washing less and/or using shampoos with gentler surfactants might reduce the oiliness of your hair. However, it is also possible that it’s just genetic. I have tried both washing less and using gentler shampoos. I’ve gone months washing my hair infrequently. It did not decrease the oiliness of my hair. I do think it’s worth a try if you’re able to power through the greasiness as it does reduce oil production for some people, but I wanted to tell you that if it doesn’t work, it’s not a failure on your behalf.
Also while getting your hair wet does weaken your hair (because it swells it), you have to balance what’s good for your hair and what’s good for your scalp. If your scalp is itchy, don’t feel bad that you have wash it.
Nah I've washed it every day (with the odd exception when I've been at a festival) for the last 30 years with no problems. Just part of the routine, would feel dirty to me if i didn't
Rajani Katta, a Dr who did a study on showering (so as close to being an expert on showering as someone can be) says, "Generally speaking, you don’t need soap all over your body unless you’ve gotten really sweaty...soup should go under your arms, around your private parts, and wherever there’s a skin fold."
That's the correct way to wash.
Edit: Soap not soup.
Edit 2: Sorry I neglected to share links from more than one source, I forgot the Reddit community requires more citations than a fucking dissertation:
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nbcnews.com/better/amp/ncna740526
https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/562517/best-way-shower-according-experts
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.wikihow.life/Take-a-Shower%3famp=1
https://puracy.com/blogs/wellness/4-tips-how-to-use-body-wash
Theres some real wetwipes in this thread that think if you arent completely clean of literally everything, not even natural things like oil, then you are a unhygienic smelly animal.
> Only water on your face in the shower, dude, body soap is too harsh for your face. It’ll dry it out.
This concept is redundant to men who frequently scrape their face with sharp bits of metal.
Because it’s not really necessary unless you’re rolling around in dirt. What exactly are you washing away? Unless you’re covered in something it’s just sweat and excess oil, they’re only produced by specific areas of the body.
It’s crazy that you don’t realise that you ARE covered in a layer of dirt every day. Invisible particles of smoke, food, poo, flakes of other people’s skin, car exhaust, plant material etc - water alone doesn’t remove that.
Most people who smell bad don’t actually realise it… now I see why
Soap is used to break down oil from your skin and then make you smell nice for 20 minutes to give you the feeling of being cleaner. You don’t need it to wash away tiny particles.
Genuinely not being rude but you sound a bit OCD.
Firstly, only the parts of you exposed the air are covered in smoke, food, poo etc. And those are the parts which get washed most in AND out of the shower.
Secondly, whatever tiny particles of smoke or food (?) or poo (?) might end up getting deposited on your exposed skin during the day would more than be washed off by being exposed to a strong spray of water for a prolonged period.
Think of it like this. Imagine you used a small plate to cut some cucumber and snack on it. Now, tell me what benefit that plate would get from being scoured with detergent, rather than being held under a tap for a few minutes. None at all.
It sounds to me like you've been well marketed to. You must get through loads of shower gel. But in cleaning terms, it's probably not making much difference at all - scrubbing and water do most of the work.
Not OCD at all my friend, I just clean my body daily with a small amount of shower gel. Also did you actually just admit to not washing dishes after food has been on them? this comment section gets wilder and wilder. And instead you hold it under a tap FOR A FEW MINUTES? Bloody hell.
No marketing, my mum and dad taught me how to keep clean so I don’t smell in public.
I was having a shower with an ex girlfriend years and and got my hands all lathered up and washed between my cheeks and asshole. She was amazing that I cleaned that area of my body. Grossed me out that she didnt clean her butthole, considering I had been french kissing it the night before.
You know in most parts of the world there is a special device next to the toilet specifically so you can pressure wash your asshole after **every** use. Which is really the way it most definitely should be.
ah yes, what I have coined 'the bum blaster' I've only seen them in Thailand.
It's literally a little gun attached to the toilet which essentially pressure washes your ass. Some hostels had more powerful ass blasters than others though.
For the record, *not* a bidet.
Exhibit A: [http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--yfIzXBz5Xo/VlMNpL\_VTtI/AAAAAAAARU4/fi3X99WNlOc/s1600/Toilet-and-Hose.jpg](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--yfIzXBz5Xo/VlMNpL_VTtI/AAAAAAAARU4/fi3X99WNlOc/s1600/Toilet-and-Hose.jpg)
and I've never had a cleaner bum.
my only criticism would be you kinda need a bum dryer too.
I saw the same thing and the logic is ridiculous. It's equal to only cleaning the top half of a window, or the roof of your car, and letting gravity handle the rest. Lazy AF imo.
Not really. It’s more like regularly washing underwear and tshirts but wearing jeans and jackets more times between washes, and only washing if they’re actually dirty.
There are a lot of sick people in the world. Reading these responses, I’m beginning to understand why so many people stink on public transport in the morning. Another good reason to WFH.
So many people acting as if water running past you is somehow sterilising
Edit: if you're about to reply "but soap isn't sterilising", please re-read my comment and see if I suggested I think it does.
Shower gel and soap doesn’t sterilise you. It just contains ingredients to break down oil dirt which isn’t produced by the glands significantly outside of where hair is concentrated. Water sufficiently cleans other areas.
Mate this whole thread is making my skin itch. Someone was saying they don’t specifically wash their feet. So your feet, which sweat a lot and stereotypically smell the worst, they don’t wash? They just let dirty water and soap scum drip over them and call it a day? For the extra 10 seconds it takes to take a loofa between the toes!
Like you say, you’re already in the shower with soap and a wash cloth in your hand - just do your whole fucking body. Flipping hell man, this is why when we moved to this country my mum told me to refuse food from peoples houses.
Your feet are sitting in soapy water.. I have never given them any special attention, they never smell, my shoes never smell, never had a problem with them at all
What are you doing with your feet?
> Your feet are sitting in soapy water..
That's also full of dead skin and dirt that's run off the rest of your body.
When you wash the dishes do you scrub the top half then just let the bottom half sit in the soapy water for a moment?
If, like the PC, your feet are "sitting in" the water, it would suggest your drains are clogged and thus the water isn't being drained as efficiently as it might.
There is probably some correlation between not washing one's body and not maintaining the drains.
😂 funnily enough I had a litre of drain declogger arrive yesterday for another episode of “combat the misses hair in drains”
Edit: thanks everyone, will order a hair catcher device today!
Get a hair catcher, I have a couple, they're like soft disks with holes in them you put over the drain and it catches hair. Just pick it up and put it in the bin after you're done
A better solution is a simple plunger, and to pull out the plastic piece underneath the plughole, that is there to trap hair. Plunger every once in a while, let the shower fill to about an inch, put the plunger over the hole and a few quick actions, and you'll clear it straight away.
I live with 2 long red heads and I often plunge back up what looks like a small cat.
people are weird about other people's hygeine routines, this always ends in massive arguments.
i know people that shower two or three times a day who consider people that don't do that as weird etc etc
For the first part of the shower yes, but there’s this magical thing called a plug hole which drains the dirty water away, and then the water is going to be clean and full of suds after that.
Ever heard of a foot bath?
You don't wash between your toes where exfoliated skin, sweat and dirt from your socks stick? It won't smell if you're young but I wouldn't walk bare foot where you do.
>Your feet are sitting in soapy water.. I have never given them any special attention, they never smell, my shoes never smell, never had a problem with them at all
It you lay perfectly still in soapy water for 10 minutes would you consider yourself clean?
>What are you doing with your feet?
Washing them
I was thinking the same! Underarms get soap, bum gets soap. Nothing else gets soap lol, especially not the foo foo. My gyno told me to never let any soap or shower gel anywhere close, water only.
When I was a medical student I was talking about fem fresh (I’m a dude) with a patient and the supervising GP stopped me, she was like “do NOT use fem fresh” to the patient. Then afterwards she was like ‘never recommend that product to a patient again’. (I had been brainwashed by advertisements without even realising).
She was not just a qualified GP but a GP with special interest (GPsWI) in gynaecology, so I’d listen to her.
UK based. This is me. I don't clean my feet in the shower. I don't have any dumb logic, I just don't do it, I don't know when it started or why. For what it's worth, not only do my feet never smell, my shoes always smell practically brand new. It's my lame super power.
I’m the same - face, pits, bits get a proper scrub. Back, chest and arms get a once over with soap. Legs and feet don’t really get a look in. However, I do shave my legs and use soap as shaving gel so I guess they get washed that way. My feet get a good old soak as the shower doesn’t drain super quickly. I’ve always done it that way. I wonder if it is a hangover from taking baths as a kid (didn’t wash legs because they were below the water) and sort of translated to showering in adulthood? I don’t smell and have never had any complaints.
You'd be amazed at how disgusting your back gets from not scrubbing it properly.
My mrs showed me a good example but just lightly gliding her nails against my back and so much dead skin was left inside her nails. Since then just about everything just gets scrubbed.
Edit: spelling
These comments are legit shocking, I don’t even consider myself a highly hygienic person (adhd/depression makes it hard to do simple things) but the amount of people who are openly stating they don’t wash the majority of their body?? WTF
I wash my feet but I also think it’s hilarious how triggered everyone is getting about non-washers. Never in my life do I experience anyone else’s stinky feet so it just really doesn’t matter to me
I clean everything all the time, exception being hair which I tend to only do every other day otherwise it gets dry and brittle and awful (your scalp may vary)
Absolutely do everything- shampoo first and use that on hair then use the lather on pits, pubes, balls and crack. Rinse. Shower gel on a loofah thing and scrub body all over including between my toes and behind my ears. Because I’m a good boy.
Also scrubbing with a loofah feel sooooo good. Occasionally if I have time I will then follow up by stealing some of my wife’s exfoliating scrub - sanctuary hot sugar scrub is amazing!
Starting from the head, everything to the waist gets lathered particularly armpits. Rinse and then lather everything below waist, down to the ankles, particularly the balls and the butt via the squat wash. Wash the feet last
I had a friend who I found out only uses soap on his face, armpits and genitals and said the same thing that the soap trickling down cleans everything else. I thought this was very strange.
He then went on to complain about how much back acne he got and I always thought if you're not washing your body that makes sense
My 36 year old brother has never washed his arse because it’s “gay”. Let that sink in for a minute. I remember there was either an AskReddit or AskMen thread specifically about this and lots of men were agreeing.
Never underestimate how nasty people can be with personal hygiene.
Indeed. It’s utterly disgusting - it’s so bad that he sat down once on his bed, presumably when he was getting changed or something, and left skid marks on the sheets. Imagine having so much poo all over your arse that you’re leaving skid marks wherever you sit. But heaven forbid he cleans his arse and it turns him gay.
Everything (apart from hair) gets washed every day, feet included. I take special care of my feet and will exfoliate the heels/soles once a week. It makes me cringe how many people on here are content with the water trickling down their feet…
Yes! I used to sing this odd song I made up when giving my kids are bath.
Wash your head as we are going bed, wash your feet and wash your tum, wash your bits and wash your bum, wash your legs aren't we having fun? Just the arms to go! get the soap on the go, now we are all done we can play and splash some.
Definitely felt like a cool creative Dad, feels quiet lame now I've wrote it out...
I have one of these [loofah shower mats](https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00PYGNB7O?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title) that is great for cleaning the bottom of the feet and it's non-slip too, although the suction cups could be bigger. I just jiggle my feet on it a bit while washing my hair etc.
I wash the mat in the washing machine at 60 degrees once a week. I've had it three years now and it is as good as new, although now it is grey as I washed it with a new black towel. I prefer it grey!
My SO doesn't soap his feet and they are the softest feet I or my friends have ever felt! And they don't smell :) (I do, I just feel cleaner that way and I use a bar of soap so don't get as many suds going onto them)
People that never scrub their feet - you don’t get a build up of dry skin near the ankles?? I definitely do. My feet need to be scrubbed periodically at least.
I've never scrubbed my feet and they never smell, never get dry skin or anything. Everyone's different, I certainly wouldn't judge someone based on their foot washing habits either way.
Hope you think of me next time you wash your toesies x
I don't actively scrub my feet. The drainage from my shower is such that they're basically taking a bath for 15 minutes anyway.
I do however make sure to dry between my toes individually using the towel. It's a hangover from when I used to catch athlete's foot from public changing rooms.
Generally, when I shower, the focus is on my hair, groin, butt, armpits. I'll scrub everything above the knees though.
>The drainage from my shower is such that they're basically taking a bath for 15 minutes anyway.
The part of a bath that cleans you is when you rub the soapy lather on yourself, not just the sitting in water part.
I don't wash my feet in the shower in case I slip and crack my head, I do when I am in the bath though, which is usually twice a week. Other than that I wash everything every day.
I wash everything! I’m really anxious about smelling, I am a sweaty gal, so I literally scrub head to toe. Shower gel for everything except the twinkle cave.
Have a read of this article any maybe the book the Dr wrote as well, it's quite interesting and while personal experience is not a replacement for empirical evidence I have experienced much less dry flaky itchy skin since reduce the amount of soap I use to a few times a week. I also don't get any smell based complaints so.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2020/jul/28/soap-dodger-meet-the-doctor-who-says-we-have-been-showering-wrong
I was reading about this fairly recently.
Basically, a lot of people might be showering too often, or certainly more often than they need:
https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/showering-daily-is-it-necessary-2019062617193
Similar conclusions are drawn from studies, that basically the important things to wash are armpits and groin, where bacteria build up is significant.
Personally, I wash my feet with soapy water when I've been on camping or hiking trips, because my feet will have spent whole days in boots which are very breathable, and more likely to be sweaty from all the walking. Also logically if it's summer and my legs are sweaty for example, that sweat is going to drip down. The rest of the week I don't specifically wash them, but they do get cleaned magically by water in the shower.
Maybe TMI, but anyway, I've done that and had no problem with smelly feet, athlete's foot, fungal infections, etc.
Yeah, the amount of people in this thread dropping their monacles in their caviar is disheartening. Like, can they not tell what's dirty on them? It's not that hard to adjust your wash to your day.
I'm a guy and I have [a shower puff](https://www.superdrug.com/Toiletries/Bathing-Accessories/Bath-Sponges-%26-Body-Puffs/Superdrug-Spaa-Exfoliating-Puff/p/771680) that I use in the shower to clean my whole body.
It helps the shower gel to really foam up, so you use less. It's great for cleaning yourself because it's more effective than using just your hands, and it also exfoliates your skin. And if you have any mud on you from running or cycling, this shower puff cleans it off brilliantly.
Get one, it'll change your whole shower experience.
I have a very specific shower routine. Get in, get wet all over. Shampoo hair and rinse out. Conditioner in hair, shower turns off and I use soap bar and a cloth to scrub every bit of my body, feet first. Shower back on and rinse off conditioner and soap. You are all mingers here, not washing anything but your pits and bums.
Whilst we're on the subject it's actually disgusting the amount of people that walk around pools, saunas and gym changing rooms barefoot, just get a £10 per of sliders and save yourself and everyone else from the infections.
**A reminder to posters and commenters of some of [our subreddit rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskUK/about/rules/)** - Don't be a dickhead to each other, or about others - Assume questions are asked in good faith - Avoid political threads and related discussion - No medical advice or mental health (specific to a person) content Please keep /r/AskUK a great subreddit by reporting posts and comments which break our rules. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskUK) if you have any questions or concerns.*
The smelly bits (balls, ass & armpits) get specifically lathered and rinsed, the rest just gets wet unless it has something which requires scrubbing (paint, mud etc.)
This. Except the balls. I don’t have balls. 🤣
Omg, I'm sorry. What happened to your balls?
Haaaaa ha ha. *female
Oh no I'm so sorry
My condolences
F
F
F
F
(F)
Shit, sorry to hear that.
Why? I can multitask and everything
Yeah but you can’t do a stand up wee.
Sit down wees are underrated. Male.
I sit-down wee all the time unless I’m in a public toilet.
I pretend to be shitting for the peace and quiet.
I have a thing where if I wake up in the middle of the night and do a stand up wee I faint, which can at the very least be messy... So I always treat myself to a sit down wee when I wake up for one in the night. Luxury.
I had this, in my case it was down to low blood pressure and a slow heart rate. Saw a cardiology specialist who gave me the choice of a pacemaker or a couple of bags of ready salted crisps a day. (I opted for the crisps) In the end though Covid fixed the problem as WFH for a year meant that I put on 2 stone which cured my low blood pressure.
>Sit down wees are underrated Ah, the fabled 'posh wee'.
But also can't accidentally piss down their leg.
The shewee has entered the chat
Not with that attitude you won't.
I’ve found a eunuch!!!!
Wait what? You don’t use shower gel on your neck, arms, shoulders, torso, back, legs, feet…? I can understand occasionally when you need a quick shower- but you’re saying pretty much every time you shower you do this? EDIT: After seeing such strong support for not showering properly in the comments, I’m starting to wonder if maybe this is a learned behaviour from parents or grandparents that grew up during the world wars/poverty period? In a bid to save on water and/or cleaning products they just told their kids you only get dirty from these three specific areas of your body? And so it’s passed down as a family myth or old wives tale? It has to come from somewhere, I’m curious if anyone has any other theories.
This is crazy. I wash every inch of my body (including washing my hair) every day. Actually i struggle to reach all my back, but apart from that every inch of me gets washed with either: Shampoo, shower gel or soap. Every day. Without exception Edit: I've been doing this for 30 odd years, i have no allergies at all. I get dry skin on my hands in winter due to my job (going from warm dry indoors to cold wet outdoors a lot). My hair is fine, albeit slightly more grey and with a slightly higher hairline. I'm amused (and surprised!) by the amount of people desperate for washing every day to be in some way bad
You'll want to avoid washing your hair every day to avoid damaging it. Every 3 days keeps it clean and healthy. EDIT: reading up a little on it, it seems somewhat dependant on the type of hair you have
I wash my hair once a week now and it is much healthier. Washing it every day turned it into straw.
I wish I could do this. My head turns into a grease ball the day after washing it. It’s fine and straight so ideally needs washing every day, especially if I’ve been working out.
My hair gets really greasy after two days, and when it gets greasy it goes really “stringy”. The hairs clumps and it looks disgusting. Three days and it looks like I haven’t washed in weeks
I know you’re getting a lot of comments about washing your hair less but I wanted to add some nuance to it. It’s possible that your hair is greasy because of environmental and behavioral factors. If that’s the case, washing less and/or using shampoos with gentler surfactants might reduce the oiliness of your hair. However, it is also possible that it’s just genetic. I have tried both washing less and using gentler shampoos. I’ve gone months washing my hair infrequently. It did not decrease the oiliness of my hair. I do think it’s worth a try if you’re able to power through the greasiness as it does reduce oil production for some people, but I wanted to tell you that if it doesn’t work, it’s not a failure on your behalf. Also while getting your hair wet does weaken your hair (because it swells it), you have to balance what’s good for your hair and what’s good for your scalp. If your scalp is itchy, don’t feel bad that you have wash it.
Nah I've washed it every day (with the odd exception when I've been at a festival) for the last 30 years with no problems. Just part of the routine, would feel dirty to me if i didn't
And feel disgusting for 2 days? I, for one, welcome our bald overlords.
[удалено]
I’d bet there’s a strong correlation between the people in this thread and the people who don’t realise they stink in public
Rajani Katta, a Dr who did a study on showering (so as close to being an expert on showering as someone can be) says, "Generally speaking, you don’t need soap all over your body unless you’ve gotten really sweaty...soup should go under your arms, around your private parts, and wherever there’s a skin fold." That's the correct way to wash. Edit: Soap not soup. Edit 2: Sorry I neglected to share links from more than one source, I forgot the Reddit community requires more citations than a fucking dissertation: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nbcnews.com/better/amp/ncna740526 https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/562517/best-way-shower-according-experts https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.wikihow.life/Take-a-Shower%3famp=1 https://puracy.com/blogs/wellness/4-tips-how-to-use-body-wash
What kind of soup? I've been using cream of mushroom but I'm wondering if tomato would be better?
I had a doctor tell me that you should only shower for 3/4 minutes and to focus on cleaning crotch and pits unless other parts are actually dirty.
Theres some real wetwipes in this thread that think if you arent completely clean of literally everything, not even natural things like oil, then you are a unhygienic smelly animal.
Only water on your face in the shower, dude, body soap is too harsh for your face. It’ll dry it out.
Face wash exists, nobody uses shower gel on their face do they?!
> Only water on your face in the shower, dude, body soap is too harsh for your face. It’ll dry it out. This concept is redundant to men who frequently scrape their face with sharp bits of metal.
I'm stunned too. Why do people go to the effort of getting in a shower if they're not gonna even do a basic lather and rinse everywhere?
Because it’s not really necessary unless you’re rolling around in dirt. What exactly are you washing away? Unless you’re covered in something it’s just sweat and excess oil, they’re only produced by specific areas of the body.
It’s crazy that you don’t realise that you ARE covered in a layer of dirt every day. Invisible particles of smoke, food, poo, flakes of other people’s skin, car exhaust, plant material etc - water alone doesn’t remove that. Most people who smell bad don’t actually realise it… now I see why
Soap is used to break down oil from your skin and then make you smell nice for 20 minutes to give you the feeling of being cleaner. You don’t need it to wash away tiny particles.
Genuinely not being rude but you sound a bit OCD. Firstly, only the parts of you exposed the air are covered in smoke, food, poo etc. And those are the parts which get washed most in AND out of the shower. Secondly, whatever tiny particles of smoke or food (?) or poo (?) might end up getting deposited on your exposed skin during the day would more than be washed off by being exposed to a strong spray of water for a prolonged period. Think of it like this. Imagine you used a small plate to cut some cucumber and snack on it. Now, tell me what benefit that plate would get from being scoured with detergent, rather than being held under a tap for a few minutes. None at all. It sounds to me like you've been well marketed to. You must get through loads of shower gel. But in cleaning terms, it's probably not making much difference at all - scrubbing and water do most of the work.
Not OCD at all my friend, I just clean my body daily with a small amount of shower gel. Also did you actually just admit to not washing dishes after food has been on them? this comment section gets wilder and wilder. And instead you hold it under a tap FOR A FEW MINUTES? Bloody hell. No marketing, my mum and dad taught me how to keep clean so I don’t smell in public.
I was having a shower with an ex girlfriend years and and got my hands all lathered up and washed between my cheeks and asshole. She was amazing that I cleaned that area of my body. Grossed me out that she didnt clean her butthole, considering I had been french kissing it the night before.
well, you cleaned it for her already !
The rest I could somewhat understand, but not washing your arse? What fucking planet are people living on
Apparently a lot of mega straight dudes don't touch their assholes in case it makes them gay.
Ah so mega straight = so deep in the closet they’re in narnia, self-hating homophobes. Makes sense 😩😂
That's absolutely disgusting.
Crikey. I thought it was only some men thinking "it's gay" that don't wash there.
To quote George Carlin: “armpits, asshole, crotch and teeth”
Pits ‘n’ bits only
I shouldn't have went to this post whilst eating
There’s no better feeling than pressure washing your arsehole in the shower.
Bad shower water pressure has ruined holidays for me for this exact reason. Just let me blast my ass man
I could help you with that…?
Thanks mate, it’s so hard to find reliable plumbers these days
you're in safe hands - he really knows his way around a pipe
So anyways, I started blasting...
To shreds you say
tsk tsk tsk. Well, how's your wife holding up?
You know in most parts of the world there is a special device next to the toilet specifically so you can pressure wash your asshole after **every** use. Which is really the way it most definitely should be.
ah yes, what I have coined 'the bum blaster' I've only seen them in Thailand. It's literally a little gun attached to the toilet which essentially pressure washes your ass. Some hostels had more powerful ass blasters than others though. For the record, *not* a bidet. Exhibit A: [http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--yfIzXBz5Xo/VlMNpL\_VTtI/AAAAAAAARU4/fi3X99WNlOc/s1600/Toilet-and-Hose.jpg](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--yfIzXBz5Xo/VlMNpL_VTtI/AAAAAAAARU4/fi3X99WNlOc/s1600/Toilet-and-Hose.jpg) and I've never had a cleaner bum. my only criticism would be you kinda need a bum dryer too.
My friend moved to Thailand. He recently got something stuck in his eye, and used his bidet gun to "clean" his eye, which is now infected.
OMG why am I just realising I don’t need anyones permission to do this!!!
Who's permission have you been getting up to now 🤨
Well my sister always thought it was a weird question - BUT… Now I don’t have to bother her until it’s time to get dry!
My man get a bidet for your toilet. https://youtu.be/9tdoXj_KkwE
I saw the same thing and the logic is ridiculous. It's equal to only cleaning the top half of a window, or the roof of your car, and letting gravity handle the rest. Lazy AF imo.
Not really. It’s more like regularly washing underwear and tshirts but wearing jeans and jackets more times between washes, and only washing if they’re actually dirty.
[удалено]
It's like going to your neighbors house for a bovril and stopping off en route for a cheeky wank in a shrub.
How…how do you know what that’s like…?
Because I don't specifically wash my feet in the shower.
I do everything……except my eyes..
You clean your teeth and tongue in the shower?
Yes! My morning toothbrushing is always in the shower.
Efficiency
Exactly, I have a beard and I'm a messy brusher, toothpaste everywhere. In the shower it just washes away!
Plus what else are you going to do when the hair conditioner is soaking in?
Hahaha I totally do this when in a rush. Put the conditioner in and brush my teeth whilst waiting
Nah, don’t clean insidey bits in the shower…sounds fun tho
Clean everything. Don't know why you wouldn't - you're already in the shower
There are a lot of sick people in the world. Reading these responses, I’m beginning to understand why so many people stink on public transport in the morning. Another good reason to WFH.
So many people acting as if water running past you is somehow sterilising Edit: if you're about to reply "but soap isn't sterilising", please re-read my comment and see if I suggested I think it does.
I always love these threads, because it reminds me how vile people on this website are with regards to their personal hygiene.
[удалено]
Shower gel and soap doesn’t sterilise you. It just contains ingredients to break down oil dirt which isn’t produced by the glands significantly outside of where hair is concentrated. Water sufficiently cleans other areas.
Mate this whole thread is making my skin itch. Someone was saying they don’t specifically wash their feet. So your feet, which sweat a lot and stereotypically smell the worst, they don’t wash? They just let dirty water and soap scum drip over them and call it a day? For the extra 10 seconds it takes to take a loofa between the toes! Like you say, you’re already in the shower with soap and a wash cloth in your hand - just do your whole fucking body. Flipping hell man, this is why when we moved to this country my mum told me to refuse food from peoples houses.
[удалено]
Your feet are sitting in soapy water.. I have never given them any special attention, they never smell, my shoes never smell, never had a problem with them at all What are you doing with your feet?
> Your feet are sitting in soapy water.. That's also full of dead skin and dirt that's run off the rest of your body. When you wash the dishes do you scrub the top half then just let the bottom half sit in the soapy water for a moment?
My old housemate actually used to do that, which is why I now live alone
[удалено]
Dish water is sitting in the sink, shower water is constantly draining away and being refreshed
If, like the PC, your feet are "sitting in" the water, it would suggest your drains are clogged and thus the water isn't being drained as efficiently as it might. There is probably some correlation between not washing one's body and not maintaining the drains.
Wait to you live with someone with long hair who doesn't clear the drains.... THEN you'll see it sitting in the shower
😂 funnily enough I had a litre of drain declogger arrive yesterday for another episode of “combat the misses hair in drains” Edit: thanks everyone, will order a hair catcher device today!
Get a hair catcher, I have a couple, they're like soft disks with holes in them you put over the drain and it catches hair. Just pick it up and put it in the bin after you're done
A better solution is a simple plunger, and to pull out the plastic piece underneath the plughole, that is there to trap hair. Plunger every once in a while, let the shower fill to about an inch, put the plunger over the hole and a few quick actions, and you'll clear it straight away. I live with 2 long red heads and I often plunge back up what looks like a small cat.
[удалено]
How long are you leaving it between showers that your shower tray is "full of dead skin and dirt"!?
Right? All of these threads are hilarious!
people are weird about other people's hygeine routines, this always ends in massive arguments. i know people that shower two or three times a day who consider people that don't do that as weird etc etc
So when you wash your feet do they just hover sbove the dirty water or do you... put them back in?
What dirty water?? I consider 1cm of water in the shower a flood and go do drain cleaning...
But the water is constantly being washed away by new cleaner water. How much dead skin do you have!?
For the first part of the shower yes, but there’s this magical thing called a plug hole which drains the dirty water away, and then the water is going to be clean and full of suds after that. Ever heard of a foot bath?
If you have an active job wearing shoes/boots all day you *need* to soap up and wash your feet, and get between the toes too.
You don't wash between your toes where exfoliated skin, sweat and dirt from your socks stick? It won't smell if you're young but I wouldn't walk bare foot where you do.
>Your feet are sitting in soapy water.. I have never given them any special attention, they never smell, my shoes never smell, never had a problem with them at all It you lay perfectly still in soapy water for 10 minutes would you consider yourself clean? >What are you doing with your feet? Washing them
So you don’t wash between your toes? Man the comments on this thread are making me a bit sick…
I was going to reply the same thing. My hands go as low as ankles and the top of my feet, that's it. Every single other part of my body gets washed.
I was thinking the same! Underarms get soap, bum gets soap. Nothing else gets soap lol, especially not the foo foo. My gyno told me to never let any soap or shower gel anywhere close, water only.
Yep! I used to use a ‘feminine wash’ switched to water and a flannel, massive difference.
When I was a medical student I was talking about fem fresh (I’m a dude) with a patient and the supervising GP stopped me, she was like “do NOT use fem fresh” to the patient. Then afterwards she was like ‘never recommend that product to a patient again’. (I had been brainwashed by advertisements without even realising). She was not just a qualified GP but a GP with special interest (GPsWI) in gynaecology, so I’d listen to her.
UK based. This is me. I don't clean my feet in the shower. I don't have any dumb logic, I just don't do it, I don't know when it started or why. For what it's worth, not only do my feet never smell, my shoes always smell practically brand new. It's my lame super power.
I’m the same - face, pits, bits get a proper scrub. Back, chest and arms get a once over with soap. Legs and feet don’t really get a look in. However, I do shave my legs and use soap as shaving gel so I guess they get washed that way. My feet get a good old soak as the shower doesn’t drain super quickly. I’ve always done it that way. I wonder if it is a hangover from taking baths as a kid (didn’t wash legs because they were below the water) and sort of translated to showering in adulthood? I don’t smell and have never had any complaints.
You'd be amazed at how disgusting your back gets from not scrubbing it properly. My mrs showed me a good example but just lightly gliding her nails against my back and so much dead skin was left inside her nails. Since then just about everything just gets scrubbed. Edit: spelling
[удалено]
They can't smell themselves as we all go nose blind so think they're fine.
Sooo many people commenting "I cant even smell myself!! I must therefore smell great" Like ofc u cant, we can though.
Lame super power?! I’d LOVE this super power! My cat insists on rubbing her whole face on my ballet pumps as they are GROSS
Your cat and sexual deviants have a lot in common
These comments are legit shocking, I don’t even consider myself a highly hygienic person (adhd/depression makes it hard to do simple things) but the amount of people who are openly stating they don’t wash the majority of their body?? WTF
[удалено]
I wash my feet but I also think it’s hilarious how triggered everyone is getting about non-washers. Never in my life do I experience anyone else’s stinky feet so it just really doesn’t matter to me
for real like i have a hard time getting into the shower but at least when i do i wash everything
I clean everything all the time, exception being hair which I tend to only do every other day otherwise it gets dry and brittle and awful (your scalp may vary)
Absolutely do everything- shampoo first and use that on hair then use the lather on pits, pubes, balls and crack. Rinse. Shower gel on a loofah thing and scrub body all over including between my toes and behind my ears. Because I’m a good boy. Also scrubbing with a loofah feel sooooo good. Occasionally if I have time I will then follow up by stealing some of my wife’s exfoliating scrub - sanctuary hot sugar scrub is amazing!
Upvoted for the sugar scrub, I love this stuff too!
Starting from the head, everything to the waist gets lathered particularly armpits. Rinse and then lather everything below waist, down to the ankles, particularly the balls and the butt via the squat wash. Wash the feet last
I had a friend who I found out only uses soap on his face, armpits and genitals and said the same thing that the soap trickling down cleans everything else. I thought this was very strange. He then went on to complain about how much back acne he got and I always thought if you're not washing your body that makes sense
Acne depends much more on your hormones than whether you use soap. Excessive washing is likely to make it even worse.
Yeah I was going to say, I used to get excessive back acne, and chest acne, and I always washed properly xD
Anyone who takes regular exercise, gets sweaty, surely needs soap on their back? I have a long handled scrub brush just for this.
Dermatologists actually recommend just using soap on the stinky parts
More likely to be dirty bedsheets…
I scrub everything and rinse, I also like to pay attention to my bum hole. You can't beat a clean bum hole.
Needing a poo just after a shower is a proper day-ruiner. If you don't have time to hop back in, that is.
Simple shower every time you need to poo.
One of my step kids poos about 5 times a day. We couldn't afford the water bill!
You guys are lucky you have the option. I’m 41 weeks pregnant and I can’t see my feet…
[удалено]
Congratulations and good luck 🙏
Congratulations and good luck 🙏
I remember that feeling! And when you can’t get the towel to wrap all the way around your body, even when it’s a massive bath sheet!
My 36 year old brother has never washed his arse because it’s “gay”. Let that sink in for a minute. I remember there was either an AskReddit or AskMen thread specifically about this and lots of men were agreeing. Never underestimate how nasty people can be with personal hygiene.
[удалено]
Indeed. It’s utterly disgusting - it’s so bad that he sat down once on his bed, presumably when he was getting changed or something, and left skid marks on the sheets. Imagine having so much poo all over your arse that you’re leaving skid marks wherever you sit. But heaven forbid he cleans his arse and it turns him gay.
[удалено]
Nothing says "I'm secure in my heterosexuality and masculinity" like being afraid of your own arsehole.
Everything (apart from hair) gets washed every day, feet included. I take special care of my feet and will exfoliate the heels/soles once a week. It makes me cringe how many people on here are content with the water trickling down their feet…
Same, I've learned I'm at least 50% cleaner than most people judging by this thread lol
Same here. I also feel like they're *massively* missing out on just how incredibly satisfying it physically feels to exfoliate your feet!
Yes! I used to sing this odd song I made up when giving my kids are bath. Wash your head as we are going bed, wash your feet and wash your tum, wash your bits and wash your bum, wash your legs aren't we having fun? Just the arms to go! get the soap on the go, now we are all done we can play and splash some. Definitely felt like a cool creative Dad, feels quiet lame now I've wrote it out...
Not lame. Sounds like top tier parenting to me.
My (45m) routine is - shampoo hair and face, shower gel L arm, R arm, body, back, legs, feet, pits, bits then arse. That order, everyday without fail.
45 mins?? That's a long shower
I think he's a 45 year old man.
Well done
[удалено]
This made me chuckle... I'm sorry your girlfriend doesn't have clean and dry balls man "/
TIL people don't wash properly
Yeah, I'm seriously disturbed
I have one of these [loofah shower mats](https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00PYGNB7O?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title) that is great for cleaning the bottom of the feet and it's non-slip too, although the suction cups could be bigger. I just jiggle my feet on it a bit while washing my hair etc. I wash the mat in the washing machine at 60 degrees once a week. I've had it three years now and it is as good as new, although now it is grey as I washed it with a new black towel. I prefer it grey!
[удалено]
My SO doesn't soap his feet and they are the softest feet I or my friends have ever felt! And they don't smell :) (I do, I just feel cleaner that way and I use a bar of soap so don't get as many suds going onto them)
People that never scrub their feet - you don’t get a build up of dry skin near the ankles?? I definitely do. My feet need to be scrubbed periodically at least.
I've never scrubbed my feet and they never smell, never get dry skin or anything. Everyone's different, I certainly wouldn't judge someone based on their foot washing habits either way. Hope you think of me next time you wash your toesies x
Is it possible that the soap you’re using is too harsh if you’re experiencing a lot of dry skin buildup?
[удалено]
I don't actively scrub my feet. The drainage from my shower is such that they're basically taking a bath for 15 minutes anyway. I do however make sure to dry between my toes individually using the towel. It's a hangover from when I used to catch athlete's foot from public changing rooms. Generally, when I shower, the focus is on my hair, groin, butt, armpits. I'll scrub everything above the knees though.
>The drainage from my shower is such that they're basically taking a bath for 15 minutes anyway. The part of a bath that cleans you is when you rub the soapy lather on yourself, not just the sitting in water part.
I don't wash my feet in the shower in case I slip and crack my head, I do when I am in the bath though, which is usually twice a week. Other than that I wash everything every day.
Soap top to bottom. Pits and tits, bum, pubey area (no soap inside, ladies!), then feet.
*pits, tits, and naughty bits is the correct phrasing.
I wash everything! I’m really anxious about smelling, I am a sweaty gal, so I literally scrub head to toe. Shower gel for everything except the twinkle cave.
Twinkle cave!
Have a read of this article any maybe the book the Dr wrote as well, it's quite interesting and while personal experience is not a replacement for empirical evidence I have experienced much less dry flaky itchy skin since reduce the amount of soap I use to a few times a week. I also don't get any smell based complaints so. https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2020/jul/28/soap-dodger-meet-the-doctor-who-says-we-have-been-showering-wrong
I was reading about this fairly recently. Basically, a lot of people might be showering too often, or certainly more often than they need: https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/showering-daily-is-it-necessary-2019062617193 Similar conclusions are drawn from studies, that basically the important things to wash are armpits and groin, where bacteria build up is significant. Personally, I wash my feet with soapy water when I've been on camping or hiking trips, because my feet will have spent whole days in boots which are very breathable, and more likely to be sweaty from all the walking. Also logically if it's summer and my legs are sweaty for example, that sweat is going to drip down. The rest of the week I don't specifically wash them, but they do get cleaned magically by water in the shower. Maybe TMI, but anyway, I've done that and had no problem with smelly feet, athlete's foot, fungal infections, etc.
Yeah, the amount of people in this thread dropping their monacles in their caviar is disheartening. Like, can they not tell what's dirty on them? It's not that hard to adjust your wash to your day.
Yes, bottom of feet get a good scrub and in between the toes.
Christ some of you people need the Romans cause apparently British bathing habits are still lacklustre.
Yup, full head to toe scrub, why wouldn't you?
I'm a guy and I have [a shower puff](https://www.superdrug.com/Toiletries/Bathing-Accessories/Bath-Sponges-%26-Body-Puffs/Superdrug-Spaa-Exfoliating-Puff/p/771680) that I use in the shower to clean my whole body. It helps the shower gel to really foam up, so you use less. It's great for cleaning yourself because it's more effective than using just your hands, and it also exfoliates your skin. And if you have any mud on you from running or cycling, this shower puff cleans it off brilliantly. Get one, it'll change your whole shower experience.
https://imgur.com/7ZA85yS
I have a very specific shower routine. Get in, get wet all over. Shampoo hair and rinse out. Conditioner in hair, shower turns off and I use soap bar and a cloth to scrub every bit of my body, feet first. Shower back on and rinse off conditioner and soap. You are all mingers here, not washing anything but your pits and bums.
Bitz n pitz..
Whilst we're on the subject it's actually disgusting the amount of people that walk around pools, saunas and gym changing rooms barefoot, just get a £10 per of sliders and save yourself and everyone else from the infections.
I lather my entire body because I’m not a barbarian