logo Sign In

The personal hygiene thread

Author
Date
Author
Time
Post link
This is merely a thread I've started due to an amusing conversation regarding the influence of one's coutry and culture over his personal hygiene. I work directly with people from north america and all of them found weird the fact that we here in Brazil brush our teeth after every meal. When working in the US we get some strange looks from people at the bathroom for brushing out teeth there - something absolutely normal here. This habbit is aparently seen as unusual and weird by our north american colleagues, some of who have claimed to brush their teeth only once a day, or even once a week!

So I was wondering, since this is an international forum filled with people from everywhere, what do you think about it?
“Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country.” — Nazi Reich Marshal Hermann Goering
Author
Time
Post link
Originally posted by: ricarleite
This is merely a thread I've started due to an amusing conversation regarding the influence of one's coutry and culture over his personal hygiene. I work directly with people from north america and all of them found weird the fact that we here in Brazil brush our teeth after every meal. When working in the US we get some strange looks from people at the bathroom for brushing out teeth there - something absolutely normal here. This habbit is aparently seen as unusual and weird by our north american colleagues, some of who have claimed to brush their teeth only once a day, or even once a week!

So I was wondering, since this is an international forum filled with people from everywhere, what do you think about it?


Hmm...that is interesting. Not something done in general practice here in the U.S. (at least I've never met someone who does) and to be honest if someone did it in my circle, they'd be considered Obsessive-Compulsive, or at least "weird". The sad part is that it's a healthy practice and people would look at you like you've got a problem! Twice a day is the norm where I live.

There are some differences that I've noticed. For instance, I've seen "European" women (I use that term only because I don't know what specific countries they're from) that do not shave under their arms, and that is considered very bad form here in the U.S. One day I was at an amusement park in a swimming pool and noticed a very beautiful woman climbing the ladder ahead of me. I could hear her speaking what sounded like Russian or definitely an Eastern European language. I was in a nice position to get a look. When I got underneath and looked up her underarms were worse than a Chia Pet. I almost gagged when I saw it and it was a complete turn off.
Nemo me impune lacessit

http://ttrim.blogspot.com
Author
Time
Post link
Most people in the US have a tendency to brush their teeth twice a day. Once after breakfast, and then once before bedtime. Personally, I try to brush after breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but sometimes if you go out to eat that's harder to accomplish. I wonder about the weirdos from North America you work with who only brush once per day/week...

Mahoromatic Revival Project – http://mahoromaticrevival.com/index2.html
Follow the Evangelion Instrumental Project! – http://sandcamel.blogspot.com
Cowboy Bebop Returns! – http://bebopreturns.blogspot.com

Author
Time
Post link
One of our colleagues here was surrounded by americans when he was working in the US when he mentioned he brushed his teeth after every meal, all of them asking him questions. This is so absolutely normal here, since kidengarten kids go brush their teeth after meals, at some offices you can find some floss in the bathroom for the employees... I've been to the US but I've never worked there, but all the north americans we had here did not brush their teeth at all, and I found it to be a little bit weird, until I've realized that's not a common practice.

About shaving armpits, most, if not all, woman do it here, so yeah, that's not a nice view, such a beautiful woman with a hairy armpit...
“Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country.” — Nazi Reich Marshal Hermann Goering
Author
Time
Post link
It's best to brush your teeth before every meal

I brush my teeth 3 to 4 times a day.
Fez: I am so excited about Star Whores.
Hyde: Fezzy, man, it's Star Wars.
Author
Time
Post link
Brushing after every meal sounds like a really good idea, but I think most Americans don't want to carry a toothbrush around and don't want to do that kind of (to us) personal grooming in a public restroom.

How do Brazilians (men in particular) deal with carrying a toothbrush around? Especially a post-brushing, wet toothbrush? I can barely deal with carrying my cellphone. I don't know where I'd keep a toothbrush on my person!



On another hygene front (or rather, back) ... I wish Americans would take up the European (and perhaps other areas) practice of using the bidet. I have seen shocked horror at the unhygienic American practice of mere paper to clean up after doing one's business by those who use the far more cleansing bidet.



Last bit: Does anyone buy into the stereotype that sci-fi fans are, as a group, less hygienic than "regular" folks? Bathe less often? Brush their hair once a month, that kind of thing?
Author
Time
Post link
People here brush their teeth after meals if they are at home or at the office - you don't carry a toothbrush if you're going out for dinner. There's no general rule on how to carry it, but I have a small briefcase for my stuff, and on it I keep a small pack with a toothbush box (fits a toothbrush) and toothpaste.

Around here in Brazil, although bidets are usually built on home's bathrooms, I don't think most people use those. It differs from region to region though, I belive it's usage is more common in Rio de Janeiro, for example.

As for baths, I usually take one every morning.
“Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country.” — Nazi Reich Marshal Hermann Goering
Author
Time
Post link
Who only brushes their teeth once a week?! But, yeah, that's pretty interesting. I didn't know people in Brasil brushed their teeth so often.

And as for the underarm shaving thing... I really don't have a problem with it. Really, it has nothing to do with hygeine. We're just so used to seeing shaven women that anything else seems weird. Doesn't turn me off, though. Last winter (when you're not showing off much of your body anyway), I convinced my girlfriend to stop shaving all parts just to see what it looked like with full hair. Not a big deal to me.

There is no lingerie in space…

C3PX said: Gaffer is like that hot girl in high school that you think you have a chance with even though she is way out of your league because she is sweet and not a stuck up bitch who pretends you don’t exist… then one day you spot her making out with some skinny twerp, only on second glance you realize it is the goth girl who always sits in the back of class; at that moment it dawns on you why she is never seen hanging off the arm of any of the jocks… and you realize, damn, she really is unobtainable after all. Not that that is going to stop you from dreaming… Only in this case, Gaffer is actually a guy.

Author
Time
Post link
In my experience, brushing after every meal does not SOUND strange, because most every dentist I remember going to has tried to drill (no pun intended) that into my head. However, making it a practice, at least in my own case, is more difficult.

I have pretty good teeth. Despite the fact that, as much as I hate to admit it, once per week is probably the most accurate count, I have no cavities, no extraneous issues of any kind beyond having my wisdom teeth removed.
My teeth seem able to handle anything I throw at them.

I can offer no discussion concerning women and lack of razor usage beyond saying I've heard those stories about European women as well.

To expand the topic slightly, what about the simple act of washing hands?

I know of some people, though, that practically obsess about it...carrying their own personal hand sanitizer packs with them, won't touch doorhandles, etc.
I consider that excessive.
I don't know about anyone else, but I rarely, consciously, wash my hands. Germs are going to get in/on me whether I like it or not. I figure let them do their work, let my immune system fight back and I'll develop stronger immunities. I haven't had an illness keep me off the job in over 8.5 years (I did have some stomach issues that kept me from work in the last couple months, but that wasn't germ-related...I pulled a muscle in my stomach so bad I literally could not stand/walk for more than a few minutes).
I touch keyboards and mice handled by over a hundred people every day, most of whom are school-age.
I'm not saying I don't get sick, just never sick enough that some Nyquil, Alka-selter or Theraflu won't fix it.
Also, every so often the news gets into a rut talking about 'super-germs' and how modern antibiotics are killing the weak and making the rest stronger. Well, I'm doing my part to keep the weak germs around.
Author
Time
Post link
Tell me if you've heard this one ....


Two men are standing at a urinal and, when finished, one goes to wash his hands while the other turns directly to leave the restroom. Shocked, the man washing his hands calls out to the other fellow, "Ahem, you know, at Yale, they taught us to wash our hands after we pee."

"Is that so?" replied the other fellow, "Well, at Harvard, they taught us not to pee on our hands."


* * * * * *

I never quite understood the American (as far as I know) obsession with post-peeing hand-washing. Although it's fine to wash one's hands as often as is convenient, that's precisely because one's hands are the body parts most exposed to germs and dirt. As such, it's not my hands that should be washed after touching my dick, but my dick that should be washed after having been touched by my hands.


I love how guys will wash their hands post-peeing ... and then proceed to exit the restroom via turning the doorhandle that probably has the most germs and dirt of anything they will touch all day!


Still, I tend to wash my hands whenever I find myself in a restroom ... simply because the opportunity is there. Sometimes I don't though, and all shock at such an action is simply absurd. I'm a Harvard man.


.
Author
Time
Post link
Well, brushing yout teeth only once a week and not washing your hands sounds so absolutely terrifying to me, you have no idea. What about bad breath? Or if you eat a pack of Oreos and get your teeth all black and filled with food and stuff?
“Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country.” — Nazi Reich Marshal Hermann Goering
Author
Time
Post link
I also agree with the whole bidet thing. We need more of those here. I can't say I've ever used one before, but it'd be a damned good idea.

There is no lingerie in space…

C3PX said: Gaffer is like that hot girl in high school that you think you have a chance with even though she is way out of your league because she is sweet and not a stuck up bitch who pretends you don’t exist… then one day you spot her making out with some skinny twerp, only on second glance you realize it is the goth girl who always sits in the back of class; at that moment it dawns on you why she is never seen hanging off the arm of any of the jocks… and you realize, damn, she really is unobtainable after all. Not that that is going to stop you from dreaming… Only in this case, Gaffer is actually a guy.

Author
Time
Post link
I suppose if people told me I had bad breath, I might think about it more, but no one does.

I don't usually eat Oreos, but following your line of thinking, I do get food stuck in my teeth. About 90% of the time, its in my molars and I'll work at it with my tongue as long as I can. If absolutely necessary I'll dig it out with a finger (but not in public). On those occassions where I have food stuck in the visible portion of my mouth, its like the bad breath...no one says anything and nothing gets done until I notice.
Author
Time
Post link
Originally posted by: Obi Jeewhyen
Tell me if you've heard this one ....

I never quite understood the American (as far as I know) obsession with post-peeing hand-washing. Although it's fine to wash one's hands as often as is convenient, that's precisely because one's hands are the body parts most exposed to germs and dirt. As such, it's not my hands that should be washed after touching my dick, but my dick that should be washed after having been touched by my hands.


Your entire body is covered in germs at all times. These are called "normal flora." It is when you have an infection of the normal or not normal flora that you get sick. There are a lot of germs on your hands, but more in the urogenital/anal regions. It is always a good idea to wash your hands after you use the bathroom. Let's say you are currently experience an asymptomatic urethritis (basically a urinary tract infection that isn't causing you any major discomfort) and then you don't wash your hands, and later you eat something.... well, you just ingested the bugs that were living in your urethra. Chances are you'll be ok, but if it happened to be something particularly nasty like Shigella, Salmonella, or Campylobacter, then you are going to regret not washing your hands. It doesn't take long, and should always be done.

Mahoromatic Revival Project – http://mahoromaticrevival.com/index2.html
Follow the Evangelion Instrumental Project! – http://sandcamel.blogspot.com
Cowboy Bebop Returns! – http://bebopreturns.blogspot.com

Author
Time
Post link
Ah, a very lucid and informative response. Thanks.

And, hence, why I try to refrain from eating anything with my hands. They just come in contact with far too much, and now - gak! - parts of me that I thought might be safe for being, well, much cleaner at most points of the day than my hands have become are actually bacteriologically dangerous!

Well, I'm glad I wash my hands 95% of the restroom exit time, and will increase it to 100% forthwith.

Cause, yeah, there's popcorn and french fries and stuff that goes straight from hand-to-mouth. Eeeks.



Heheh, I have a rather obsessive friend who leaves what we call "French Fry Handles." He simply will not eat anything he has touched ... and so takes a bite from a french fry, and discards the piece that he has handled.


Hmmm, now he's starting to look not quite as crazy to me. (But only if he doesn't wash his hands after he pees ... which I seriously doubt)



And, of course, there's the good old human immune system - which, in most people, is quite robust.
Author
Time
Post link
I always wash my hands after I pee. I usually shower every other day unless I engage in a physical activity that necessitates me to clean myself more often. When I'm in a show, I shower every night because I have to get that damned makeup off.

There is no lingerie in space…

C3PX said: Gaffer is like that hot girl in high school that you think you have a chance with even though she is way out of your league because she is sweet and not a stuck up bitch who pretends you don’t exist… then one day you spot her making out with some skinny twerp, only on second glance you realize it is the goth girl who always sits in the back of class; at that moment it dawns on you why she is never seen hanging off the arm of any of the jocks… and you realize, damn, she really is unobtainable after all. Not that that is going to stop you from dreaming… Only in this case, Gaffer is actually a guy.

Author
Time
Post link
Originally posted by: Obi Jeewhyen
Tell me if you've heard this one ....


Two men are standing at a urinal and, when finished, one goes to wash his hands while the other turns directly to leave the restroom. Shocked, the man washing his hands calls out to the other fellow, "Ahem, you know, at Yale, they taught us to wash our hands after we pee."

"Is that so?" replied the other fellow, "Well, at Harvard, they taught us not to pee on our hands."


* * * * * *

I never quite understood the American (as far as I know) obsession with post-peeing hand-washing. Although it's fine to wash one's hands as often as is convenient, that's precisely because one's hands are the body parts most exposed to germs and dirt. As such, it's not my hands that should be washed after touching my dick, but my dick that should be washed after having been touched by my hands.


I love how guys will wash their hands post-peeing ... and then proceed to exit the restroom via turning the doorhandle that probably has the most germs and dirt of anything they will touch all day!


Still, I tend to wash my hands whenever I find myself in a restroom ... simply because the opportunity is there. Sometimes I don't though, and all shock at such an action is simply absurd. I'm a Harvard man.


.


See, when I see a guy walk away from a urinal without washing his hands, that doesn't really bother me. What does bother me is when a guy walks out of a stall without washing his hands. The implications are horrifying for me.....

http://i.imgur.com/7N84TM8.jpg

Author
Time
Post link
It doesn't bother me bother me, but I do dwell briefly on their lack of hygeine and then roll my eyes while I wash my hands.

There is no lingerie in space…

C3PX said: Gaffer is like that hot girl in high school that you think you have a chance with even though she is way out of your league because she is sweet and not a stuck up bitch who pretends you don’t exist… then one day you spot her making out with some skinny twerp, only on second glance you realize it is the goth girl who always sits in the back of class; at that moment it dawns on you why she is never seen hanging off the arm of any of the jocks… and you realize, damn, she really is unobtainable after all. Not that that is going to stop you from dreaming… Only in this case, Gaffer is actually a guy.

Author
Time
Post link
But if you think about it, the exit handle is touched by people leaving the restroom, and who have washed their hands... But that's pretty much why the restroom at the office I am now dosen't have any doors (located at a curve corridor so people can't see inside).

So please, if you ever see someone at your office brushing their teeth after lunch, don't act as if it's weird, ask him where is he from. Odds are he is a compatriot of mine!
“Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country.” — Nazi Reich Marshal Hermann Goering
Author
Time
Post link
Originally posted by: ricarleite
But if you think about it, the exit handle is touched by people leaving the restroom, and who have washed their hands...
But all it takes is one guy who used the stall without handwashing to ruin it for everyone. If the door is non-latching, I usually use my shoe to push it open to avoid touching anything.

Originally posted by: ricarleite
So please, if you ever see someone at your office brushing their teeth after lunch, don't act as if it's weird, ask him where is he from. Odds are he is a compatriot of mine!

A Chinese guy I used to work with brushed his teeth mid-day and it was weird. Why? Because he was not afraid to hock up a good loogie and generally make a lot of noise while he went about his business, causing anyone present to be quite uncomfortable/disgusted.

On the topic of general hygiene, one thing I have become particularly aware of is what people do with their hands after touching their mouth/licking their fingers (I work in a biopharmaceutical laboratory and therefore have the habit of not touching my mouth or eyes with my fingers). It's not uncommon for me to see someone (at a cafeteria-style food joint) take a bite of their food, lick their fingers, and then go grab something from the counter that requires them to touch a handle that others will need to use. I find it gross but inevitable.

Also, I definitely avoid supermarket samples that include some sort of dip (apples w/caramel, bread w/cheese spread, etc.) because I always see unaccompanied kids double-dipping (and some adults, too!) and I have no desire to share spit with them.

Pink Floyd -- First in Space

Author
Time
Post link
Interesting that you provided a link to loogie.

There is no lingerie in space…

C3PX said: Gaffer is like that hot girl in high school that you think you have a chance with even though she is way out of your league because she is sweet and not a stuck up bitch who pretends you don’t exist… then one day you spot her making out with some skinny twerp, only on second glance you realize it is the goth girl who always sits in the back of class; at that moment it dawns on you why she is never seen hanging off the arm of any of the jocks… and you realize, damn, she really is unobtainable after all. Not that that is going to stop you from dreaming… Only in this case, Gaffer is actually a guy.

Author
Time
Post link
Originally posted by: Gaffer Tape
Interesting that you provided a link to loogie.

I have no idea if this term is well known, particularly to folks outside the USA, so I thought I would make certain people would know what I was talking about. My own father calls them "lungers" instead of "loogies" (he grew up East Coast, I grew up West Coast), so I don't even know if loogie is standard in the USA (though I'm sure all Americans know what a loogie is).

Pink Floyd -- First in Space

Author
Time
Post link
Hmm. I've never heard the term lungers before, but, yeah, I was under the impression that loogie was the standard term at least in this country.

There is no lingerie in space…

C3PX said: Gaffer is like that hot girl in high school that you think you have a chance with even though she is way out of your league because she is sweet and not a stuck up bitch who pretends you don’t exist… then one day you spot her making out with some skinny twerp, only on second glance you realize it is the goth girl who always sits in the back of class; at that moment it dawns on you why she is never seen hanging off the arm of any of the jocks… and you realize, damn, she really is unobtainable after all. Not that that is going to stop you from dreaming… Only in this case, Gaffer is actually a guy.

Author
Time
Post link
What also disgust me is seeing fast food cashiers handling dirty money bills and then handling you the burger. Yuck.

And the irony about it all: a guy goes to the bathroom and makes sure he washes his hand, and evem user a paper towel to open the door so he wont touch it... and his girlfriend gives him a blowjob and they kiss afterwards.
“Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country.” — Nazi Reich Marshal Hermann Goering
Author
Time
Post link
Um, except mostly I don't see the blow-job part.



Althought frankly, if someone is going to go down on me ... I can think of nothing ruder than to refuse to kiss them on the grounds that their exposure to my nethergerms is ok, but my own exposure to it is verboten.