5 trickiest body parts to clean

Michaela Romulo

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5 trickiest body parts to clean
Think you've got your whole hygiene routine down? Think again, because we are pretty sure you've missed a spot or two
 

MANILA, Philippines – By now you probably think you’ve got your daily hygiene routine down. Your alarm buzzes, you hit the snooze button a couple of times, you roll out of bed, and then proceed to autopilot your way through your morning routine.

But when it comes to really cleaning yourself  – like scrubbing underneath the folds– do you really get to make sure every inch and every crevice is immaculately clean?

You may think you do, but there are certain parts of your body that can be easily missed or are just plain hard to reach. Just imagine the amount of dirt, lint and bacteria that is building up in these forgotten clefs, nooks, and crannies of your body. Not a pretty picture is it?

As a way of admitting our hygienic shortcomings (yes, we are all guilty) we’ve come up with a list of the 5 trickiest body parts to clean.

1) The forgotten outer crevices of your ear

The auricle (more commonly know as the outer ear) is easy to miss with the inner ear and canal hogging all the attention of the ear bud population. They swab in, out, and around your ear collecting earwax along the way but never stopping to brush the outer lobes and behind the ear.

The only time we ever notice these forgotten spots is when we reach up to scratch an itch. 

Build-up collects behind the ears due to sebaceous glands that secrete oils and wax like substances called sebum. These glands are found in many places around the body but are most abundant in places where there is a lot of hair (hence that sweet spot right between your hairline and the back of your ear).

It’s the body’s way of keeping us moisturized and waterproof. But the sebum, even though it is odorless (at first), contains lots of bacteria that, when broken down, begins to secrete a different kind of smell. So make sure the next time you are in the shower cover all bases and use a wash cloth to scrub around and behind your ears.

2) Your belly button

BELLY BUTTON. It may be small but a lot of bacteria actually inhabits this often forgotten body part.

Another easily missed area is that tiny, overlooked crater called your belly button. A study made by a research group in North Carolina, aptly called the Belly Button Biodiversity Project (or BBB for short) swabbed 60 different belly buttons and discovered 2,368 species of bacteria. But don’t panic into cleaning out your belly button until it’s red and raw. According to the BBB not all bacteria are necessarily harmful and some live in harmony with our systems and just inhabit the space. 

Although if you do notice that it is visibly grimy, do give it a good clean next time you take a shower.

3) Your gums and in between your teeth

BETWEEN YOUR TEETH. If ignored, build-up between your teeth will pile up and turn into tartar.

Probably (hopefully) one of the first things you do when you wake up and before you go to bed is brush your teeth. It seems like a fairly simple and mundane task but are you really giving your pearly whites an adequate amount of care?

Usually, bristles from your toothbrush can’t reach the tight spaces in between your teeth and around your gums, causing a build up of plaque (that white, sticky stuff). Plaque is a mix of bacteria and substances that it secretes. This sticky substance builds up and hides in the hard to reach areas of the teeth.

If you don’t brush or floss regularly the plaque secretes acids that attack your tooth enamel. Good thing there are toothpastes available with cleaning agents that help reduce or plaque build-up.

If plaque is left alone it turns into tartar, which is basically petrified plaque. To avoid tartar build-up use the proper toothpaste, brush and floss daily.

Also, give your tongue a brush as well to wipe away bacteria and freshen your breath.

4) That unnamed space on your back between your shoulder blades

ACNESTIS. Uncleaned backs can lead to unsightly 'bacne'

You all know that spot that we are talking about. Actually it can be referred to as the acnestis, which means, “the part of your body that can’t be reached or scratched.”

You contort you arms in every direction imaginable but that spot that resides between your shoulder blades and is somewhere between the nape of your neck and the middle point of your back, always remains elusive.

Covering all surface areas of your back is important because when you sweat your adrenal glands pump out testosterone and produce pore-clogging oils. If not cleaned properly this can cause unsightly bacne.

With the use of a loofah (preferably the longer in shape) you can easily glide it up and down without excess strain on your arms and shoulders. Sometimes when you are in a rush, it’s the simple solutions that you tend to overlook. And there is never ever a reason why we should put up with bacne.

5) Underneath your fingernails

UNDERNEATH YOUR NAILS. The bacteria and germs that live under your nails may actually be the cause of certain illnesses.

You hand sanitize on the go, are constantly washing your hands, maybe even scrubbing – but is that enough to get all the guck that lives underneath your finger nails?

Research has shown that germs that cause vomiting and diarrhea are often found underneath your fingernails. The germs come from handling raw meat, contact with animals, poor toilet hygiene, and that dreaded task of changing soiled diapers.

Simply washing your hands is not sufficient to eliminate the germs that linger under your nails. Invest in a nail brush (it really doesn’t cost much) so that you can thoroughly scrub under, over, and in the corners of your nails to eliminate such health risks. 

Has this list turned you into a germaphobe yet? Just remember not to skimp out on cleaning those hard to reach areas again. No matter how small an area or insignificant a body part may be it is important to be thorough.

At the very least you probably won’t think of the phrase “Don’t forget to scrub under the folds,” the same way again. – Rappler.com

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