Poor personal hygiene can make us unpleasant to others. Start every social interaction on the right foot. Follow personal hygiene etiquette daily.
What personal hygiene etiquette is
Personal hygiene etiquette is the set of rules to maintain appropriate personal hygiene. Such rules include:
- How to set a daily personal hygiene routine.
- The hygiene mistakes to avoid.
We should all respect personal hygiene etiquette to preserve our health, and to avoid being unpleasant to others.
Personal hygiene etiquette rules
1) Shower or bathe every day
Washing our bodies daily is the foundation of personal hygiene etiquette. Our body sweats every day. It is perfectly normal. However, this means that we need to wash our bodies daily.
Shower or bath every day. It is best to do so in the morning. We sweat in our sleep. A morning shower washes the night sweat away. This is the cornerstone of a daily personal hygiene routine.
If you sweat during the day, consider a quick shower or bath in the evening. Before bedtime would do. If you cannot shower or bath, wash at least the body areas at higher risk of bad smell. Armpits. Neck. Lower breast. Crotch. Feet.
Personal hygiene etiquette for body washing
First, wash your body with water. Then, stop the running water. Cover the entire surface of your body with soap. Use abundant soap.
Brush every part of your body with your hands. Alternatively, use a sponge. If you do so, change the sponge every month. Used sponges host bacteria.
Then, rinse your body with running water. Make sure you are not neglecting any body part. Finally, dry your body completely with a towel.
2) Wash the exposed body parts frequently
Some parts of our body are particularly exposed during the day. Those are the areas that are not covered with clothes.
- Face.
- Neck.
- Ears.
- Hands.
- Wrists.
- Feet if you wear flip-flops, sandals, or open shoes.
Those parts are at higher risk of getting dirty. Further, they are the parts of our body that everyone can see. Thus, we must apply special care in keeping them clean.
Wash these body areas frequently. At least twice a day. Never skip it. Use abundant soap. Rinse until all the soap is washed away.
3) Wash your sweat areas carefully
Clean your body areas that sweat the most with special attention. Such as armpits, breast, crotch, or feet.
Such areas are usually covered by clothes all day long. They sweat and do not “breathe”. Thus, they are at risk of bad smells and bacteria. After you clean those parts, smell them. If they still smell bad, wash them again.
4) Keep your intimate areas clean
Clean your intimate body parts often. Do it at least twice in your daily personal hygiene routine. Ideally, wash intimate areas after every time you “use” them. That is, every time you pee or poop.
5) Do not neglect hard-to-reach areas
Some body areas are difficult to reach with our hands. Or they are out of our sight. Such as the elbows, back, and shoulders. Do not forget these areas in your personal hygiene routine. Make sure you reach and clean those areas too.
6) Wash your hair every 1 or 2 days
Ideally, you should wash your hair every day during your personal hygiene routine. Alternatively, every other day works too. 3 full days without washing your hair is too much.
Personal hygiene etiquette for hair washing
First, wash your hair with water. Then, stop the running water.
Cover your hair with shampoo. Massage your hair and scalp. Rinse with abundant running water.
Dry your hair with a towel first. Massage delicately. Then, use a hair drier. Do not leave your hair wet. It makes you look sloppy. Further, it increases the risk of getting sick.
7) Brush your teeth
Good mouth hygiene keeps your smile bright. It prevents issues such as cavities. It removes bacteria, reducing the risk of infection and bad breath.
Brush your teeth often. Do it 2 or 3 times in your daily personal hygiene routine. At least in the morning, after lunch, and before bedtime.
Consider keeping a toothbrush and toothpaste at your workplace too. You can brush your teeth after a lunch break and keep ideal personal hygiene in the workplace.
Use enough toothpaste. Brush for at least 2 or 3 minutes every time. Use mouthwash to freshen your breath. Use dental floss at least once every day. To avoid bad breath during the day, drink often. Alternatively, chew gum or eat fruit.
8) Groom your facial hair
Men should shave daily. Trim your beard or mustache at least every 2 or 3 days. Trim any hair that may overgrow in your ears and nose, or around your eyebrows.
9) Comb your hair
Comb your hair every morning. Otherwise, you will look messy. Refresh your haircut at least monthly.
10) Apply body deodorant
Apply deodorant to your armpits and breast. Do it daily. Apply it after washing such areas. Ideally, after a shower or bath. You can use perfume too. Apply perfume only after washing the areas. However, perfume does not substitute a deodorant.
Do not apply excessive deodorant or perfume. It may be annoying to others. Also, do not apply deodorant or perfume to any body part without washing it.
Personal hygiene etiquette: the worst mistakes
The Rude Index identifies and ranks negative behaviors.
A high score (8-10) means that the behavior has the potential to trigger a conflict with others. A medium score (4-7) means that the behavior risks making you look inelegant and unsophisticated. More about the Rude Index and its methodology here.
Avoid the worst personal hygiene etiquette mistakes.
- 10/10. Going to work or a social venue with flawed personal hygiene.
- 10/10. Not having a daily personal hygiene routine.
Resources
- Oral health: mayoclinic.org
