Hygiene Filter: Picking my face, fingernails, and more. [more inside]
posted on Apr 24, 2008 - 15 answers

My housemate's are terrible slobs, to the point where I'm about to snap. What can I do? [more inside]
posted on Mar 8, 2008 - 43 answers

What are some hair conditioners and body lotions that do not contain any alcohol? [more inside]
posted on Mar 1, 2008 - 14 answers

How did primitive man cope with things like body oil, pimples, and cold weather? [more inside]
posted on Feb 5, 2008 - 28 answers

Bad dog breath... what helps? [more inside]
posted on Oct 26, 2007 - 18 answers

As a guy, how do you smell really good without the use of cologne? Some people, I've noticed, have a great fresh smell to them, but I'm not sure how they get it. I try using scented soaps, but it doesn't give nearly as strong an effect. Is it lotion? Does skin type matter?
posted on Aug 29, 2007 - 24 answers

Cologne picking advice: it can't be as simple as "just pick what your like" or "bring a girl with you and buy what she likes"... can it?
posted on Aug 26, 2007 - 30 answers

Following some dental adventures, I seem to have some lingua villosa nigra, aka "black [hairy] tongue". Reportedly harmless, but is there anything (a) I should know or worry about, and (b) I can do to quash it on the double? [more inside]
posted on Aug 9, 2007 - 11 answers

We just bought a house with a separate, finished apartment. The apartment turns out to have a smell, and we can't figure out where it's coming from. The smell is bad: part must, part mildew, and part warmed catfood. So my questions are: 1. Does this smell sound familiar to anyone? (As in, "Oho, that's plainly mildew he's talking about; he should check the blah blah!") 2. Ways to pinpoint an ambient smell? I am going under the apartment this afternoon :( but if I i don't find any carcasses under there, I am out of moves.
posted on Jun 11, 2007 - 13 answers

Excessive body hair... what to do? (Probably NSFW) [more inside]
posted on May 24, 2007 - 14 answers

My significant other has, over the last few years, taken fewer and fewer showers. She now takes about one per week (yes I keep tabs). I don't notice any smells although her hair can get that needs-washing look. [more inside] [more inside]
posted on Apr 9, 2007 - 66 answers

Refilling contact lens solution bottles with contact lens solution? [more inside]
posted on Apr 3, 2007 - 20 answers

Help me not smell like smoke on my job interview! [more inside]
posted on Mar 27, 2007 - 39 answers

Why are my ears itchy all the time? :( [more inside]
posted on Feb 1, 2007 - 24 answers

Hygiene in the Middle Ages to 19th century [more inside]
posted on Jan 24, 2007 - 15 answers

Will anything bad really happen if I don't wear flip flops in the gym shower? [more inside]
posted on Oct 27, 2006 - 31 answers

Should I get a diaper pail? [more inside]
posted on Oct 19, 2006 - 27 answers

Why does my cube-mate's cat have hygiene issues? [more inside]
posted on Oct 12, 2006 - 8 answers

How do you deal with the messy side of sex? [more inside]
posted on Sep 4, 2006 - 41 answers

Who gets to share food and drinks with your child - from the same cup or spoon? [more inside]
posted on May 28, 2006 - 33 answers

How do clean the base of your eyelashes?
posted on Apr 1, 2006 - 8 answers

How might I go about finding a top of the line hair salon. I am considering trying to settle into a new haircut - even a $100+ price tag is ok this one time. (I'm in S.E. Michigan.)
posted on Feb 12, 2006 - 9 answers

HygeineFilter: How to prevent the recurrence of MRSA infection in a community center? [more inside]
posted on Jan 8, 2006 - 10 answers

how often should i change my toothbrush?
posted on Nov 24, 2005 - 33 answers

I'm 23 and I have more acne than I ever did in high school. This is a general problem, but I've also got a (first) date on Thursday--got any miracles? [more inside]
posted on Oct 31, 2005 - 53 answers

Does anyone ever really flush sanitary napkins? [more inside]
posted on Oct 13, 2005 - 41 answers

Many lavatories on trains have signs warning that the water in the sink is not safe to drink. If it's not clean enough to drink, am I really making my hands cleaner by washing with it?
posted on Sep 29, 2005 - 15 answers

For the first time in long life experience, I have a girlfriend who is very stinky "down there". What to do? [more inside]
posted on Aug 28, 2005 - 17 answers

A question from the young 'un I couldn't answer. There are lots of clean crisp flavours out there: why are toothpaste, floss and other dental/oral products stereotypically mint-flavoured, and not, say, clove or cinnamon? Is it simple popularity, or is there a technical reason?
posted on Mar 16, 2005 - 24 answers

Which way do you wipe and why? [mi]
posted on Feb 8, 2005 - 38 answers

I bought several liquor bottle spouts to make pouring easier for a recent holiday party. Now I'm wondering if I can leave them in the bottles or not. I've got some cheapo $.75 diposables and some $5-ish automatic 1 oz. pourers that are much nicer. Assuming I use a given bottle only once a week or so, is leaving the pourers in a bad idea? Will my hooch evaporate? Will cooties crawl into the bottle (my apartment is largely cootie-free)? Is it just bad manners to leave them in? Please advise.
posted on Dec 30, 2004 - 13 answers

In light of tthis alarming story, I'm wondering how many times a day MeFites brush their teeth. How about flossing?
posted on Nov 30, 2004 - 54 answers

I have a friend who stinks. He has horrible breath (he's a chain-smoker), and his clothes and body reek. I'm not sure what to do. It's so bad that many people have commented that it's hard to be around him. But other than the smell, he's a great guy. He's also lonely, and can't get a date. His life would be so much better if he had better hygiene. So what do I do about this? Tell him face-to-face? Send an anonymous email? Do nothing? If I do bring it up, how do I do it sensitively? Added to the problems, he's very poor. He can't even afford a phone. My guess is that part of the problem is that he's trying to save money on laundry. Still, soap is cheap. I'm trying to obey the Golden Rule, but it's hard. If I was the smelly one, I would want to be told, I guess. But I would be SO humiliated! He's in his early 40s. Really smart and literate.
posted on Nov 6, 2004 - 18 answers

Why toilet paper? On the subcontinent we wash the area with our lil water pots (lota). Just like if your hands get very dirty, you wash them, not just wipe off excess with tissue paper. So why the departure down there? Isn't it unhygenic?
posted on Oct 13, 2004 - 41 answers

Do you sleep better when you brush your teeth before bed?

Most of the time, I do brush before bed. But on the rare occasions when I forget or I don't feel like it or I'm too tired, I find that my sleep is MUCH less fulfilling. Obviously, it could be the conditions that cause me to not brush that contribute, but I'm wondering if anyone else has seen the same thing.
posted on Oct 9, 2004 - 7 answers

[NotShavingFilter] I'm growing a full beard for the first time. Tips? (Trimming methods, moisturizing/cleaning, where the neckline should be, etc.)
posted on Sep 30, 2004 - 7 answers

Inspired by this question, I'm wondering about the differences between men and women when it comes to showering. My boyfriend showers at least once a day...often two of three times. I usually do it every other day or so.
posted on Sep 23, 2004 - 54 answers

How can I get rid of the odour that my sandals leave on my feet? They have a vinyl lining which creates an awful smell when contacted by sweat. This isn't a problem with any other footwear, and I've had a number of other people complain about this happening to them, so "wash your feet" would not be an appreciated response.
posted on Sep 12, 2004 - 13 answers

Anyone got opinions, advice, stories, or strong feelings about Japanese-style electronic toilets? As I get older I grow more disgusted with the Western tradition of smearing one's feces with toilet paper instead of giving it a proper hygenic washing.
posted on Sep 3, 2004 - 21 answers

My fingernails are like magnets for dirt. Every day I have to clean out the crud that gets underneath them. While it isn't a hassle, how is it that a female with long nails is able to keep hers clean where I struggle to keep mine clean for more than 2 hours or so? Is there some fingernail gnome who just loves to keep my fingernails dirty? Is there an easy way for me to keep them clean for more than lets say half a day?
posted on Jul 6, 2004 - 12 answers

I have a hairy anus (come on inside...)
posted on Jun 24, 2004 - 41 answers

Another shower related question: Guys, what shampoo do you use? Or more specifically: what guys' shampoo smells the best?
posted on May 7, 2004 - 23 answers

What is the benefit of using a "solid" deodorant vs a "gel" based one?
posted on Apr 3, 2004 - 19 answers

I'm going to be having a baby boy soon, so I've been forced to handle a sensitive subject: foreskin! Should we circumcise him, or not? Is it genital mutilation or just good, clean hygiene? I'm snipped, so it's always seemed perfectly normal to me, but is it even necessary? Some professional medical advice would be appreciated, as well as any sociocultural perspectives/opinions you might have.
posted on Mar 2, 2004 - 59 answers

Are there hygiene problems with eating ants? I ask because I accidentally ate a bunch of ants that were in a box of cereal. I've now thrown out the box and I am not really grossed out by it but it did get me wondering, given that ants live in dirt and carry around pieces of dead insects as part of their chores, whether there are health consequences.
posted on Jan 3, 2004 - 13 answers