How Dirty Is the Average American?
The Great American Hygiene Survey Results Revealed
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Dirty Details About Personal Hygiene
Nose Picking Be honest, do you pick your nose? Seventy-one percent confessed to doing so, while 29 percent say they don't. While picking your nose isn't harmful to yourself, Dr. Tierno says you risk spreading pathogens to others. "If you do pick, wash your hands," he says.
Cleaning Your Ears Remove earwax carefully, clearing just the canal, advises Dr. Tierno, cautioning that large, waxy build-up should be removed by a professional. Seventy-three percent of you clean your ears every few days to a week, and 20 percent clean them a few times a month. Those who never clean their ears (eight percent) need not worry. Although earwax can cause auditory problems, Dr. Tierno says hygienically it isn't a major problem.
Re-wearing Clothes: No, or a Go? Sixty-four percent of poll-takers admitted to re-wearing clothing once or twice, which the doctor says is just fine (so the 23 percent of you who said you never re-wear clothes can give your washer a breather). The 11 percent who claimed to re-wear clothes three to five times and two percent who said you re-wear clothes more than five times might want to remember we shed 40,000 skin cells per minute, not to mention perspire.
Re-wearing Underwear Seventeen percent admit to re-wearing your undies once or twice, and five percent of you 'fessed you re-wear them more than three times, which Dr. Tierno isn't so keen on. "Undergarments should be changed daily," he says. "Maybe wear them twice in an emergency."
Re-wearing Bras Dr. Tierno says that if left to air dry, wearing your bra a couple of times between washings is fine. Almost 90 percent of the ladies fall within these guidelines -- 65 percent switch to a clean bra after a day or two and 23 percent after a week. Six percent wait a couple of weeks, three percent wait more than a month and another three percent never re-wear their bras.
Bathing When it comes to keeping clean, Dr. Tierno suggests bathing once a day in the morning because we perspire at night and typically spend about eight hours of shuteye between dirty sheets. If you haven't perspired excessively, Dr. Tierno gives you permission to skip a day. And if you do something to warrant a second shower at night, just remember to take another in the morning. Sixty-five percent of our poll-takers reported showering daily, 21 percent say they shower every other day, 10 percent are stretching it at a few times a week and four percent do it more than once a day.
Hand Washing "If 80 percent of infections are transmitted by direct and indirect contact, hand washing is the most important thing you can do to protect yourself," according to Dr. Tierno. Wash your hands before eating, after using the bathroom and any time before you touch your mouth, nose or eyes. Nineteen percent wash after going to the bathroom, two percent wash before eating and 77 percent do both. The two percent who never wash their hands may want to take Dr. Tierno's advice.
Hair Washing When it comes to caring for your luscious locks, the American Academy of Dermatologists (AAD) says you don't have to wash every day, as over-washing can strip the hair of oil and make it dull and coarse. However, most of you (39 percent) say you wash your hair at least once a day. Thirty-one percent lather up every other day, and 25 percent do it once or twice a week. A few of you (five percent) skip a week in between shampooings.
Are You Protecting Your Smile?
Brushing Your Teeth The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends brushing twice a day, which 41 percent of you do. Forty-two percent brush slightly less frequently, but still daily. Some of you skip a day (five percent), while others tend to their teeth more than twice a day (12 percent). Be aware, leaving your teeth un-brushed allows decay-causing plaque to build.
Flossing Your Teeth Ah, the one habit we all seem to have trouble picking up. Sixty-eight percent of you skip a day or more before you floss. Twenty-six percent manage to floss to once a day, which falls in line with the ADA guidelines. A few of you go above and beyond, flossing twice a day (three percent) and some are flossing fanatics who do it more than twice a day (two percent). These over-flossers might want to come back to the ADA's recommendation of once per day.
Replacing Your Toothbrush The ADA suggests replacing your toothbrush every three to four months as bristles become frayed and worn, rendering them less effective. Over half of you (51 percent) replace your toothbrush every three months, while others (nine percent) replace it monthly. Thirty-seven percent wait a little longer and replace it once or twice a year, while some wait longer, replacing it every two years (three percent) or never get a new toothbrush (one percent).
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Recent Comments
rossnattie39 09:34:56 AM Sep 25 2009
Omg I am so glad I fall into the "clean categories" lol.I was shocked to read at how little some of us do things.But proud of the ones who are clean on a regular basis =)
JoeandPam2003 09:29:24 PM Sep 24 2009
Well im3xallady if i was your husband I'd pee on the seat and laugh while I was doing it. I can totally understand the washing sheet every week I wash mine on a weekly basis and my kids sheets too and all the rugs in my house.
Johann5 08:38:38 PM Sep 23 2009
IMHO, the excessive clothes and bedding washing and showering simply contributes not only to sheet/clothing/detergent companies' bottom lines, but more importantly to wasting water. Wash it if it's soiled by all means, but let's not get OCD about it.And to clarify about the handwashing - absolutely THE most important hygiene habit, and not just because of what part of their own bodies people may touch (which can be considerable), but also the common surfaces you touch - how many people have touched that door knob? How many people used the bottom of their shoe to flush the toilet before you flushed it with your hand? Ewwwww!
Sbhappe34 02:43:46 PM Aug 26 2009
No-no. I do not partake in potlucks. If you happen to notice in public restrooms the people that don't wash their hands like it is a habit. I figure if they are that way what else? The only thing I reuse is my hand towel in one day. My husband has his own bath room. He can do as he wants. Change all clothing daily.
Im3xallady 09:03:55 PM Aug 24 2009
If all women did what I did with my husband the standing at the toilet and making a mess wouldn't be a problem. I told him he could sit just like I can; he said it was eisier to stand and I told he he could either clean the toilet EVERY time he used it or sit to Pee. So when he didn't .... I glued the toilet seat down so he couldn't lift it! He now sits to pee.
JIMINBOXERS 05:23:02 PM Aug 24 2009
Feel clean, if it is everyday then great if not stay away from me. How you can go with not changing yor sheets once a week got to be nasty. although if you are single you can sleep on 1/2 one week and the other half the 2nd week. just don't give it time for the bed bugs to build up. Every week for me. People can be nasty and you can smell them. Just stay away from me or I will tell you go take a bath or don;t come near me I don;t want your bed bugsl
Pmldjhn 04:38:00 PM Aug 24 2009
All of this washing of one's body and clothing just keeps the soap-manufacturing industry in business. Moe, Larry, and Curly just took baths on Saturday nights.
Pmldjhn 04:36:15 PM Aug 24 2009
All of this washing of the body and clothes is just to keep the soap-manufacturing business in profits. Moe, Larry, and Curly took baths on Saturday nights.
Msdsillusioned1 10:05:54 AM Aug 24 2009
XCrackerJack67x 01:50:57 AM Aug 24 2009 Report This! so...i understand that theres germs on everything, but if you forget to wash your hands after going to the bathroom.. especially if youre a WOMAN.. its really not that gross unless youve been toughing everything in a public bathroom stall. i mean.. youre a woman.. you wipe with toilet paper... what are you guys doing thats so gross in there? are u all rubbing yourselves before you come out?? now guys would alllways need to wash their hands... they have to physically tough themselves while peeing... but if a girl forgets every once in a while.. its no big deal!!!---------------------------------------------------------------------------------Yeah..it's not that gross until you consider that since women have "innies" down there, those spots are great places for bacteria to grow and thrive. Urine itself is sterile, but a woman's private skin is usually not -- and many women silently carry extra bacteria in the form of UTIs or asymptoma
DrDaveDow502 03:44:15 AM Aug 24 2009
people don't wash there hand enough that's why the flu hits so hard every year and why I have a thing of hand sanitizer in my car
