A Real Look at My Personal Hygiene Routine
The things I do daily so I don’t repel people and maintain my health
Content Warning: Some of this might get a bit graphic for effect but this is all very important information for people to know about taking care of themselves.
I don’t always have the luxury of showering every day since we sometimes stay at truck stops and showers can be as high as $18 for the two of us. When we can, we avoid doing that.
That’s why we like the convenience of camping at campgrounds. They have bathrooms with fully working toilets and showers. We take advantage of those amenities when we can. Since we haven’t gotten the plumbing and water worked out in our RV as of yet, it helps when we are parked somewhere we have access to all of that.
When I do break into a daily routine of washing up, it is very simple. I make sure to focus the most on the areas that would be most likely to get gunked up. Those regions many times are areas that many of us don’t like to talk about washing.
Cleaning my penis
I don’t want to get super graphic about it but I have an uncircumcised penis and it’s extra important to ensure that it stays clean throughout the day. If I don’t shower for a bit, that area can get quite uncomfortable and smelly.
A couple of ways to ensure that doesn’t happen are to wash thoroughly in the shower. I also pull back my foreskin when I can to limit the amount of urine that stays trapped on the head. Wiping the head off after urination with a cloth or a tissue also helps.
In the shower itself, I use a loofah and a good amount of Dial or Dove soap and I really get in there and scrub all over, especially on the inside of the head. If someone were to catch me during this routine, it may almost appear that I’m doing something other than washing my penis since it looks like something else.
Cleaning my folds and my ass
I also make sure to get between my thighs and in all of the folds that could get missed by water. I’m a bigger guy and I don’t have a ton of “loose skin” but I do have areas that may get missed by water and soap if I’m not careful. I have to make sure to lift stuff, scrub in the regions that are not easily accessible, and make sure to rinse completely off.
Another area I have to focus on a ton is my butt. Specifically, my asshole. I don’t like feeling unclean in that region. It’s not like I’m sexually active these days anyway but I need to make sure to clean that area regardless. Nobody would want to come up with you if you have a poopy, smelly butthole. Looking at you, Donald Trump.
After I poop, I always wipe thoroughly. Sometimes, I try to dampen the cloth when I can so I can get maximum cleaning power. For the times that I can’t do that, I just wipe a good amount until I don’t see any more feces on the paper. For even more cleaning power, I like to go into the shower many times after a good shit. I would say that I’ve showered at least three times a day at times to ensure that the shit doesn’t stay in my butt.
Other parts of my body and the effectiveness of body powder
Now that I’ve addressed the most uncomfortable places to talk about, I’ll bring up my underarms. I can’t use deodorant. I’m sensitive to them and have to be careful about irritating my sensitive skin. I also don’t have a skincare routine for this reason although I could likely find one that could suit me that wouldn’t make me break out.
What I have done is use a medicated body powder for my underarms. After a shower or if I’m sweaty, that can effectively dry out those areas making bacteria and things that like the dampness less likely to stick around in dryer conditions.
I also use the medicated powder in between my thighs near my balls. I learned that trick when I was still working in front of customers. If you’re standing up all day and get very sweaty moving around and you’re a bigger person, it’s easy to stink in those places. The powder in those regions makes that less likely and makes those areas less susceptible to rashes and sores from rubbing.
My feet and my teeth, both things that have taken a hit
I used to be so active so I would also get a ton of foot fungus too. I’ve still been managing that with some medication and a good amount of drying and foot powder as well. My feet are a bit of an embarrassment because of the years of battering they’d received before I could no longer move around as well. We’ll move on from my feet just as quickly as we got there.
Moving on from that, my daily routine used to include a ton of brushing and flossing but I found that it wasn’t helping my tooth and gum health. I had lost a few teeth and had swelling in my gums even after all of that.
I stopped flossing a while ago and now I just switched to doing mouthwash throughout the day. Swishing mouthwash around and getting it in there until it stops burning seems to help with harmful bacteria and has prevented any other teeth from falling out at this point.
My hair and my clothes
In the shower, I use a shampoo and a conditioner. I don’t like buying an all-in-one as I feel that they don’t effectively clean my hair or make it look good. Buying them separately and finding a scent or a brand that is compatible with my skin sensitivity is always important.
I like my hair and my skin to smell and feel good. I once spent $20 on a conditioner at a salon after I got a nice haircut. I’m not afraid to splurge a little on conditioner if it makes my hair look and feel nice.
Finally, when I can help it, I wash my clothes with Tide Pods and do my laundry as often as I can. I have to be careful about using certain detergents and conditioners on my clothes so I try not to deviate much from this formula. I like wearing a clean shirt and a clean pair of blue jeans or khakis.
Shoes and staying fresh
I also like to keep my feet clean by wearing clean socks and making sure that my boots are kept clean as well. More powder goes into the boots and it’s important to keep them dry as often as possible. When I can help it, I put lotion on my feet to prevent them from cracking and getting rough and chaffing.
All of these things combined go into my almost daily routine of keeping myself fresh and clean and looking and feeling good and presentable to people when I meet them. Maintenance and hygiene are important and are clearly important to me.
I don’t feel good in any aspect of my life when I don’t ensure that at least most of these things are addressed as I go through my day. They can even affect my health overall when I am unable to address them.
This was a part of a writing challenge by The Accidental Monster at Monster Alley. I was inspired to write about this when I saw this and also coincidentally after a conversation I had with a friend the other day. What do you do to get yourself clean and fresh? You don’t have to be as graphic as I was in parts but I’d like to know in the comments any general tips you have and if there was anything I missed that you do in the bathroom.
