Personal Hygiene

Personal hygiene is something that is not always so personal.  If you emit bad odour, chances are others are going to notice!

The hygiene habits of others comes to my attention on a daily basis simply from using public transportation.  Already vulnerable to motion sickness, I instantly become nauseous if I end up near someone with bad body odour.  Blech!  Sometimes I may not be near enough to someone to smell them, but I am often amazed by how unclean people look.  Hair greasy, full of debris, and clearly unwashed for a lengthy period of time.  Clothes that smell worn and musty.  Ugh!

Of course, when I feel disgust, I then wonder if I am not just being elitist.  After all, for many people, regular bathing and clothes washing is a luxury.  Often poor hygiene can be an early sign of mental illness.

But sometimes there just seems to be no excuse.  I am only at the gym once a week to teach my spinning class, but lately every time I am there so are two older gentlemen who have unpleasant BO.  I can't even be in the vicinity of these individuals and it simply ruins the whole experience.  I certainly don't want to use equipment they have used!  Makes me appreciate working out at home even more!!  These guys are definitely not homeless and likely not living in poverty or they wouldn't be able to afford the gym membership fee.  Cognitive abilities starting to decline?  Perhaps...

Yesterday my friend who takes my spinning class was also grossed out because she witnessed another woman filing a snowstorm of dead skin off her feet onto the floor of the changeroom.  We gagged together.

I have always been a shower and wash my hair every single day kind of gal.  I suppose that's partly because I work out every day so its kind of essential.  But even at times when I have not been working out (like the 6 weeks after each C-section, or when traveling, etc.) I still shower every day.  Besides the hygienic reasons, it also wakes me up and refreshes me.

Now perhaps I am a bit OCD about hygiene as is Adam...we bathe the girls every day, at least when possible, and most of my friends do not seem to bathe their children as often. But having children certainly does get you more comfortable with grime and bodily fluids.  Little A is still our little pig pen.  She's gotten better, but the kid still can't eat without making a mess, and she has a penchant for touching absolutely everything she sees, which makes me crazy.

Admittedly, things got pretty out of hand with me while dealing with PPD after Little A was born.  I was consumed with worry about contamination and was going through bottles of Purel like crazy.  I am not like that anymore, but still probably worry about it more than most people.  The first thing I do when I come in the house is always wash my hands and I never wear any of my clothes more than once before throwing them in the laundry.

I also admit that a toothbrush and toothpaste accompany me almost everywhere.  Okay, so maybe I'm a bit OCD...although like everyone else in this house I practice the 5 Second Rule and happily eat food off the floor.  Ha, I guess we all have our inconsistencies!  Funny how we rationalize certain things.  Have a happy, clean Monday!