11 Awkward Hygiene Mistakes Everyone Notices Except The Person Making Them
If you're doing these things the wrong way, people around you are likely to notice.
Kira_Yan / Shutterstock A strong personal hygiene routine is key to keeping yourself looking and smelling your best. Unfortunately, not everyone has this process perfectly down. Sometimes, we cut corners to save time. I don’t know about you, but I have been guilty of wearing the same pair of pants a few times before washing them. This is mostly because laundry is my least favorite (but arguably, one of the most important) chores. However, people will notice if you let your hygiene skills slip. If you’re making awkward mistakes, people notice.
“Good personal hygiene habits are directly related to fewer illnesses and better health. Not keeping up with personal hygiene habits can lead to minor side effects, like body odor and greasy skin. They can also lead to more serious issues like infections,” write Kimberly Holland and Heather Hobbs for Healthline. “Building good personal hygiene habits takes a lifetime of learning and honing. Caring for yourself in these ways is good for your physical and mental health.” By taking a good personal hygiene routine seriously, you will avoid mistakes that those around you notice. Making a few changes to your daily life will improve your health. Plus, people will notice you smell good, and isn't that one of the best compliments around?
These are 11 awkward hygiene mistakes everyone notices except the person making them
1. Rewearing clothes between washes
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This is one I am guilty of. I am a true hater of doing laundry. It’s just so time-consuming! However, it is important. Sure, wearing the same jeans or shirt one or two times after the original wash can be acceptable, but pushing it too long is a bad idea.
Fabric holds odors. Whether it’s the scents of the restaurant you last wore those jeans at or the unfortunate body odor from your underarms, smells linger. Some fabrics keep odors intact better than others. Looking for clothing that gives you some flexibility between washes? The University of Alberta says to avoid polyester. If you do wear polyester, be cautious not to wear those items more than once. That embarrassing hygiene mistake can leave everyone associating you with body odor.
2. Forgetting deodorant
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Let’s face it. We’ve all found ourselves rushing around in the morning. Maybe we pressed snooze too many times. In the chaos of trying to leave the house, deodorant was forgotten. The horror that sets in when you realize it is like nothing else. There is more to not wearing deodorant than odor. Armpits harbor bacteria.
“Sweat is secreted by the sweat glands. However, bacteria on the skin's surface feed on the sweat, releasing chemicals that cause unpleasant odors. The presence of underarm hair can also contribute to unpleasant odors. They retain sweat and provide a breeding ground for bacteria,” says Maylis, a chemical engineer for Typology. “Why is deodorant necessary? Deodorants mask or prevent the appearance of unpleasant odors caused by perspiration, by absorbing moisture thanks to the ingredients they contain (talc, kaolin, magnesite, etc.). They also prevent unpleasant odors by destroying bacteria present on the skin's surface.”
3. Dirty nails
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Many women are proud of their nails. They take time to get them professionally done. However, not everyone cares as much about keeping their nails clean. For some, it can be a hygiene habit that gets forgotten. We’re all busy, and sometimes we have to prioritize other tasks. When people go without cleaning under their nails or keep them too long, it can be a turn-off.
We use our hands every day. Whether we’re holding our phones or talking with our hands, those around us take notice of our hands. When someone has dirt and grime under their nails, or keeps them so overgrown that they look cracked and dirty, it’s easily noticed by people around them.
4. Greasy hair
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When someone has greasy hair, it’s something I notice immediately. For some, their scalp just naturally produces a lot of oil. For others, it can be a sign that they have made a hygiene mistake. Everyone notices when your hair looks oily, unfortunately, but there are ways to improve your hygiene to prevent it.
“How to avoid greasy hair? Dry shampoo is those with greasy hair best ally — neutralizing odors and removing dirt to leave hair feeling fresh and looking cleaner in one swift action. Not only does dry shampoo save perfectly styled hair from a wash (and the subsequent wear and tear from prolonged contact with water), it also saves time and energy in the morning,” says Hair Code. “There’s nothing worse than getting a bouncy blowout and having to wash it out the next day because of dirty roots. Thankfully, the hair gods created dry shampoo so that hair can stay fresh between washes.”
5. Overly chapped lips
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Overly chapped lips can be genetic or related to the weather and seasons. It’s not always a sign of bad hygiene. However, when people neglect moisturizing their lips, it’s obvious to everyone around them. Cracked lips are painful. It’s hard to look past them when they are red and swollen. Thankfully, this is an easy mistake to remedy.
Investing in a good chapstick will save your lips. No one wants to look at, or deal with, badly chapped lips. Keeping a lip moisturizer in your bag at all times can help prevent this struggle.
6. Unbrushed teeth
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This one is a major red flag. Dental health is important. No one wants to have a conversation with someone who doesn’t worry about the smell of their breath. Sometimes, it can be even worse when they try to cover up their breath with too much gum. It doesn’t work the way they think it does.
Not only is a good dental routine key to keeping your breath fresh, but it is also important for your overall health. “Oral hygiene is preventative care. This means you can stop oral health problems — such as cavities, gum disease, bad breath (halitosis), and other issues — before they start by taking good care of your teeth and gums,” says the Cleveland Clinic. “Oral health is also linked to whole-body health. For example, if an infection is present in your mouth, your bloodstream can carry the bacteria to other areas of your body, leading to other health concerns like heart disease and stroke. Keeping your teeth and gums healthy is an important part of long-lasting overall health.”
7. Sleeping on dirty sheets
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There are few things better than freshly cleaned sheets. Getting in bed after a shower and falling asleep in clean pajamas on fresh sheets, nothing beats it! However, I’ll be honest, I let my sheets go a little too long between changes. Stripping your bedding can be annoying, and finding the time to wash everything can be difficult. However, when you sleep on dirty sheets, you’re putting yourself at risk for not only smelling a little off, but bacteria can also grow, causing your skin to struggle.
A hack to keep yourself from sleeping too long on dirty sheets is to have multiple sets. It’s easy to make excuses about not changing your sheets when you have to run them all through the washer and dryer. If you have multiple sets on hand, it saves a lot of trouble.
8. Using the same towel for too long
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We all know the smell of a musty towel. It can be a truly unpleasant scent in your bathroom. However, I know for myself, I’ll often forget to grab a fresh towel. I won’t realize until I’m already in the shower, and will use the one already in the bathroom as a result. However, the odor on your towel can stay on your skin.
“The best practice is to wash towels after every use, says Kelly Reynolds, Ph.D., a professor at the University of Arizona Zuckerman College of Public Health in Tucson, but you can stretch them to two to three uses — max — as long as you fully dry them out in between,” notes Jessica Migala for Everyday Health. “The most important rule is to dry them after toweling yourself off. Drying helps kill potential microbes (and stops them from flourishing).”
9. Failing to clean grooming tools
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I’m sure we have all used a razor a little longer than we should have. If you have an electric shaving system, failing to clean it after every use can be a breeding ground for bacteria. Keeping on top of your grooming products will prevent hygiene mistakes that people notice.
“Regularly sanitizing grooming tools is not only essential for preventing the spread of infection and disease, but it also extends the lifespan of the tools themselves, ensuring that they function effectively and provide the comfort and results we expect from them,” writes Barn World. “Moreover, the practice of cleaning grooming instruments also reflects a deeper commitment to personal care and well-being, underscoring the importance of attention to detail in aspects of self-maintenance that are often overlooked.”
10. Not washing behind your ears
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When you’re in the shower, it’s important to wash every nook and cranny. It can be hard to remember to hit every spot. I know personally, I can forget to wash behind my ears on the days I am not washing my hair. However, you should try to remember.
“Anywhere that there’s a crease or fold in the skin — like behind the ears — the body oils (also known as sebum) and skin cells that your body sheds naturally, plus any surface dirt, can get trapped and irritate the skin,” writes Elizabeth Yuko for Real Simple.
“The buildup of skin debris can become an inflammatory skin condition known as ‘seborrheic dermatitis,’” she explains. “This is the skin counterpart to dandruff on the scalp.”
11. Not showering after working out
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Showering after a workout is important. After sweating, your body retains that odor. This awkward hygiene mistake is one everyone can notice. Unpleasant scents are something people notice immediately. You may have grown used to your own smell, but those around you definitely notice.
“Not hitting the shower after a gym session allows all the sweat, oil, dirt, and other grime a chance to collect on your skin, causing a host of skin-related issues (not to mention you probably won't smell like a bouquet of roses),” says Emily Abbate, CPT for Everyday Health. “Make sure that you do get a full shower within 24 hours of your workout (or sooner if you can). After all, a delayed shower is much preferred to no shower at all. And make sure you don't re-wear the same sweaty clothes in your next workout without washing them first.”
Haley Van Horn is a freelance writer with a master’s degree in Humanities, living in Los Angeles. Her focus includes entertainment and lifestyle stories.
