Not washing these body parts?

[Hanyyd]

It occurred to me yesterday that I have only ever washed my feet with soap on vert rare occasions like when I’ve walked on grass or got them grubby in flip flops. Other times I just let the water wash them from the shower or Bath.

Similarly, I don’t think I’ve ever washed my neck or behind my ears, for the same reasons - shampoo surely covers it when I wash my hair?

The magazine I read was talking about the benefits of using less soap and sometimes only water to rinse to give skin a break. I rarely scrub anywhere with soap except my underarms, chest, breasts and carefully with bits below. Anyone else?

Spot on!

I have mobility issues and couldn't do the manoeuvre you suggested if my life depended on it, so I wouldn't assume anyone could do it.

I personally can only reach the top of my feet by bending forward, either standing or sitting down with my legs up, I can't reach the bottom of my feet with my hands at all,

I put on foot cream by putting cream on the top of one foot and rubbing the bottom of the other foot on it. I work full time, drive a standard car, don't have a blue badge, so you'd probably never guess and if you assumed you'd get it wrong.

Wash everything!
Armpits and feet with soap then hibiscrub (medical)
Back with a brush and salicylic acid soap
Then whole body with shower gel or shower oil

That's how I put cream on too, necessity is the mother of invention 😉

I thought my grandparents always went on about washing behind ears because in the olden days people didn’t wash their hair as often. It’s never even occurred to me to wash there but now I’m thinking that maybe it’s because my ears are more sticky outy and if someone has ears close to their head, then dirt might get behind them. I have absolutely no idea why anyone would specifically wash their neck though!

I wash under my arms and downstairs area with soap and I sometimes wash my feet and file them. I clean my ears with a baby wipe. I have started washing my belly button more because recently it became a bit grim😳

Read once years ago that women not washing properly behind their ears is a common complaint of hairdresses and have been paranoid about it ever since!

I love a good mumsnet washing thread!

I usually start with a warm bath with lovely oil in the water and give myself a gentle wash all over with a flannel. Scented candles help to create the right "clean" head space.

I then like to move to the shower cubicle and use proper soap on all areas of my body, and those that need particular attention I use a dilute solution of bleach (ideally lemon scented).

I finish off on the front drive with Darling Husband's pressure washer, using Dettol and with special focus on "down below" and behind my ears.

Absolutely correct, anything less would be unhygienic.

Haha quite so @BelperLawnmower I can't start the day without being doused in bleach and my 'down below' pressure hosed.
Anything else is just rank 😂

It's my day off and I'm spending far too much time on mumsnet!

My personal view is that soapy water running over your body does not really clean your skin. Much like just rinsing your dishes does not actually clean them.

I use a body brush with soap (be it from a bar or soap or body wash) to scrub my body, including my feet and ankles, back, “cheeks”, chest, legs, arms etc. I wash my face, behind ears, inside my ears and neck with a wash cloth.

very surprised to read how many people don’t actually wash.

I've never really thought about it either, but yes i guess i don't really scrub/rub my feet. My bath has ridges(?) at the shower end which i assume is for grip or non slip reasons but i use it to rub the bottom of my feet when in the shower... If i have a bath i often do my toenails after and the feet get a nice rub while im making the effort but apart from that not unless i see/feel theyre dirty...

ears and nech get a quick rub every day while doing my hair.

This is it.

I have just never understood the thinking of "I let the water and soap run over them so it's fine" no, you actually have to wash ie rub a cleaning agent over them to remove dirt, sweat and bacteria.

These threads always make me wonder who I know who doesn't wash properly well, I know a couple through my work cos they pong quite a bit (and very one avoids close contact with them where possible) but claim they are saving the planet by not showering every day. Yeah, we know, we can smell your sacrifice

I actively wash all of myself - I just presumed everyone did.

I'm surprised you've got any skin left!! Is there a particular reason why you wash your pits with Hibiscrub? That stuff is HARSH.

I wash my neck, definitely. Have you never seen inside the collar of a worn shirt, it's the dirtiest part?!

The only place I don't particularly aim for is my middle back. I do as far as I can easily reach from each angle and assume I've done enough of it.

And a hairdresser once told me how utterly disgusting it is to not wash behind the ears, apparently some people get a glut of nasty "bellybutton" like cheese if they have a crease there

Letting soapy water run over things isn’t the same as cleaning them though. A cup isn’t cleaned by just letting soapy water run over it, so why do people think this applies to their own personal hygiene?
...

This of what I tell my partner @SmallPrawnEnergy. How hard is it to just wash things properly? It takes an extra two minutes and you actually feel clean at the end.

(I learned the hard way at school that letting water rinse you did not make you clean and was bullied. Never again).

I do the same as you OP and never have any issues with "cheese".

Absolutely, but its really helping with my food bill atm so 🤷‍♀️

Hahaha this just reminds me of teaching kids to wash / being taught to wash;

"Use the soap! Right that's it, Give it a good scrub... put some welly into it! Use your actual HAND not your fingertips! Have you done your stinky bits?!? Do your armpits!! Do your bum! Give those muddy knees a good rub. For goodness sake, Use SOAP! Did you do your face? Don't forget behind your ears, you'll be growing potatoes behind there otherwise! Lord, like THIS (mimes washing whilst fully dressed) Right, good, now rinse it all off, yes' rinse the soap OFF now. Right, get out, you've got water all over the floor!"

Seems some people's parents missed out the bit about ears and didn't tell them about the potato problem.

I wash my face and neck with a facial wash. I don't particular wash behind my ears but I always make sure there's is rinsed properly otherwise shampoo suds and/or conditioner can dry there and cause soreness and flakiness.
My feet are exfoliated and w then individually washed with a shower gel and puff.

I’m the same as you OP. Wash neck and behind ears when I wash my hair in the shower. And wash everything else daily in the shower.

I don’t wash my hair everyday as I blow dry and straighten it and it would be a ball ache!
but what I do instead, is when I cleanse my face every morning, I also wipe the cleanser around my neck and behind my ears.

Sometimes though, I leave the plug in the bath when I have a shower (don’t have a separate shower, it’s over the bath) so my feet can soak a bit while I’m showering.

I bathe daily
I lather my hands and go behind ears and in the ear ...not in ear canal
All my body gets a good lathering ...inc feet in between toes etc

I soak in the tub most days.
Neither my ears or feet smell.
I soap privates & pits.