There are many things that you do on a daily basis to make sure that you’re squeaky clean and hygienic that are actually bad for you. Yes, sorry to break it to you, but it’s true. However, if you want to make sure you are fresh and clean as an Ikea stove, you might want to have a look at these hygiene habits and just delete them from your everyday routine forever.

Some of these things caught our attention instantly, mostly because neither of us even considered that they might be wrong in the first place. But I guess as long as we live we learn, right?

The question is: how long can you really use towels?

Fabric towels have become increasingly popular and for a good reason. After all, not having to replace them every single time you use them is definitely a benefit for various different reasons. But it’s still much easier to leave a towel hanging and forget to replace it.

After a little while, it’s just not as hygienic as it was when you first pulled it out of the linen closet. This applies even more if you dry off yourself after a shower. All that moisture can attract a ton of bacteria. Make sure you hang them to dry and wash them every couple of uses.

Drying yourself off

When you hop out of the shower, the first thing that you do is dry yourself off before getting dressed. Well, if you’re in a rush, you might just dry off “enough”, but you should resist the urge to do that. What do we mean by that?

No matter how convenient it might seem, you might want to take the time to dry yourself before getting dressed. But if you trap moisture, there’s a much higher chance of inviting bacteria, fungi, and other things onto your skin.

Another note on showering

As soon as you hop in the shower, there’s more than just your towel game to take into consideration. I know, I know, it’s pretty rough out there. We can’t even shower in peace these days. But the truth is, the way you shampoo might really make the difference, too.

To be more specific, it’s about HOW often you shampoo. You don’t want to overwash your hair or your body. We even recommend you do some research on the needs of your hair type and find the right balance that works for you.

Don’t forget the hands and feet

I know this seems like it should go without saying, but in reality, it’s more of a common hygiene mistake than you might think. At the end of the day, we all know how the 1-minute shower unfolds. We’ve all been there.

But it’s important to find time to wash your hands and feet, otherwise you’re not getting as clean as you can. This might mean you should also make sure you take your soapy washcloth to your hands, feet, and every other part of your body when you shower.

Check your hairbrush too!

As soon as you’ve jumped out of the shower and toweled off your hair, you might even reach for your hairbrush and start running it through to get rid of all the annoying tangles. But don’t forget: your hairbrush might need a little TLC as well.

Naturally, you start by pulling all that old hair out that can easily get caught in the bristles. If you can sanitize it a little bit, even better. Don’t know how to do that? Easy: Stir a bowl of hot water and shampoo with your hairbrush for a more profound clean.

Brushing your teeth

If you’re like other people, you probably brush your teeth twice a day. Generally, the ideal habit is to do this once in the morning and once at night. But like many other people, you might be cutting your brush a bit short, and not get your teeth as clean as they can get. If you make sure you brush for two full minutes, you might dodge plaque, gingivitis, and any other oral problems between dental visits.

Brushing too hard

When it comes to properly brushing your teeth, you might think that the only thing you need to worry about is brushing too little. But there’s another thing to consider here. When you brush your teeth, time and care will win over brute force.

In fact, plenty of people brush their teeth way too hard. I know it might seem impossible, but when you brush too hard, you damage the enamel and also put your gums at risk.

Skipping your tongue

This is another thing many people forget about, and it only creates a safe haven for bacteria in your mouth. Not skipping this important step is ideal for your oral health, but also for your breath. When you’re brushing your teeth, it’s very important to make sure you’re brushing your tongue, too.

You can even get some tongue scrapers for this if you can’t find a toothbrush that has one on the back. So yes, the bottom line is that a thorough cleaning also includes your tongue!

Replace those old toothbrushes

No matter where you are or how you decide to store your toothbrushes, they won’t last forever. You will need to get a new one in a reasonable amount of time. Naturally, it’s much easier to keep your toothbrush around for too long. Do you need new toothbrushes? Here’s a pair we definitely recommend!

Remember to floss

There are a couple of things you might be used to hearing at the dentist. For example, do you floss? is definitely one of the questions that many patients tell a white lie about. Well, the truth is they have a very good reason for asking.

Flossing helps clean your teeth way better and skipping it might leave some stuff behind. Hence, your teeth won’t get as clean if you use mouthwash and toothpaste but just skip the flossing process.

Where do we keep our toothbrush?

Where you keep the toothbrush makes a big difference. As you might have heard, you probably won’t keep your toothbrush right next to the toilet. This is mainly because flushing your toilet means that the particles spread all over the place, your toothbrush included.

But a cap on your toothbrush might create a dark, damp environment where bacteria can easily thrive. Closing the toilet when you flush might also help.

On mouthwash

Mouthwash is brilliant at killing bacteria. I’ll just say it again: mouthwash is GREAT at killing bacteria. That’s exactly why you don’t want to overuse the mouthwash and kill all the good things your mouth still needs. So if you ask me, there’s only so much you can use before going on a date or an important meeting! After all, the essence of life relies on proper balance, so we don’t want to kill the bacteria in our mouth that’s good for our health. Next time you’re using mouthwash, make sure you use less than you would normally do.

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