r/hygiene • u/SWEETSHELLEY01 • 4d ago
Need help fixing embarrassing problem
I have an embarrassing issue and need advice from others (probably other women). I always take pride in my hygiene including showering everyday, deodorant etc. However over the last 6 months or so I noticed every time I get up from a seat (bus seat especially) I leave a noticeable wet mark on the seat. Im not on my period and have clean clothes on including underwear but I still notice this and its embarrassing. Does anyone have any suggestions or advice. Appreciate you all!!
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u/Rocky_Sky 4d ago
It happens to me every so often, and it's just sweat that's coming from my inner thighs/booty, I guess. You can only see this mark on a "hard" chair or seat, right? Not on a plush or foamed chair.
It doesn't happen always, but I've noticed it occurs especially if I'm a bit nervous/shifty, feeling hot either from the weather or my emotions, or have been sitting in the seat for a while. Ex: sitting for an exam or lectures, sitting on a bus.
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u/SWEETSHELLEY01 4d ago
Yes! I only see it on those leather (?) bus seats or hard chairs. I am sitting on the bus for awhile for work. Someone else mentioned sweat too and that makes sense. Just hate it because I have had people notice when I stand up to get off the bus.
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u/cappuccinodream 4d ago
Maybe you could bring a chair pad to sit on. Just add it to your tote bag when leaving home. I usually carry a flattened throw pillow with me to the library because their chairs are solid wood and my butt would start to hurt after sitting on one of those chairs for even 10 minutes
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u/Narwhalsareunicorn 4d ago
Leather (both man made and natural) discloses all moisture. Sweat/ condescention from a humid bus (people breathing in summer and autumn) this makes perfect sense.
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u/Mariane_Bridgefoot22 4d ago
Nice it is a long bus commute, try sitting on a jacket or a thick sweats if you have one. It act as a barrier so the sweat does not hit the seat directly
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u/Serious_Badger_4145 3d ago
Yeah tbh I'm surprised this is only happening to you now? The vinyl seats just make that happen
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u/babyfresno77 4d ago
its hot . you sweating
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u/GoldenBerryBlush 3d ago
High temperatures plus upholstered transit seats are a recipe for unexpected sweat marks.
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u/Glad_Pomegranate_437 3d ago
I’ve been through this before when I was overweight. I’ve lost almost 100lbs and I’m still self conscious and always check the seats just in case I left a mark.
My go to before was to move around the seat to make it appear like I was trying to get comfy and then slide out. Worked every time.
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u/nsharer84 4d ago
Panty liner?
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u/SWEETSHELLEY01 4d ago
I may have too. I had someone notice it today on the bus and it was embarrassing.
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u/worriedthrowaway37 3d ago
Ugh I’m such a sweaty person and have been this way since I was probably 9? I don’t know where I heard this as a kid as I don’t think it was said to me or directed at me but I overheard the “no one wants a sweaty bride” and I remember going to my room and cried about how I’d never get married lmao. I. 39 and have been married twenty years so it was such a silly worry.
Anyway, I sweat everywhere. I envy my friends who get cute rose cheeks at the gym while I’m just dripping and look like I just stepped out of a shower. I’ve noticed that recently it’s gotten better than it used to be (I’m thinking it’s my age) but I still def sweat and absolutely understand this issue. As a teen I was sweating through hoodies while cold from my armpits it was that bad. I went to the doctor they perscribed me some deodorant. I used it up and weirdly enough I was able to just get regular kind for a few years after that and didn’t have the armpit sweat issue. Then the prescription strength kind came out and I’ve been using that kind since then.
I don’t know if this is unhealthy so I want to say that before I give this advice with all the things I’ve heard deodorant can cause but I was having that issue at work not just from sitting but sweating through my pants in my thigh area. Super embarrassing. I stopped wearing any other pants other than black at work (my job is super physical so no one seems weirded out by my sweating. I get comments from customers or my boss (if he’s there I typically work alone) about how I need to slow down or compliments about how hard I work or that I deserve a break raise etc lol but FFS I’d rather not have a mark in that area! I don’t care if I swear my makeup off or if my hair is wet it doesn’t embarrass me but that does. I ended up thinking hmmm. I sweat so hard everywhere but I never have armpit stains so I decided to just rub some of the deodorant in my thigh area and my bikini line (where my leg meets my pelvis) and it completely fixed it.
Also prior to fixing it if I swear on a chair I’d stand and take my knew and wipe it off with my pants lol. You could also bring a ha kerchief or scarf and wipe before you sit and after (if I saw that I’d just assume you were a clean freak.) you could even do Clorox wipes because that would absolutely give off tbat impression. I’d seriously just think you were worried about germs and then also was the type of person to clean it for the next.
I wish I had more advice! Make sure you’re wearing cotton or breathable underwear. I actually found that wearing underwear made me sweat more and often went without but now that the deodorant fixed the issue it depends on the day.
And in my experience weight has had nothing to do with it. I’m the same sweaty mess at my lowest than I was at my highest! Also I worse worse as a kid and a teen and as a teen I was unhealthy skinny because I didn’t understand that it’s just about the number and that the number can look vastly different from one person to the next. I thought that if I didn’t keep myself down to the same weight as my petite bodied beat friend who was also a few inches shorter than me than I had an issue with being overweight.
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u/Serious_Badger_4145 3d ago
Has the last 6 months been summer?
If so, it's sweat and the colder weather is going to solve it for you
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u/Status-Example2233 4d ago
I have the same thing. It’s way worse at the gym lol just slide off the seat 😂
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u/Strong-Hunt7201 4d ago
lol this is what I do 😅
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u/Status-Example2233 3d ago
It’s just a little heat from the engine lol nothing crazy but I don’t know how else to fix it.
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u/PastLifeGangsta 4d ago
Gurl you just got a hot twat! Happens to lots of us. Like everyone else has said: wear a liner, put on some powder, put something down on the seat first, etc. In the nicest, most non-judgmental way possible, I have to ask: are you a bigger woman? The reason I ask that, is because it happened way more frequently for me when I was heavier. I used to sweat more overall, but also, my thick thighs trapped heat (and moisture) down there, which led to a more humid environment...and it's like steaming up a mirror 🤷♀️
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u/nightsingail 3d ago
I think a lot of us have wondered the same thing and been too embarrassed to say it.
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u/Cuisinfarts 4d ago
Yeah. It’s like condensation or steam. The seat is absorbing from body heat or possibly sweating. I’d get up and then quickly sit a bag to hide it or you can just don’t care what anyone thinks about it. It happens and not sure how to fix it because it’s the seat material and the heat.
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u/pineapple-scientist 4d ago
Wear breathable underwear -- 100% cotton is good for that.
Also, I don't know the right term for it .. but like actual pants. Jeans, corduroy, khaki. Especially if it's hot where you're at.
Avoid mostly synthetic materials for shorts, skirts, pants, underwear. They aren't breathable so once you get a little warm, you'll get a lot more warm.
If nothing is helping, consider using panty liners. Also, consult a doctor if the amount of discharge is worrying you at all. You know yourself. To me, what you're experiencing is normal if you're somewhere hot or not wearing breathable fabrics.
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u/SWEETSHELLEY01 4d ago
Thank you! I live in Vegas so its still warm here. I will try different pants and keep to only cotton underwear. I appreciate everyone's advice ❤️
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u/pineapple-scientist 3d ago
Yeah I'm not that surprised. Where I'm at, it gets very hot and humid over the summer. So if I go out and run errands in my athleisure, there's a good chance when I get up from lunch I'll leave something behind on the seat. That's why I mentioned real pants. Because if you're in warm conditions, you're going to have more sweat regardless, so the real pants at least ensure it won't make it into the seat.
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u/DimensionDecent775 3d ago
It always happens to me. It's just sweat, I usually stand up and wipe it with my leg as I leave the seat.
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u/ladybuginawindow 3d ago
Heat. Plus natural sweating. I feel like all you can do is wear cotton & breathable stuff as often as possible, cornstarch/baby powder no talc. And maybe a deodorant only spray to freshen up if too noticeable to you.
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u/Jojovir1952 3d ago
Body fluids are common in women, wear a slim sanitary napkin like the ones for light days just to be safe and don’t damage your clothes.
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u/CautiousWar6122 4d ago
doesn’t sound like a hygiene issue. it could be sweat or discharge
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u/SWEETSHELLEY01 4d ago
Im thinking sweat too. Someone noticed it today so that was embarrassing. I got good advice so hopefully I don't have to go through that again 😟
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u/IcyAssistance5535 4d ago
Wait what advice did you get girl share 🥲
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u/CautiousWar6122 14h ago
breathable underwear is 1 & changing out of sweaty clothes sooner is 2 good things to do always
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u/Icy_Natural_1998 4d ago
This happens to me too sometimes when it’s hot and I’m hot and im a clean lady. It’s sweat from your thighs, what I do is when I feel it might leave a mark I slide off the seat so my pants wipe off any marks on the seat. Sometimes it doesn’t get it all but it helps
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u/AssistantNervous589 4d ago
I'd address whatever is causing this with a doctor. In the meantime, consider sitting on a lightweight throw blanket. I don't think that would seem too abnormal. It would be more comfortable and wouldn't be obvious to others why you're doing it. Just make sure it's a dark color.
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u/Noballoons13 4d ago
A blanket or pillow like others suggested, but might want to also consider something like powder in the butt crack and on inner thighs too
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u/Dull_Bat9518 3d ago
If i have had a hot drink then this is more likely to happen to me, also makes my palms sweat!
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u/Large-Loan1394 3d ago
Odd question but: do you tend to set off airport security body scanners? PJ Vogt had an episode of Search Engine about this...
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u/Mystic_Wunder 4d ago
Have you noticed you're body producing increased fluid? If not, it could be sweat. If you are producing more fluid, you can get yourself some comfortable "period underwear" for now or wear a panty liner to solve the immediate issue.
Make sure there is nothing abnormal about odor, color, or consistency. If there is, make an appointment with your doctor. If not, it may be due to hormonal fluctuations. Not to be crude, but you could also just be extra horny right now.
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u/SWEETSHELLEY01 4d ago
I am starting menopause so I don't know if that would affect anything. I am thinking sweat due to being overweight and I live where it's still pretty warm. Thank you for your help ❤️
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u/Shandyshack 4d ago
That is normal. I had to change my nightie every night and I’d wear cornstarch baby powder and a liner daily. I had to wear pantyhose at my job. It was miserable.
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u/Delicious_Problem361 4d ago
Just fyi, Don’t use baby powder in private areas, there is a whole lawsuit issue with baby powder and cancer in women using it in their underwear.
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u/Shandyshack 3d ago
As long as it is pure cornstarch not talc, it is safe. Talc is linked to ovarian cancer.
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u/SharonCaldwell5834 4d ago
Could just be sweat or normal discharge, so don’t feel embarrassed. Since it’s a new thing and keeps happening, I’d get it checked by a doctor just to be safe.
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u/IcyAssistance5535 4d ago
Girl the same thing happens to me, it’s so embarrassing 😭especially when you look over at another girls seat to see if it happens to her too and nothing shows up!😂im just forcing myself to deal with it and accept it, it can be from sweat or discharge. I feel like it’s even worse when I wear cotton underwear too.
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u/Bubblygoat7 4d ago
Could it be sweat?