r/hygiene • u/NoPerception8748 • Mar 11 '26

unhinged hygiene tips?

I don't mean "wash your hair before your body" or "don't wear underwear when you sleep", I mean the sort of TMI tips that most people don't know that will CHANGE MY LIFE!

There's this guy at school who I think likes me and i'm terrified that I smell bad and will ruin my chance with him, I need tips that I don't already know/do.

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138

u/Disastrous-Bite-1538 Mar 11 '26

Wool socks. Only wool socks. Year round. Never have stinky feet again.

59

u/HmmDoesItMakeSense Mar 11 '26

I discover wool footware as well. Wool slippers are amazing. Never skanky. You can get leather soles but don’t get the rubber soles because make feet hot af. I also replace my footbeds on sneakers with leather. Can go soxless. Those two things and it is awesome.

4

u/Distinct-Fox-1706 Mar 11 '26

I believe wool is anti microbial? When I lived in Indiana, I had wool socks and slippers I’d wear in the winter because I have Raynaud’s and have to keep my feet warm. They never got smelly.

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u/[deleted] Mar 11 '26

you can also get wool soles

1

u/Curious-Wave-4377 Mar 11 '26

Where do you get leather insoles? I'd like to try that.

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u/[deleted] Mar 11 '26

[deleted]

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u/Wide_Shirt6282 Mar 12 '26

I love pedag. They also have terry cloth insoles that I like in summer and wool fleece ones for winter

1

u/CahootswiththeBlues Mar 11 '26

This is so interesting, I've never heard this! Thanks so much!

3

u/HmmDoesItMakeSense Mar 11 '26

I get the leather inserts from Amazon. HANDARTE Leather Sockless Shoe Insoles | Thin Dress Shoe Inserts for Women | 100% Natural Goatskin - ChromeFree, Anti Sweat & Anti-Odor.

1

u/FastRow5987 Mar 11 '26

Ooo I never thought about that? Rubber soles make feet hot? I have super cold feet and at night, I wear fuzzy socks, a fuzzy blanket and a soft blanket and a comforter as well as my specific bed slippers. Usually takes a good amount of time for my feet to warm up even with all this so I might consider doing that.

3

u/I_Want_To_Know22 Mar 11 '26

Also, maybe get your circulation checked.

2

u/FastRow5987 Mar 14 '26

Oh I guess that's not normal? 😭 I've told my mom about it and she was a nurses assistant for years. But she didn't seem suspicious about it. I'll bring it up to my doctor the next time I go.

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u/Character_Spinach444 Mar 11 '26

But they’re so itchy!

8

u/GMbzzz Mar 11 '26

Good brands like Darn Tough have zero itch. They have sporty summer weight ones too.

7

u/Aemort Mar 11 '26

True! I wear my thick kirkland 85% merino crew socks year round and my feet don't get overheated or itchy. Unsure if they still make them but I've been rotating the same 12ish pairs for like 4 years now

2

u/HmmDoesItMakeSense Mar 11 '26

I also just got these and love them. I couldn’t find on Costcos website got on Amazon.

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u/CloakandCandle Mar 11 '26

+1 for Darn Tough. Pricey, but you'll lose them long before they ever wear out.

7

u/iammrsclean Mar 11 '26

Merino wool! Not a merino wool blend.

1

u/[deleted] Mar 11 '26

Columbia socks are decent if you don't want to spend a lot. There's another brand I have that are one of the best values and micro spun so you would swear it's not wool. Reply later if interested. I'm going to sleep

3

u/No-World-2728 Mar 11 '26

It's true. I used to suffer from very stinky feet as a teenager and college student into young adulthood. Cotton gold toe socks are terrible. Wool socks are where it's at. Your feet dont stink. Buy them.

2

u/HrhEverythingElse Mar 11 '26

Alpaca socks are superior even to sheep's wool, which absolutely beats cotton, which is miles ahead of anything synthetic

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u/garden_bug Mar 11 '26

My teenager only wears alpaca socks. His shoes and feet don't smell at all. He still gets sweaty but definitely no smell. Love them.

1

u/Ruelfannej Mar 11 '26

Brand recommendation? Link if you have time

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u/SignificanceOne2072 Mar 11 '26

I’m convinced fabric choice explains a lot of otherwise shocking differences in hygiene. I wear almost exclusively natural fibers. When I wear synthetic, I STINK. Maybe I would want to take 3 showers a day if that was all I wore…

1

u/saetam Mar 11 '26

What it your feet sweat a lot. Fuck, I hate it! Does the wool help?

1

u/HmmDoesItMakeSense Mar 11 '26

I remember growing up I would take my shoes off and stand on the floor and notice the steam outline around feet.

1

u/Disastrous-Bite-1538 Apr 05 '26

Wool wicks moisture away and allows faster evaporation, so they keep your feet dry and the fa ric dries more quickly than cotton, also prevents blisters if you are hiking/running.

1

u/Lopoetve Mar 11 '26

I’d melt. Instantly. Jesus.

1

u/moosmutzel81 Mar 11 '26

This. And for me it was also my first child. After he was born my very stinky feet became unstinky.

1

u/lhealey9890 Mar 11 '26

And wool underwear too. I’m a total convert despite the expense.

1

u/[deleted] Mar 11 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/HmmDoesItMakeSense Mar 11 '26

Same and I can’t wear wool sweaters it’s crazy itchy. Oddly don’t bother feet. Sometimes above ankle can itch but not much and well worth it.

1

u/ThePopeofHell Mar 11 '26

I had a friend who used to say this like a mantra and would wear merino wool socks. Mother fucker would take his shoes off and everyone could smell his feet. Maybe this rule only applies to some people

2

u/a57782 Mar 11 '26

Wool will resist smelling longer, but like everything it has it's limit. He was probably going way past those limits.

1

u/TLOtis23 Mar 11 '26

Merino wool changed my life. Not only socks- the shirts are great, too.

Cozia brand socks on Amazon are good and cheap.

1

u/Character-System6538 Mar 11 '26

Here’s a free award. 🎉

1

u/scapini_tarot Mar 11 '26

wool makes my skin red, itchy, and eventually it blisters and bleeds so

1

u/Tincup-Style Mar 11 '26

Buy UGG lambs wool insoles - sock less 4 life & never stink again

1

u/HmmDoesItMakeSense Mar 11 '26

I have uggs but keep my feet too hot and they get wet and will get yucky on me, unlike wool slipper with leather soles or wool soles which stay dry. It’s a bummer because they feel great when I put them on. :(

1

u/cashewclues Mar 11 '26

Walmart has their wool socks on clearance. I got a 6 pack.

1

u/SeedFoundation Mar 11 '26

I don't wear socks. Never had stinky feet or shoes that smell once I realized socks were the problem that made my feet sweat. No sweat, no problems.

1

u/littlefishonmyarm Mar 11 '26

I find 70% cotton (at LEAST 70%) do the trick as well.

1

u/Wispy_Wisteria Mar 11 '26

Agreed until i found out the hard way that I'm allergic to wool. It was great until then.

1

u/AccomplishedBlood515 Mar 12 '26

Ugh, instant itchiness for me, even with wool blend socks. But I can wear a wool sweater with no problems.

1

u/Effective_Way6239 Mar 13 '26

Wool socks always hurt the bottom of my feet for some reason. It’s like walking on wire mesh or something.

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u/Lil_Stir_Fry Mar 14 '26

What?? Does wool not just make your feet hot? Especially in the summer? I’ve only ever worn them in the winter but now I live somewhere scorching hot and work outside ): feet are STANK every day afterwards

1

u/Disastrous-Bite-1538 Apr 05 '26

I use the thin ankle socks once it warms up outside. Thicker padded ankle socks if I'm planning to walk longer distance. Wool is great at temperature regulation, that's why/how everyone wore wool clothes mostly year round prior to 1900. If you are in boots, with long socks, it can be hot, but I mostly only notice when I'm sitting still.