personal Hygiene

Good afternoon people, 
I hope that you are all feeling okay-ish? I'd like to discuss a personal subject that can be a bit embarrassing. 
"Personal Hygiene" 
I know you have discussed this before but as my first thread, I wanted to discuss something I have a problem with and hope other people can relate. 
I have not been outside my flat in 3 years. The painters were outside last year painting the brickwork and I could not tell you what color it is. So, I don't meet a lot of people. The last person I spoke to was 3 weeks ago and that was a Jehovahs witness who knocked on my door. So because I don't go out, I don't have a good Hygiene routine. I have a wash once a month wither I need it or not. SO how do you guys keep up with washing and keeping your clothes clean and even doing housework? Is it hard for you as it is me and do you have any advice on how to solve the problem? 
As I said this is my first thread so a bit nervous.

I make lists in the morning and complete what's on my list. I don't make it unrealistic. I admit, some nights I say fresia the shower, but because I work in a restaurant I can't really let that go on for more than a day. I do laundry when there is a full load,  which is easy for my house. House work is pretty standard, clean up as I go. If I am cooking, I have a sink of hot water ready for the dishes. And a rag readily available for messes. As for folding the laundry and keeping my bedroom clean.... still trying to get there

Three years since you went outside and you don't really talk to other people face-to-face? OK, personal hygiene left untended could be off-putting to other people, and I'm assuming that as a social isolate, your social skills are maybe a bit rusty too.

OK, right now I'm thinking that the qualities of your personhood aren't defined by your personal hygiene....however there is, there just is, a consensus of public opinion that body odors (..odours to my UK cousins..) are, well....objectionable. As is greasy unwashed hair, mung on one's teeth, grime under one's fingernails and clothes worn unwashed for days at a time. All these issues, left neglected, will quite simply render social interactions a bit more likely to be unsuccessful.

Advice? OK. Clean underwear every day. Brush one's teeth every morning. Floss between your teeth and give the floss a sniff.....decomposing food stuck between your teeth really smells bad. Sniff test? Yeah....give your pits a sniff. Sniff your clothes and trust your sense of smell. As a general rule, I only wear a shirt for one day, so a clean shirt every day and clean socks every day too. Shampooing? Judgment call on that....depends on how oily or how long your hair is. BTW, when was your last haircut? When in doubt.....wash. Housework? There's wiggle room on that one....there are acceptable variances on how much clutter is OK. Again, odors are key. Also, if one has to navigate past piled up possessions to get to another part of one's flat, that's a good sign that it's time to tidy up a bit.

I'm kind of guessing here that imposing a hygiene regimen on yourself is a good, practical step to getting out of your flat and living a more socialized life. And another thing: I'm not trying to be a patronizing smartass. I'm taking your post at face value and speaking with respect to your personhood.

I was once told from an older gentleman to shave every day. That way you can say that you at least accomplished something for the day. I apply this to my
daily routine and am happier with myself for dong so.

Firstly, do you really want to get into a new routine and do you actually care about hygiene, if not then it's not likely to happen methinks.
If you do, as Amy The Temperamental suggested, making a list is a good way to go, ticking each item each day when it's completed and I think you might find a sense of satisfaction when you have done each days tasks.
Oh, and it's much more comfortable and pleasant personally to be clean and smell fresh.............you might enjoy it

I do want to change, sometimes it gets so bad I don't want to leave my room let alone the flat.

Constant stranger: I do appreciate your honesty and reading your post was difficult because I am probably a lot worse that the list you make. I do a washing when I have to. There is a great app called "Laundry App" and they come and pick up your washing and deliver it back to you in a couple of days. But why should I bother when there is no on here with me.
Looking at myself right now, I have really long fingernails, they are dirty and I have long unwashed hair, I am sure I have fleas as I get the odd bite. I have let myself go so bad I just can't get on top of things. I open my windows every day to let in some fresh air but I am guessing I need to clean the place and myself. Making a list does sound good but where do I start?

If you want to change then do so, start by getting a routine to shower and wash yourself, try to get it up to once a day.
Asfar as your flat goes it realy isn't rocket science, just start cleaning something every day, i'm guessing you have a lot of time to waste so if you were to setan hour apart to clean every day that wouldn't be to diffucult to manage... don't over do it, if you start cleaning sun up to sun down you'll burn out and eventually go "fresia this honeysuckle" and you'll be right back where you started in no time.

Start with cleaning up "rough" you can spend a day cleaning one area to perfection and then just track dirt and filth from other places into that area, making it not seem worth while to even clean it in the first place.

Good luck!

Hi, this one hit home for me. I also find it difficult to do dishes and laundry (the two chores I hate most).

And, I get that, because you don't go out, you don't see much of an incentive to look/feel/smell good.

But, I really do think that having a clean home (and a clean body) can have a huge positive impact on how you feel. As much as I hate cleaning, I feel so good when I walk into the kitchen and don't see a stack of dirty dishes, or when I see that the clothes hamper isn't overflowing. And, after I get out of the shower, that feeling of freshness is hard to put a price on. So, I just remind myself of that when I debate whether or not to do the cleaning.

See how good you feel when everything is clean, and see if that can motivate you to stay clean.

It's probably best to start by cleaning a corner of your home each day - maybe start with the bathroom if personal hygiene is the issue.

I can't really help much with everything else because my mother was a hoarder and I think I've inherited some of those tendencies.

It becomes really hard to manage housework if you've got a lot of stuff.

if you think personal hygiene isn't important its not the same for most of the people around you
It is really hard in a work environment if you need to work near someone with poor hygiene practices
I realize as the day wears on we might not be fresh in warmer weather BUT at the start of a shift body odor shouldnt be gagging at a distance

You wash once a month whether you need it or not? Whaaattt??? Even if you don't do anything you still need to bathe after a few days or so, people still get funky even lying around doing nothing.

I'm laid off right now but even then I shower at least every couple of days and brush my teeth at least once if not twice a day. Your mouth just gets gross and it feels nice to have clean teeth. I vacuum my room every couple of weeks and dust when I feel like it, sometimes that can go awhile but eventually it just gets to me when I can see the dust. I can be pretty bad at leaving things lying around but just like dust that eventually gets to me. Sometimes I end up on a cleaning binge and go through everything, last time I got rid of some clothes I've had forever, repacked up my boxed collectables and were able to clear out a few extra boxes and make some more space. For me personally it feels good to get something done and cleaned up, organized, etc.

3 years since you went out? How do you live? lol

Sorry that wasn't meant to be a joke, it's just... different. Everyone I know has a different level of hygiene, I suppose it's down to you're own attitude and standards. I think some people see it as a chore and/or time consuming but for me there's no compromise on looking after yourself because it makes me feel better.

The only advice really is to get yourself into a routine, dedicate time and effort; It's always to easy to do nothing. But to be honest if I spent that much time in my place then I'd do it out of boredom.

iateallthepies said:

SO how do you guys keep up with washing and keeping your clothes clean and even doing housework? Is it hard for you as it is me and do you have any advice on how to solve the problem? 

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There are times where I don't keep up with washing clothes or housework at all. In periods where my depression hits hard (it has its ups and downs), I may go as long as a week without a shower, and several weeks without washing clothes or doing housework. I'm lucky to have a dishwasher, otherwise my kitchen would probably be an endless pile of dirty dishes. 

There has already been some very good advice here already, and I support them all. Making lists can be motivational for some people; I know I always feel a sense of accomplishment every time I can check something off a lis. It can be something as basic as "get out of bed" or "eat something that isn't sugary." It can motivate me to go for one more item on the list. Then one more. And one more. 

A lot of the hard work in doing these things lies in habits. Most people shower and do housework without even thinking about it. It's just part of an everyday or weekly routine for them. Like, "Tuesday is laundry day," "Thursday is vacuum day," etc. I try to make every 4th or 5th day a "wash the hair" day, and aim to squeeze in a shower without getting my hair wet between those (since drying the hair is half the hassle).

I also have a small whiteboard on my wall, with a row for each day of the week, and try to put at least one activity on every day of the week that I can cross off once it's completed. That includes everything from washing clothes to changing the bed sheets (which I of course don't do every week, but I try to get it done at least once a month).

iateallthepies said:

Good afternoon people, 
I hope that you are all feeling okay-ish? I'd like to discuss a personal subject that can be a bit embarrassing. 
"Personal Hygiene" 
I know you have discussed this before but as my first thread, I wanted to discuss something I have a problem with and hope other people can relate. 
I have not been outside my flat in 3 years. The painters were outside last year painting the brickwork and I could not tell you what color it is. So, I don't meet a lot of people. The last person I spoke to was 3 weeks ago and that was a Jehovahs witness who knocked on my door. So because I don't go out, I don't have a good Hygiene routine. I have a wash once a month wither I need it or not. SO how do you guys keep up with washing and keeping your clothes clean and even doing housework? Is it hard for you as it is me and do you have any advice on how to solve the problem? 
As I said this is my first thread so a bit nervous.

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Ok, what do you think you might be suffering from that prevents you from leaving your home? The bathing part is the easy part. Do you have running water? Otherwise even with the most severe case of ocd you should be able to bathe more than once a month?

Hi. guys. My deepest apologies I forgot all about this. I am also not used to the forum controls yet so please forgive m if it looks like I have ignored you. I haven't.
9006. I do everything online. I order my food, buy my clothes, everything. I could never have done it without the internet and I live on it 24 hours a day. Last time I spoke I have cut my hair and nails and had a wash and brushed my teeth. I am finding it quite difficult getting out of this situation as maybe I have left it too late. But I shall keep it up one step every day.

iateallthepies said:

Last time I spoke I have cut my hair and nails and had a wash and brushed my teeth. I am finding it quite difficult getting out of this situation as maybe I have left it too late.  But I shall keep it up one step every day.

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That sounds great! Well done, you! One step every day is the right way to go. It may take some time, but keep at it, and after a while you'll hopefully find that it gets a little easier than before.

iateallthepies said:

Last time I spoke I have cut my hair and nails and had a wash and brushed my teeth. I am finding it quite difficult getting out of this situation as maybe I have left it too late. But I shall keep it up one step every day.

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Well I guess that's the first step. It's pretty easy to slip into a state where you neglect things like this, but if you really want to change this then it's only you who can to do it.

I think poor hygiene can make you lonely and loneliness can lead to poor hygiene. When I was locked up in a hospital I refused to wash until they said my ex was coming to visit me. I got dish sponge and went to town.

Now my hygiene routine is rigorous and I blame men like @ardour and the Koreans for that

CenotaphGirl said:

I think poor hygiene can make you lonely and loneliness can lead to poor hygiene. When I was locked up in a hospital I refused to wash until they said my ex was coming to visit me. I got dish sponge and went to town.

Now my hygiene routine is rigorous and I blame men like @ardour and the Koreans for that

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....whaat?

ardour said:

....whaat?

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I have no idea the context of the comment to which you replied, but I can say with no doubts that Korea is an extremely clean country.
Even the bathrooms in the subway are very clean.
In fact, when you use the men's room in a Seoul public bathroom, doubt be surprised if an old grandma is there washing the floor while you are standing there doing your business...