6 Bad Bathroom Habits to Kick for Healthy Living

Do you actually enjoy using your bathroom, or do you usually feel like getting in and out within the shortest time possible? Well, bathrooms are essential, and we could all stand to make ours a little more comfortable to use. After all, it’s the place the where we freshen up in the morning, shower, shave, put on make up, and even soak in the tub at the end of a long day at work.

But before you start thinking of aesthetics and decor changes, you have to consider the cleanliness of your bathroom. The toilet bowl alone holds millions of germs on its surfaces, and any poor hygiene on your part could easily spread those germs to the rest of your home. Accessories like curtains, loofahs, towels, wipes, and blinds can also harbor micro-organisms as a result of bad bathroom upkeep.

Over time, the buildup of these germs could hurt not just your health, but also damage your bathroom’s plumbing, floors, walls, curtains, and bathtub. That’s why it’s especially important to ditch these 6 bad bathroom habits ASAP:

Never Replacing or Washing Your Loofah

New loofahs scrub well, but they wear with time depending on how often you use them. On top of that, it’s all too easy to forget to clean your loofah after a shower when you’re in a hurry to get dressed and leave. As such, you’ll need to replace them more often to get rid of old ones that hold dead skin cell debris and germs.

The more your loofah stays on bathroom surfaces with soap lather, dirt, and dead skin cells still on it, the more it becomes a breeding ground for germs. These germs can give you skin infections or itchy rashes, so you’ll find it in your best interest to always wash your loofah after using it, and dry it in a place that isn’t wet.

Waiting Too Long to Replace Your Shaving Razors and Toothbrushes

Life can get really busy at times, and if you’re like most of us, you may not remember to replace your toothbrush or shaving razor unless it starts causing you problems. Your morning rush may also not give you enough time to put these things in their proper place.

You’ll need to do better than this if you want avoid teeth and skin problems down the road. Replace your toothbrush at least every three months, and your razor blades even more often, depending on how much you use them. If it becomes too hard to remember, simply set a reminder on your phone or write it down on a whiteboard.

Just Disinfecting Instead of Deep Cleaning Surfaces

Every surface in your bathroom, including the floor, walls, countertops, shower, bathtub, and sinks, needs to get disinfected regularly – and if your bathroom gets used daily, that means really regularly. But before you start disinfecting such surfaces, it’s necessary to actually clean them. Disinfectants aren’t cleaners, after all, and they can’t do their work well if they’re overwhelmed by the mess on the surfaces they’re put on.

Start by doing some thorough cleaning using an ideal cleaning agent to eliminate all the dirt and grime from these surfaces. While you’re at it, you should also remember to clean your shower curtains and liners to keep them from accumulating unwanted germs.

Not Rinsing Your Bathtub or Shower After Use

You may not want to hear it, but your shower and bath are covered in residual dirt, soap scum, dead skin cells, and any other creams you may use to bathe. If you don’t clean their surfaces after use, all that nasty stuff sticks right to their sides. You may be in a hurry to get to work, but taking a minute or two to simply rinse them off will work wonders towards eliminating debris and preventing its accumulation.

You should also make sure that you’re using suitable products when deep cleaning these surfaces to avoid damaging them. And, if you can help it, try to find a better place than the bath or shower floor for your shampoos and soaps.

Flushing the Wrong Waste Down Your Toilet

Flushing any items down the toilet that can’t biodegrade often causes blockage and plumbing problems that can affect an entire sewage system. At the start of the coronavirus pandemic, for instance, the shortage of regular toilet paper got many people using alternatives that are less-than-ideal for flushing. For instance, many homes started using “flushable” wipes.

Though they might be designated as “flushable,” many of these alternatives aren’t really made for your plumbing and sewage systems. For that reason alone, you should always do your best to keep your bathroom well-stocked on standard flushable toilet paper.

Leaving Wet Towels in Dark, Damp Bathrooms

The humidity you leave on your towels can make them perfect breeding grounds for germs. It also damages their fabric, making them a lot more susceptible to easy tearing during washing. To avoid these problems, just hang your towel in a dry spot that gets some sunshine and air flow after showering.

The Bottom Line

A clean bathroom with dry towels and sparkling surfaces can’t help but make your living experience better. Ditching these six bad bathroom habits will ensure that your bathroom stays fresh and clean for years to come while protecting you and your family from possible diseases.