People share 'underrated hygiene tips' you're most likely not doing
We're probably all guilty of not doing at least one of these on a regular basis.

Cleanliness can do wonders for our physical and mental health. And these tips can help us get there.
We all know that proper hygiene is important, but when it comes to which hygiene habits take priority, we can’t always agree. Heck, we can’t even agree on some of the basic things when it comes to cleanliness, like how often to shower.
A lot of this we can chalk up to no one rule being able to apply to all humans. But some helpful habits might go undone simply because we aren’t aware of how much they can benefit our wellbeing. Or we’ve gotten so busy that we’ve forgotten them.
Luckily, the internet is a mecca of crowdsourced hacks.
Reddit user u/Away_Needleworker655 recently asked “What are some underrated hygiene tips?” and answers ranged from items (and body parts) that often go ignored to helpful products and everywhere in between.
Check out what folks are saying below. You never know what ideas you might be able to glean to make life just a little more squeaky clean.
”Baking soda works better than any other gimmicky product for stinky shoes.”
”I work for a sock design company. Sooooo many people think they have bad foot odor, and some do, but most people are just wearing really low quality all polyester socks. Switch to a cotton blend or wool blend!!!! You will see a huge difference.”
Cotton socks can help prevent foot odors better than polyester blends.
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“I honestly thought 'don't forget to wash behind your ears' was just a folksy way of my parents telling me to be thorough with washing. Then at some point I ran my finger behind my ear and smelled it, and got religion about washing behind my ears.”
“Washing your reusable water bottle daily to prevent bacterial growth.Changing your pillowcase frequently to prevent oil and bacteria buildup. Regularly cleaning and disinfecting your kitchen sink, as it can harbor harmful bacteria.”
“Hot water and dish soap will get rid of just as much bacteria as disinfectants so don't worry too much about a special product. A good scrub down with dish soap and rinse with the hottest water will work just fine!”
“When cleansing your face, spend 60 seconds rubbing the cleanser in.”
We've all be guilty of the 15 second face wash routine.
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“Maybe not so much hygiene per se but in order to keep your house tidy it really helps to never walk empty handed. If you’re sitting at the dinner table for example and getting up for a drink/toilet visit/whatever, put your plate and cutlery on the counter. Goes for everything that needs to be moved anyway, snack wrappers, glasses, cups etc. Takes almost no extra effort and it is a habit that’s very easy to gain. This way you’ll prevent a buildup of a seemingly manageable amount of clutter/trash. House is easier to clean and it is better for your peace of mind. So incredibly simple but turned out to be a life changer for me and some of my ADHD friends. Try it for a couple of days/weeks and it becomes so habitual that it doesn’t take any discipline to keep it up. Because I know that lack of discipline can become a (very) serious problem if you have nothing to fall back on.”
“If you are disabled, chronically ill, dealing with mental illness, etc, and struggle to shower, use baby wipes or a wet rag to wash yourself. It will help you feel refreshed, and something is better than nothing!”
“Use body cream straight after you shower and then apply your cologne or perfume whatever. It absorbs everything and you smell good for hours.”
“Floss guys. It's not that hard and makes a huge difference.”
Waterpiks can be a great alternative to flossing.
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“Cleaning/ disinfecting your phone.”
“Your computer keyboard, too! Especially if you eat or smoke while using the computer.On a high-quality keyboard you can remove the keycaps and wash them, then take a swab and some rubbing alcohol to the spaces between the keyswitches. Laptops and cheap desktop keyboards are difficult, though. You can at least wipe off the key surfaces.”
“Take your shoes off at the door.”
“Your steering wheel is probably filthy. I use baby wipes to clean it when I’m sitting in traffic.”
“Getting a pedicure. It's amazing! You don't even need the color. It feels tremendous and your feet feel great!”
There's nothing like the satisfaction of a freshly pedicured foot.
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“Replace your toothbrush regularly! the bristles become worn and ineffective after a 3/4 months.”
…and last, but possibly most important…
“Work to figure out what makes keeping up with your hygiene difficult and keep an open mind while looking for solutions, no matter how atypical.”
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- Jessica Biel was slammed for admitting she eats in the shower but most moms totally get it ›
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- Husband demonstrates 'Triangle' showering technique to his wife and guys, we need to talk. - Upworthy ›
- 20 doctors share their favorite 'health hack' from their specialty - Upworthy ›
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."
This article originally appeared in May.