The most common hygiene myths

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:00

Some myths about personal hygiene are quite harmless, while others can be quite harmful to health. While cleanliness never hurts, sometimes you can go overboard in the pursuit of cleanliness.

Let's see which of our beliefs are based on them, and which are nothing more than delusions.

Hand sanitizers are essential

to protect against germs

Hand rub that contains alcohol is really helpful in many situations, but if you don't work in a hospital, you shouldn't use it all the time. Soap and water are enough to properly clean your hands. Germs and bacteria adapt well and become more resistant, so do not use strong remedies unless it is necessary to do so.

The 5 Seconds Rule

The “5 second rule” states that quickly raised food is not considered dropped and can be safely eaten, since the number of microbes on it is negligible. Still, 99% of bacteria enter food the moment it comes into contact with the floor, so if you are health conscious, give up this rule. This is one of the most common and most dangerous misconceptions. Foods that are high in sugar or salt are slower to pick up bacteria, but food that falls on the floor is not worth eating.

Hair washes wash away sebum, which is not very good for the scalp.

You need to wash your hair every day

Daily use of shampoo is too often, and it can only result in hair damage. The fact is that hair washing products wash away sebum, which is not very good for the scalp. If your hair quickly becomes greasy, use dry shampoo, it does not damage the hair as much. In general, the idea that hair is dirty if it is not washed for more than a day is one of the most common myths.

Bad breath caused by poor hygiene

In fact, a phenomenon such as bad breath, or halitosis, can have many causes. Of course, it can also be caused by neglect of normal oral hygiene, but this is not always the case. In fact, the most common cause of this problem is dryness, which causes bacteria to multiply rapidly. Gum disease can also cause foul odor.

A hand dryer is more hygienic than a paper towel

If in a public place you have to choose between a hand dryer and a paper towel, choose the second option. Despite popular belief, a paper towel dries hands faster, in about 15 seconds. Most dryers can dry the skin in as little as 45 seconds. This is a really significant difference, because if you are in a hurry, then simply do not dry your hands. And moist skin is a great environment for bacteria to grow. Therefore, use paper towels.

Keep your toothbrush away from the toilet

If you rinse without closing the lid, bacteria will spread throughout the room. However, if you remember to cover the toilet before pressing the button, there is no point in hiding your toothbrush in another room. Therefore, forget that there should be at least one and a half meters between the toilet bowl and the toothbrush. Experiments have shown that even if the toothbrush is stored in the kitchen, the amount of bacteria on it will be about the same.

In fact, it only takes a couple of seconds to pick up the lice.

Head lice is a sign of poor hygiene

In fact, it only takes a couple of seconds to pick up the lice. Even if your whole life is devoted to maintaining personal hygiene, it will not protect you from parasites in any way. So forget about this useless myth.

You need to protect children from dirt

There is an opinion that children should be protected from germs and bacteria as carefully as possible. However, it can cause the development of eczema or asthma. Of course, living in mud is also not worth it, but do not turn cleanliness into a cult, because a sterile environment does not allow stable immunity to form.