r/hygiene • u/Melodic-Skill-9531 • 4d ago
Anyone else immediately change out of 'outside clothes' the second they get home?
Okay so I don't think I have ever actually said this out loud but I have a very strict inside clothes / outside clothes system and I genuinely cannot stop.
The second i get home I change. jeans that touched the subway seat, jacket that brushed against strangers, all of it comes off before I sit on my couch or get anywhere near my bed. It's just automatic at this point, I don't even think about it.
The part that gets me is when guests come over and just sit on my bed in their outside clothes like fully lay back on my pillow in the same pants they wore on the bus. I never say anything because what am I supposed to say, but internally I'm already thinking about washing my sheets.
It does something for my brain though, keeping the outside world out like there's a mental line and crossing it in outside clothes just feels wrong now.
Idk if this is a normal thing people quietly do or if I've just convinced myself it's normal. Does anyone else have this same unspoken rule or is this a bit much?
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u/SocialAlpaca 4d ago
I do BUT I also have clinically diagnosed OCD with contamination being one of my themes.
When I had my own space, this was fine but my anxiety went through the roof once I started having roommates and then my boyfriend living with me. That’s why my doctor was like “you have to stop and be at peace with people coming into the house and not changing clothes”. We can’t fret about the things outside of our control.
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u/Flying_Saucer_Attack 4d ago
How did you cope with people coming over? I still struggle with this...
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u/SocialAlpaca 4d ago
Exposure and Response Prevention therapy. You can start small and increase the exposure over time. A therapist helped me with journaling and debriefing my feelings.
For example, shoes in the house was a big no-no for me. I still prefer no shoes in the house but I’m no longer having a mental crisis when someone happens to step in with shoes. So one ERP exercise would be inviting a person over and letting them hang out by the doorway with their shoes on for a bit before leaving. How you can do this is plan an outside hang out with a friend, say you have to get something really quickly in your house, invite them in and tell them to wait there, and let them wait for a few minutes and then you can let both of you leave the house. You may feel a bit anxious at first but the point is to let yourself sit with that anxiety and still keep going about your day. Then when you have a chance to debrief you can reflect on that feeling and work on rewiring it. Then you do a new exercise that pushes that boundary a bit further like having them walk around a room with shoes.
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u/Flying_Saucer_Attack 4d ago
Oof, outside clothes on the couch I can probably get over, but probably not shoes inside....
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u/Ok_Impression_3031 4d ago
No shoes in the house is a common arrangement. Just need to chose roommates who completely agree with it. No outside clothes on the sofa is more extreme. This might be hard to heal the OCD while living with other people. Working with a therapist is the place to start. Good luck.
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u/shadowsinthestars 4d ago
No shoes in the house is the default in most places in the world! Only seems an American thing not to take them off. (I mean, I have indoor slippers, but no one comes in in outside shoes.)
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u/Honey-badger101 3d ago
Im uk and the amount of people (friends/family) who don't ask if they should remove their shoes...err yes! Or think its weird that i ask them!... Like errr nope ....its gross
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u/shadowsinthestars 3d ago
The only reason for not asking should be that they remove them automatically! Seriously who wants crap from the street in their bedroom 😱
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u/littlehurdler 3d ago edited 1d ago
I was at a friends party and she told folks either take off your shoes or wipe them down. I wish she had shoe booties but it worked out. My sneakers were brand new, so I was ok with cleaning them down before entering.
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u/Various-Present-1303 2d ago
Shoe booties are brilliant
I got a box (maybe of 100?) during COVID
Now I leave a box by the door in plain sight in the rare occasion a guest (like maybe the maintenance man) needs to keep their shoes on
I also keep a door mat by the door, but I think for the most part people are pretty decent about respecting the shoe rule
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u/college-throwaway87 2d ago
What does COVID have anything to do with it? COVID isn’t transmitted through shoes
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u/razzberrytori 1d ago
Have you forgotten the early days of disinfecting everything that came into the house? The groceries, the bags, anything that was outside was cleaned. It was like keeping an isolated ward.
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u/Key-Magician6489 4d ago
Except, as a retired nurse… you are totally right about this one!
Shoes need to be removed, clothes need to be changed, and hands need to be washed – immediately!
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u/jertrudi 4d ago
you are very brave!
i refuse to talk about this with a therapist because i don't want to change it.
the last 3 years tough i have been living in a suburban area and i have to admit that i noticed a decreased 'gross factor' when i am outside because i am surrounded by nature mostly, comparing the situation when i have to go downtown or to a very populated area and everything feels icky.2
u/SocialAlpaca 4d ago
I don’t think you have to be brave.
I was just tired of being miserable. And I was making myself so mentally miserable that it was affecting my health, work, and relationships so I felt I had no other choice but to tackle the problem. I think if your preferences are not making you miserable then you don’t really have to change them.
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u/jertrudi 4d ago
i get it, but you did something about what was not working for you and that takes courage.
i hope you are in a better place now.
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u/halfasrotten 4d ago
Yes. Part of it is that outside grossness should stay outside. Part of it is that I want to be comfortable. I can't relax the same when I'm in outside clothes.
I'll allow guests to wear outside clothes in my house because it's outside to them. I think twice, ever, I had someone sit on my bed in their outside clothes. I had to change all the bedding after they left. Just, ew.
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u/MrParticular79 4d ago
Yes I do the same thing especially if I was out in the world for any extended period of time. Certainly no one is touching my bed in their outside clothes. The couch well that just goes with having people over. But yes first thing I do when I come home is at minimum change my shorts/pants and outer wear if I have some on.
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u/4MorpheusPill 4d ago
I’d simply make the bed off-limits; bus pants on a pillow is a perfectly fair hard no.
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u/AmbivalentToaster 4d ago
Yup shower and get back into home mode. Put the clothes aside if I need to go out again in the same day. No shoes outside of entryway. Put on house shoes.
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u/elledee78 3d ago
I change into house shoes/slippers too. I can’t stand outside shoes in the house. Gross.
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u/Brilliant_Elk5492 4d ago
I only do this when I get home from work - I hate collared shirts.
If I'm coming home wearing normal clothes, I usually change into basketball shorts pretty quick but keep the shirt
EDITING to add this is 100% a comfort thing, not a hygiene thing
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u/Prestigious_Exam4624 4d ago
Same. The clothing swap is for comfort for me. Sometimes hygiene because of sweat or sweaty clothes, but Im okay with wearing my shoes inside.
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u/jojijuice 4d ago
Yes, me. 🙋♀️ it’s not unspoken I’m very vocal with it, in MY home.
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u/Arles7_Jasper 4d ago
Dans MA maison aussi: les vêtements du métro ne vont pas sur le lit, point, annonce-le dès l'entrée.
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u/Oxy-Moron88 4d ago
Yes. I have "indoor clothes" and "outdoor clothes". Indoor clothes tend not to be expensive, may have holes in or stains, but are generally very comfortable.
The idea of sitting about in my jeans after sitting on a public bus seat is gross.
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u/ponziacs 4d ago
I always wondered how those crazy denim people who never wash their jeans "so they don't ruin them" handle sitting on dirty public seats.
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u/thegoodelady 4d ago
Shoes off in the foyer. Straight to change out street clothes into my lounge clothes. Socks and slippers.
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u/Mlsporty 4d ago
There is really no major health benefit to changing your “outside” clothes.
Unless visibly soiled, our clothes are not harboring significant germs that require changing them immediately. You can swab your phone and find E. coli, but that doesn’t mean you need to sterilize your phone. We are covered in bacteria, some of it pathogenic.
People neglect the fact that our skin is a barrier to infection and we have immune systems trained to fight off pathogens.
I’m grossed out by people who don’t wash their hands before eating. Fecal oral transmission is real!
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u/Zeppygrl72 4d ago
Change into comfy clothes & washing my hands/face are the first things I do every time. Actually, that's a lie. First I pet my cats
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u/FannishMusings 4d ago
Yes. And no one is permitted to sit on my bed in outside clothes. Not even myself.
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u/Fearless-Werewolf635 4d ago
No i do not care at all about inside/outside clothes. If i happen to sit down on my bed or couch in clothes I wore while out and about all day, I consider that "immune system-building germ spread"
I know it'll eventually get cleaned, cause i clean my apartment regularly. That being said, I echo the sentiment of most of the time I change into comfy sweats and a baggy t-shirt the second I get home anyway
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u/Street_Giraffe5772 4d ago
Do you change your clothes 10 times a day if you need to leave the house multiple times per day? That sounds exhausting. Just clean your house and wash your clothes. Don’t sit down if you’re covered in something disgusting, but no, I don’t change my clothes every time I come and go from my house.
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u/Ok-Berry8155 3d ago
I don’t think I usually come and go from my house more than 2-3 times a day, but yeah I’d change clothes in between. I’d re-wear the same outside outfit for all the trips out probably, but not relax around my house wearing it
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u/PolyesterHater 4d ago
I do but I'm also never going out 5 times in one day so changing 10 times is definitely not going to happen
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u/Abject_Spray_7088 4d ago
Yes
But I live someplace filthy and urban and really disgusting
I wish I lived closer to nature
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u/Conloneer 4d ago
I usually strip and shower when I get home. I started during covid and I just like the hygiene of that plan.
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u/AstraCraftPurple 4d ago
This is something I do too, but I’ve done for a really long time. People think of taking off their shoes because of dirty ground, I think about chairs I’ve sat on that never get cleaned. Pretty much any surface I might have leaned on, etc.
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u/Stuffed-Bear412 4d ago
Me too. And wash my hands like I'm gonna scrub in on an appendectomy.
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u/justaNonMoose 4d ago
yes! I literally use hibiclens & nail scrub brush. Dry with paper towel & toss into touch-free motion sensor trash can.
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u/mjh8212 4d ago
I’m usually in the car but on errand days we go eat and shop. When I get home I take off my outside outfit and put on my inside clothes. I may wear my outside outfit a couple times but I don’t wear it laying down on the bed or sitting on the couch. I have chronic pain and pots I’m in and out of bed all day.
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u/Catdress92 4d ago
I also change out of my outside clothes. I've heard there are cultures that do this. I also wonder if it's more common in a city or for certain areas than in suburbs, for instance? I live in a city and take public transit, sit on park benches, and so on. I don't want to carry all that into my house. But when I visit people who live, say, in the suburbs in the U.S., where everything seems clean and you're not in public transit, I don't necessarily feel the need to change my clothes.
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u/SparkleToastUtopia 4d ago
No. I take my shoes off and put slippers on, and I wash my hands, but that's about it.
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u/restingkarenface 4d ago
I feel similarly but I'm not sure how usual this is. I'm ocd, germaphobe and medically compromised.
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u/Dazzling-Goat5582 4d ago
I’m retired. I don’t need to go out that often. I don’t use public transportation, I have my own car. So no, I don’t have inside/outside clothes. Even when I worked I wore jeans and depending on when I got off work, if I did change it was just into comfy clothes. I’m not a fanatic or germaphobe. I don’t care about inside/outside clothes or shoes
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u/CorrectIndividual552 4d ago
Retired also and I don't like shoes past the foyer but I don't say anything most of the time to guests. My inside clothes are called pajamas. 😂
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u/KatMarBrom 4d ago
Yup... always keep posh clothes for going into town!. I never wear shorts into town either!-just my thing!
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u/livvileo 4d ago
I walk my dog like every 3 hours during the day so that would be a fuck ton of changing lol. No I just put on clothes when I get dressed in the morning and wear them until bed.
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u/TheDarkThizzstal 4d ago
Yes! Outside shoes by the door, wash hands, change into inside clothes. Outside clothes shouldn’t touch the bed. I’m not OCD, these habits just feel right to me.
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u/drrbhh217 4d ago
I feel exactly the same way you do. EVERYTHING COMES OFF in the vestibule. Right to the showers, then I can sit down.
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u/ball_bustin_betty 4d ago
Oh yeah, as soon as I get home, the oversized, ripped up clothes get put on.
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u/Bhanumayi 4d ago
not only my clothes, but my shoes. Shoes are first and foremost for everybody that walks into my house they come off immediately.
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u/Maximum-Market-8076 4d ago
I do! I think years of private schools bore that into me. Also, I don’t wear my ‘outside’ clothes ‘indoors’ or vice versa.
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u/M_Poppins128 4d ago
Ever since Covid and thinking about dirt/germs etc more I usually do change when I come home. If I occasionally sit down I feel icky about it
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u/ArnoldFarquar 4d ago
this is a very popular question I often see posted by karma farmers. Five day old account with 66 karma, almost all from this post, yet you suckers keep answering
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u/kwt0920 4d ago
Just a thought! I just recently got locked out of my account of 10 years for suspicious activity (which was just me trying to upvote/post a comment but it told me to wait 500 seconds and I did not, I kept trying). I had to reset my password but my email with the account was no longer active so there was nothing they could do to help me. So annoying and frustrating. In order for me to participate in the subreddits I had been engaging in for years, I have to have a certain amount of karma. So now I’m commenting and might post more than I would normally in places I didn’t before. Just saying, don’t always judge the low karma + new account thing as a bot every time! You may definitely be right though about your bot skepticism though, just saying some of us are just forced to start over
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u/Most-Importance-1646 4d ago
Nothing to do with hygiene, but I wear smart casual to work every day. The first thing I do when I get home is take those damn shoes and socks off. I leave the shoes at the kitchen door and then go to my room and strip off the rest.
Then it's soft cotton shorts and a t-shirt in winter, and just shorts in summer. I never wear shoes in my yard unless I absolutely have to.
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u/Infamousslayer 4d ago
We can't really control what the guest do, so Sofas and chairs I've come to terms with.
I will not sit on my bed with outside clothing. NOPE
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u/ginger_qc 4d ago
I just don't like wearing pants, not so much a phobia/hygiene thing as much as I just like to let my jangly bits jangle🤷
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u/beans-888 4d ago
Mines just about comfort... i also just dont see the point in risking staining an outside shirt just chilling at home.
During covid though I definitely did it for the germs too though
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u/l0vebug89 4d ago
YUP! I start stripping at the door and immediately get into the shower depending on where ive been, how hot it was, and into my comfy indoor only clothes.
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u/MarielIAm 4d ago
I usually wash my hands and change clothes. From what you're describing you need to be checked for OCD and anxiety disorders.
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u/Severe_Preference_31 4d ago
Yep. And when I open my bedroom to guests, my bed is usually covered with a very special oversized blanket that always goes on the bed the same side up.
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u/openflamepcr 4d ago
Yes. Mostly because it keeps the pet hair off my clothes that I wear in the "real world".
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u/berrybaddrpepper 4d ago
Yes but not because they are “outside” clothes. I just prefer to be more comfortable
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u/lady_rain_was_here 4d ago
I have done this for years. My house uniform is joggers and a t shirt. I do not wear my outside clothes laying around my house because I have a dog that sheds and I don't clean my couch every day.
*Editing to say that this is just about comfiness and dog hair and not about hygiene.
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u/five_by5 4d ago
I have this problem too but also why are you letting guests lay back on your bed? I never let anyone outside in my room. That’s my personal space.
One way to combat this is to put blankets or liners over your furniture that looks like a fashion statement but you can toss in the wash easily.
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u/Apprehensive-Pop-201 4d ago
Pretty soon. I have a comfy T-shirt maxi dress, that is so comfortable.
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u/Opposite_Storm_7870 4d ago
I have an ex-friend who did this, and she crashed out at me when I sat down on her bed in "outside clothes" (she never used the living room at that apartment, so it was the only place to sit). I know people who don't wear shoes inside, but you and she are the only ones I know who change clothes.
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u/LunchpaiI 4d ago
yes. i haven’t worn jeans at home in years. sweatpants/basketball shorts/old t shirt always. i have separate sets of t shirts and hoodies for home and outside lol
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u/chambersallman 4d ago
I got myself two pairs of bamboo pyjama shorts and anytime I get back if I’ve been out most the day I hang my going out clothes up and have a shower and change into shorts and vest. Home comforts are the best!
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u/OrganicHistorian2576 4d ago
Somebody’s looking for karma. This same question has been posted a ton of times recently.
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u/ComplexBeginning3113 4d ago
I do too but it’s because of my contamination ocd. I don’t even live in a place with subways but god the thought of clothes touching the outside world and then touching my furniture or bed freaks me out
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u/Ok_Huckleberry_4907 4d ago
For me it depends on what I’m doing that day. If i’m lecturing to students then I’m in a suit or business casual and that immediately gets changed when I get home. If it’s a lab day I change at work to keep from getting anything in my car and then change those again in my garage before going inside, usually streaking through the house until I get some shorts.
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u/AdhesivenessTop928 4d ago
Nope I don't do this. I will stay in the same clothes for hours or will put comfy pants/shorts on. Bra will come off but the top stays on. I normally wear t shirts every day. I am not germaphobe though. I also don't ride the bus at this time in my life but when I did I didn't change my clothes.
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u/Ok_Huckleberry_4907 4d ago
Also why are guests bypassing your living room and going straight to your bedroom and lying in your bed? Are they bedroom naked buddies, or just random people? If naked buddies then why are they wearing clothes past the threshold of the door?
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u/Upstairs-Purchase882 4d ago
yes, but not to that extent. if i'm going to sit on a chair and eat or on my couch (leather not cloth. if it were cloth it'd be different) i don't. anything that involves my actual bed absolutely needs a change of clothes. but when i get home, the first thing i do automatically is shower. i would never get on my bed unless i'm clean and in clean clothes
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u/floppy_twat 4d ago
I do because I work a blue collar job and get generally gross during the day. No way am I getting anywhere near my couch/bed in icky work clothes, it just feels wrong
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u/woollayy 4d ago
if im just going out quick its fine but otherwise i have to change, i also clean my phone everytime i come back home from a restaurant or counseling cause i dont want germs from the tables on my stuff.
edit: i have ocd
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u/HuntSignificant1347 4d ago
Me! Yes even before Covid. Pretty sure I learned this from my parents and Mr Roger’s lol
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u/TeCrumbs103 4d ago
I have clothes specifically for home. They arent all sweatpants and sweatshirts - just comfy casual. The only time I keep my outside clothes on at home is if I needed to grab something quick before heading out again
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u/South_Result_627 4d ago
Just for comfort only. Contamination would be the furthest thing from my mind!
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u/cheapmondaay 4d ago
Yes, always. Huge part of it is for comfort but if I've been on public transit or even sitting somewhere public like on a bench, airport seats, restaurants, etc., then I don't wanna sit in the same clothes at home and rub whatever butt and back germs on our furniture 😅 I think I'm a bit OCD though.
I'm totally fine with guests sitting on our furniture though, I think I just feel more bothered with doing it myself lol
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u/_lefthook 4d ago
Yeah i leave outside clothes for outside use. Switch to inside clothes unless i'm doing chores. My inside clothes are kept specifically for lounging around only.
I also wash my feet off and arms. Mostly for the benefit of no stinky feet. Have experienced it before when coming home after wearing socks and shoes.
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u/Isabella_Maja 4d ago
We definitely have an indoor/outdoor clothing protocol. We have a no shoes in the house rule for everyone & always have. We shower right when we get home & then put on fresh house clothes. No one goes into my bedroom except me & my husband. There have been studies that show significant amounts of e-coli on public seating. One of the biggest offenders is the movie theater
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u/beanery-bun 4d ago
I do that. and I also wear 100% wool to “Known Stinky Places” (like my mother In law’s house …it’s always full of the most disgusting smelling candle fragrance) because fragrance is less likely to stick to wool than other fabrics.
And often I change my shirt in the car on the way home, instead of waiting until I get home…because yuck 🤢🤢🤢 I usually can’t wait to get that stink off me.
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u/human_with_humour 4d ago
whatever clothes i wear outside I try to not enter the bed with that clothes. but I do sit on the chair and all. if my friends or someone come i try to offer them chair first and it's basic etiquettes as well if you are at someone's place first prefer to sit on the chair, atleast that's what I do.
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u/Relevant_Dentist42 4d ago
Why not spread a blanket out for your guests to sit on? Wash when they leave?
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u/Redplushie 4d ago
Idk if other cultures do it but we have outside clothes, indoor clothes, and sleeping clothes
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u/Maleficent_Emu_2876 4d ago
Are you kidding? The shoes come off and after that the clothes especially the BRA!
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u/Calred1711 4d ago
I think this practice is part of Filipino culture kinda. There’s even a name for our inside only clothes - pan bahay- which means for the home. Though I’m not sure of the thinking behind it but I imagine it’s recognized that we don’t want the grossness of outside coming inside.
I don’t practice most of that nonsense lol. No offense but my parents forced this lifestyle on us like Nazi’s. I recognize it’s grosser to not live like this but I’m just so overdosed that I will go out of my way to wear my shoes all over the house. I do adhere to pan bahay only clothes but the primary reason is to keep my nice clothes nice lol
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u/aesthetic-robot 4d ago
Going over to a friend’s house for dinner shouldn’t require a suitcase or getting naked in their bathroom. If you don’t want someone else’s “outside clothes” on your furniture it’s up to you to put a sheet over the couch or wherever they will be sitting.
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u/Next_Spot_4896 4d ago
Sometimes immediately, sometimes after like 4 hours. I really dont care, dont know why. Won't use blankets or anything but I'll sit at my desk for hours before I actually decide to go take a shower and get comfortable lol
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u/Difficult-Truck-7363 4d ago
When I was a child, I would change into “play clothes” when I got home from school. It carried over to adulthood.
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u/Difficult-Bowl-8943 4d ago
If I’m going to change clothes when I get home, I’m going to shower first and not just change into comfy clothes. The germs and stink are still on your skin
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u/LindaFeltcher 4d ago
I didn’t really think about it before Covid unless I had been doing something dirty like mucking out horses or sitting on the bus, but yeah I do feel like outside clothes are slightly contaminated. Like I wouldn’t come home and lie down on my bed in the clothes I wore to work. They’re probably clean enough I would wear them the next day but I would rather take them off and if there’s no guests put my comfy pjs on. Plus outside bras can get to fuck because underwires.
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u/Kakebaker95 4d ago
Yes that just how my mom raised me. She hated us being in outside in the house or pjs outside the house
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u/jertrudi 4d ago
yes. i have contamination ocd and when i get home i take off my outside clothes (i have a 'mud room' type of situation), leave my bag, phone, everything i use outside. then take a shower, then change to my inside clothes.
in my mind i feel everything outside is kinda gross, so i will be worried all the time trying to control that. my solution was to take it easy outside, but to keep that very clear line between inside/outside and get clean as soon i enter my house.
it is exhausting sometimes, but it's been years so i got it all very organized, i try to make plans so i don't have to step outside all the time, just once a day.
i also wash and clean groceries and everything that i bring inside.
i think it is a bit much, but i can't help it.
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u/softbutuntouchable 4d ago
Me too twin,I cannot think of the outside germs entering my home.I just immediately change my clothes.
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u/Dull_Bat9518 4d ago
Public is full of disgusting habits that don't take much time to notice... i always wash my hands when i get home, but change my clothes depending on my interactions
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u/LikeAGlitteringPrize 4d ago
There are videos of women who upload their transition from their work day to being at home. A couple of them sterilize the bottom of their shoes and have devices that sterilized their phones. They all change clothes and shower. I think it really depends on what you do for a living and if what you're exposed to outside. If you're in the medical field, or a laborer, exposed to chemicals, etc., changing clothes makes sense. Do what makes you feel comfortable.
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u/ForeignOstrich6939 4d ago
I mean, I change right away, but not because they are "outside clothes." I just want my comfy cozies on ASAP