AIBU to think not washing feet and groin is minging?

[madmomma]

Was discussing personal hygiene with a few friends recently (odd I know) and I found out that none of my friends wash their feet when they shower or bath, because they feel that a soak in bubble bathy water or the suds from shampoo trickling down is adequate. I think this is minging, and physically soap each foot in every shower or bath. I thought everyone did this. I also thought everyone washed their groin with either soap, bodywash or whatever, but my friends were saying they just use water. I can understand not wanting to use perfumed stuff down there, but surely plain soap or something? I would find it so odd to have a shower without using soap on groin or feet. Am I weird or are they?

I have a physical aversion to touching my feet with soapy hands shudders I sometimes try to soap em up with the scrunchie. I femfresh my fanjita 😊.

I always use soap on my fanjo- I have never had thrush.

Bleurgh - I tried letting soapy water run over my feet in the shower, and swiftly knocked that on the head when I actually brought a foot up to my nose.

OP the best course of action is to not have these conversations with people. It prevents you feeling ill when you next see them.

I cannot use soap on my undercarriage. Vulval dermatitis. Ouch ouch ouch.
I don't whiff. Although I would if I didn't wash daily.
i only ever wash my feet if I have been wearing flip flops.

YANBU, soap everywhere here!

I assume when people refer to groin they are not soaping the inside of their vagina or vagina opening but their pubis, top of thighs and bum crack. Bum crack needs a good soaping.

I don't wash feet though

If you have never noticed before, and wouldn't have known without having this conversation with them, I would suggest that no matter how minging they may or may not be it hasn't been enough for you to notice.

On another note, there shouldn't be this much confusion over what parts of our bodies are called. Using groin to include bum crack? But perhaps we shouldn't combine a fanjo washing thread with a fanjo naming thread

I don't think your groin includes your bum crack however when people refer to washing their groom neither do I think they are specifically soaping up their leg pits and leaving everything else in the same region unsoaped

I shower gel inside and outside all other my fanjo, bum, everywhere and have a good scrub as often feel itchy but never have thrush. I keep meaning to sort the labia itch, its always in same place on outer labia and i have itched it raw in the past, im clean but wonder if using the shower gel causes the itching but yet if i dont use it i itch more, is it catch 22, damned if i do, damned if i dont?

Flirty you should think about stopping cleaning inside with shower gel, give it time and I bet the itch goes away. There's lots of good bacteria there that you're probably cleaning away

Flirty it sounds too basic to be true but Vaseline acts as a good barrier for healing itchy skin. Also I can't use shower gel, but have been fine with Simple soap for years. Knickers washed in Persil or Aerial make me itch as well - Daz is fine .

Shouldn't wash 'inside' though.

Bath or shower, I wash all over with a flannel (used once before being laundered) and gentle soap or shower gel, feet and down there included. I do use soap or gel on intimate bits, but don't scrub too hard, and rinse off quickly. No problems with thrush.

On an episode of Embarrassing Bodies one of the doctors said you should wash your arse/bum crack with soap because the oil in the poo isn't broken down otherwise. That just using water isn't effective enough.

Your groin (the crease where your legs join your torso) will sweat just like armpits do so you need soap to get rid of that properly.

To avoid ambiguity by using terms that mean different things to others I'll use the medical ones (sorry). The crease between your labia majora (outer fanny lips) and the labia minora (inner fanny lips), and under the clitoral hood, will collect smegma and this needs to be removed. It's advised that strongly-perfumed soap or shower gel is avoided, but that does not mean you can't use soap, unless it causes a problem for you personally. I used to get thrush but I think that was caused by using tampons when my flow was too light and harsh soaps that dried my skin out. Since I use a more natural and gentle soap and a mooncup I've been fine.

When people talk about the genitals being self cleansing I think they are confusing the vagina with the vulva. You should never wash your vagina (inside part, the birth "canal") as this upsets the natural flora and pH, but you do need to wash the vulva (the external genitals) to avoid the buildup of smegma.

As for feet, I soap mine, inbetween the toes, when I shower. I don't want a build up of toe jam thanks.

I think that's right Bollocks .
I used water only for a few months when I was a student (following advice from shite magazines). Ended up at the doc's and he gave me a nappy rash cream - mortifying!

WhatALoadOfOldBollocks

Toe jam. Urgh. Why don't people wash their feet? I don't get it.

Thanks Grays and Shotgun, i will try not put shower gel there and vaseline and see if it makes a difference.

Under normal circumstances soap is definitely not only unnecessary but a bad idea for women. Plenty of warm water should be enough to maintain good hygiene. The balance of that part of a woman's body should not be disrupted.

I don't pay attention to feet in shower, but pits and bits always get a lathering, twice.

I don't use soap or shower gel, just soak in the bath.

I don't smell and I don't need any moisturisers on my body or feet. I wonder if using soap all the time dries out your skin.

As I understand it, your skin has a healthy bacterial flora which keeps the nasty bacteria and fungi from multiplying and causing problems such as thrush, impetigo, athletes foot and so on. It's a bit like your gut is chock full of good bacteria which ward off the dangerous ones and aid digestion. It's years since I was at medical school and I might be out of date

I do use a face wash but that's because I use sunscreen and I do need to wash that off properly.

Yanbu. Soap and exfoliate every day. I'm very active though.

I actually thought everyone washed their feet or groin, no wonder so many men think women stink of fish, yes you should use some ph soap down there and wash your feet again no wonder so many people feet stink.
A vagina should not smell of anything, or feet if you actually wash yourself

Op Yanbu. I am a pits, bits (external only not vagina as explained very well by Bollocks) and feet washer daily too. Mild shower gel, no problems. I also don't see how people can consider their feet are clean if they've not been actively washed with some form of gel/soap/your choice of cleanser, especially between toes. Bums also need properly scooshed!

DH is a "let feet get washed by the soapy run off" chap but after 2/3 days even in winter his feet honk and so do his socks so then he has to give them a proper scrub and dry, and the difference is noticeable from across the room Really wouldn't want to be in close proximity to anyone who doesn't wash properly - but I do have an acute sense of smell and BO in particular makes me heave.

Smegma - shudder. It's making me rethink my favourite brand of fridge and that is for sure.

Im always learning new things on mumsnet, today its vaginal smegma and toe jam. Thanks