5 Common Practices You Didn’t Know Were Unhygienic

Keeping yourself clean and smelling nice are simple enough tasks. Shower regularly and thoroughly. Wear deodorant before stepping out. Floss and brush (in that order!) without fail. You know, just basic personal hygiene stuff. But, alas, they may not be enough. Seemingly innocent practices are actually unhygienic and can end up affecting your health and well-being.

According to research from the University of London, one in six cell phones is contaminated with fecal bacteria, which can cause diarrhea among many other issues. One way to avoid contributing to this statistic is by not taking your phone to the bathroom with you. Not only will it help you do your business quicker, but it will also reduce your chances of getting infections (or infecting others).

Most importantly, always wash your hands with Lifebuoy Antibacterial Handwash Total 10 before leaving the toilet. Formulated with Activ Silver+, it fights 99.9% of bacteria in 10 seconds per lab test results.

Germs don’t follow a strict schedule when it comes to contaminating food. They’re not going to wait precisely five seconds before pouncing on that slice of pizza that slipped from your grasp. A 2016 study shows that fallen food can pick up harmful bacteria almost instantaneously upon contact with the floor.

The next time you accidentally drop a snack to the ground, ask yourself if picking it back up is worth the risk. If it’s an unpeeled fruit, you can easily wash it. The same goes for appliances, such as forks and spoons. Other than that, it’s straight to the compost bin.

You don’t need a random internet stranger to tell you that rubbing your eyes feels so good it’s almost addicting. But, as you may have guessed by now, it’s unhygienic and can potentially damage your eyesight. The Journal of Clinical Medicine reports eye rubbing as the most common risk factor of keratoconus or the thinning of cornea, which causes blurry vision.

While keratoconus is a rare condition affecting 50 to 200 of every 100,000 individuals, you wouldn’t want to be one of them. Corneal disease aside, rubbing your eyes can also give you bacterial pink eye. Break the habit by using an eye drop or a warm compress. If you must touch your eyes, wash your hands with an antibacterial soap first.

When was the last time you changed your towel? If you can’t recall, this is your sign to throw it in the laundry basket. Bath towels can become breeding grounds for bacteria, germs, and odors. These invisible invaders can irritate your skin, triggering acne on your back and chest areas.

The rule of thumb is to switch to a clean one every three days. Of course, you can change it more frequently if you notice any weird smells or stains. Be sure to dry your towels right since moisture can attract all kinds of naughty things (read: mold). Lay them flat on the drying rack or hang them under the sun after every use.

Crashing on your mattress after a long day is one of life’s simple pleasures. But it becomes unhygienic if you do it while still wearing your outside clothes and shoes. The surfaces your clothes touch in public are teeming with bacteria. When you sit or lie on your bed right after coming home, you’re basically bringing pathogens into your sanctuary. That’s why taking a shower should be at the top of your to-do list as soon as you step indoors.

Use LIFEBUOY Antibacterial Soap Total 10 features Activ Silver+ that works together with the skin’s immune system to protect you from disease-causing germs. You can also try Lifebuoy Antibacterial Bodywash Total 10, which has the same formula in liquid form and is available in refill packs. Its rich lather can remove impurities, leaving your skin fresh and clean all day.

Guilty of these unhygienic practices? While it may not be the end of the world, it pays to be more mindful. After all, health is built on habits, big and small. Anyway, they should be easy to unlearn especially now that you know exactly how they expose you to germs and bacteria.