Despite some do’s and don’ts that are nowadays considered common sense, personal hygiene is a very subjective matter; so people take care of it the way they see fit. But when it affects more than just the individual themselves, it might be best to adjust the habits at least a little bit.
This redditor told the online community that her boyfriend wasn’t willing to change his disgusting ways for her. For instance, he said that if she wants the sheets washed more than once every other month, she should do it herself. But that was just the tip of the iceberg.
Some people care more about personal hygiene than others
Image credits: Prostock-studio (not the actual image)
This redditor unveiled her boyfriend’s disgusting habits by sharing screenshots of their messages
Image credits: u/Important-Anteater90
Image credits: u/Important-Anteater90
Image credits: u/Important-Anteater90
She expanded on the situation, shocking fellow Reddit users
Image credits: RDNE Stock project (not the actual image)
Image credits: u/Important-Anteater90
Following proper personal hygiene practices is important for numerous reasons
It’s in no way a secret just how important personal hygiene is; not only in situations similar to the OP’s, when people’s habits significantly affect their loved ones, but, most importantly, for their own well-being, too.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention emphasized that regularly washing hands can reduce the risk of coming down with respiratory illnesses, like colds, and also minimize the risk of diarrheal illness or absenteeism in schoolchildren evoked by gastrointestinal illness. Research suggests that washing hands alone—if done regularly and with soap—could save roughly a million lives, which are lost due to diseases.
Long story short, personal hygiene is directly linked to our health. But statistics show that that’s not the only argument encouraging people to take proper measures. An Ipsos study revealed that more than half of US adults believe that personal hygiene is directly tied to their self-image, too; which is something women reportedly care more about than men.
The study found that women tend to be more concerned about personal hygiene in general. They are more likely to describe themselves as very clean rather than just clean with 81% of females saying so versus 72% of their male counterparts. The former also believe that changing undergarments and clothes daily, as well as washing their hands after using public transportation, are crucial behaviors more than men do (88% vs. 78% in regards to undergarments, 73% vs. 63% when it comes to clothes, and 74% vs. 66% regarding the handwashing).
Image credits: Ketut Subiyanto (not the actual image)
Women reportedly change their bed sheets more often than men
Similarly to the aforementioned hygiene-related behaviors, changing the sheets also differs depending on the gender. A survey of over 2,000 UK adults revealed that single women changed their beddings more often than single men, with 62% of the former doing it every two weeks. The latter, well… they would do it when they remember to do it—12% say so, while nearly half of the surveyed men admit to not having washed their sheets for up to four months at a time, BBC reports.
According to a chartered psychologist, neuroscientist and sleep expert, Dr. Lindsay Browning, that’s not a good plan. She pointed out that we tend to sweat during sleep; we also shed dead skin cells, and all that accumulates in the sheets. Now imagine not changing them for months on end and how filthy they would have become by that time.
"You won't only be sleeping in the yuckiness of the sweat and dead skin cells, but the mites too," Dr. Browning told the BBC’s Newsbeat, pointing out another great reason to go wash your sheets after you’re done reading this.
In addition to all that, clean bedding can simply make us feel more comfortable and consequently, sleep better. "If your sheets are not washed, and they look dirty, they smell, it's adding to that sensation that your bed isn't somewhere that you want to be," the expert suggested.
"If we get into bed and feel relaxed, comfy and happy, that new bedding smell helps us to feel calm and happy,” she added. But judging from what the OP shared about her boyfriend’s personal hygiene habits, his bed didn’t seem like a place where she would feel calm or happy.
Image credits: cottonbro studio (not the actual image)
The OP provided more details in the comments
People were appalled by the boyfriend’s filthy ways
Some believed the boyfriend had a point, though
Some redditors shared going through similar experiences themselves
