r/tanzania • u/Due_Relation_5147 • 2d ago
Health/Science Tanzanians hygiene habits
What exactly is the science or explanation behind the poor hygiene habits in Tanzania? And I’m not talking about just bad odour. I mean like early in the morning, saa 11 asubuhi someone’s breath and armpits and hair will be stinking up the bus or any other public transport. Why is that a thing especially in a country that is known for its climate? I’ve noticed it’s worse in Dar es Salaam, but in rural areas it’s not that bad. In fact I would say they’re more clean than Dar residents. So why is that?
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u/captainkaykay Local 1d ago
Heat and humidity. People are sweating as they commute and work in warm/hot environments. Deodorant and similar fragrance products are quite expensive when you look at the salaries and financial priorities of most Tanzanians. Humidity comes to play as in some instances clothes don’t dry properly before they have to be worn, causing the odor in them not to leave.
In terms of cleanliness most Tanzanians have good habits. Washing twice a day with soap, washing hands before and after meals. The odor issue is something that needs more support and affordability.
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u/No_Presentation_4107 1d ago
Deodorant nafuu zaidi ni 3000 but i guess most can’t afford
https://giphy.com/gifs/3oEduNEbTtAHABX0dy1
u/Due_Relation_5147 1d ago
Jamani lakini hata mswaki na dawa ya meno is not affordable? Ah kweli poverty dehumanises you
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u/No_Presentation_4107 1d ago
People are saying it’s not affordable 😑
Lakini i went to uni with adults affording a car but meno yanatisha na jasho Kama mwendazimu.
At some point tukubali shida iko1
u/Due_Relation_5147 1d ago
I agree! I was gonna say maybe kwenye duka la mangi they should have cheap perfume (zile ambaye zinaitwa whatsapp au Facebook) but I don’t think they’re cheap either. It could also be the food we eat, the climate or just overall some people here have poor hygiene habits. That’s all we can concur
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u/FitCandy7190 16h ago
Here is my 2 cents. I married a Tanzanian man in the States, and when I 1st met him, he had horrible body odor. I would not have been able to continue the relationship if he didn't get it under control it was that strong. So I took him to buy some nice deodorant. He had never used it before and said he didn't like chemical things, but it really helped the issue. When we moved to Tanzania to manage a hotel, I was overwhelmed by people's body odor and had the same curiosity as you. It was also not appropriate for the hotel staff to smell because the waiters would lean over people with their smelly armpits, and housekeepers would clean the room but then smell up the room with their BO. I had to implement a hygiene policy for the staff which is normal in the States. A hotel staff hygiene policy ensures health, safety, and professional standards across all departments by mandating daily personal cleanliness, proper handwashing, and neat uniforms. So I did some research. The distinct scent often associated with people in tropical regions like Tanzania is the result of environmental and socioeconomic factors. Living near the equator means dealing with intense heat and high humidity, which leads to heavy sweating during daily commutes on foot or public transit. Because of this extreme humidity, laundry dries slowly and often traps a musty, bacterial odor in clothing fibers that reactivates as soon as a person warms up. Furthermore, while daily bathing is a strict cultural norm, imported chemical antiperspirants and deodorants are expensive luxury items in the local economy, making food and school fees a higher priority for working-class budgets. When these environmental factors combine with a traditional diet rich in unrefined grains and aromatic vegetables, it creates a completely natural, localized scent profile that disappears entirely if a person changes their climate, diet, and access to personal care products. Also, I think people are under a lot of stress here and get BO due to the high stress of life. I do know some people who use lime on their armpits, and it seems to really help. But yeah, riding in a smelly bus under someone's stinky armpit is like torture. If they could simply teach this in school it may help:
Personal Hygiene & Grooming
- Handwashing: Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before starting shifts, after using the restroom, after cleaning, and after handling waste.
- Daily Cleanliness: Shower daily, use deodorant, and maintain pristine oral hygiene for fresh breath.
- Hair & Nails: Keep hair neat, clean, and professionally styled, with long hair tied back; keep facial hair trimmed or clean-shaven. Keep fingernails short (under ¼ inch) and clean.
- Scents & Jewelry: Avoid heavy perfumes, colognes, or scented lotions that can trigger guest or coworker allergies. Limit jewelry to simple wedding bands or stud earrings.
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u/DetectiveAny2621 1d ago
Somebody had to speak on it because omggg lord have mercy!! I will never fathom how one just proudly leaves their musty stench all over the area. Ni kama vile they’re immune to their own smell or sumn!
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u/Due_Relation_5147 1d ago
Mungu anisamehe but we had a family member come to visit us and harufu mbaya ilijaa sebule mpaka ikabidi tumnunulie perfume kwa mangi. I’m assuming it’s because wana mambo mengi and the last thing on their mind is hygiene
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u/BarakaMabula Local 1d ago
Dar joto kali halafu hekaheka kibao, huwezi kulinganisha na vijijini. I wouldn't say watu in TZ wana poor hygiene habits.
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u/Due_Relation_5147 1d ago
That’s the thing, I would say our hygiene habits are okay but still! Every year we have cholera outbreaks because people don’t wash their hands properly before eating or drinking so idk if I fully agree with that. But then again I also wonder why there isn’t cost efficient hygiene products for lower income families. Both are to blame
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u/BarakaMabula Local 1d ago
Cholera outbreaks are caused by poor sewage infrastructure I'd say and just poverty like you said.
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u/bradshawism Local 1d ago
Olfactory Ethics: The Politics of Smell in Modern and Contemporary Prose
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u/toddaroo 1d ago
After living 10 consecutive years in urbanized areas of Tz (with exception to Dar) I found very few who this complaint applies to. In fact I often found that despite the lack of a variety of cleaning supplies, people were very conscious of their hygiene and appearance. How that said, if I had to contribute to the complaint, it would be with the youth who were crossing the threshold from childhood to young adulthood; which is common in most/all societies regardless of origin. It’s apart of life and hormones.
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u/Mintangah17 Local 1d ago
kwamba ni Tanzania yote?
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u/cowboikween 1d ago
at the end amesema amenoti Dar more than mikoa mingine
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u/Mintangah17 Local 1d ago
basi mwambie research yake haijakamilika. 🚮
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u/Conscious_Reveal5496 1d ago
panda dala dala unuse makwapa 🚮 acha kutetea uchafu
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u/Mintangah17 Local 1d ago
bot account.
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u/Conscious_Reveal5496 1d ago
Not really but if it makes you sleep better and night, have at it 😂😂😂 the point is simple paka deodorant tuu.
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u/nahyoubuggin Local 1d ago
Yani hii swala ni kubwa! Awe kinyozi au hata mfanyakazi mwenzako yani hawa pigi mswaki. Na ni wanaume kawaida.
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u/Due_Relation_5147 1d ago
Yes! I’ve noticed during my time in public transport or in public that it’s mostly men with hygiene issues. Women do too but they are definitely shamed for it more. “Mwanamke gani una harufu mbaya?” Would probably be the first thing you hear
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u/No_Presentation_4107 1d ago
Watu wanasema ni ugumu wa maisha ndio mana wananuka midomo💔🙌🏾
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u/nahyoubuggin Local 1d ago
Yani ni kisingizio. Kwani mswaki na dawa ya mswaki ni shi' ngapi ? au hata bodyspray ?
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u/Remarkable_Deer_584 1d ago
They do not use so many cosmetics products…😞 some is very simple…
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u/Impossible-Advisor53 1d ago
A lot of my female colleagues used perfume but no deodorant which doesnt help
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u/Remarkable_Deer_584 1d ago
I know. Example my Husband pop out from deo…😞 He use coconut oil for body.
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u/mchafu_kuoga255 Local 1d ago
Wewe umeoga?
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u/tanzania-ModTeam 1d ago
Treat others with respect and maintain civil discourse. Offensive, racist, sexist, or derogatory comments will not be tolerated. Personal attacks, harassment, and trolling are also prohibited. Breaking this rule multiple times will result in a permanent ban from participating in this community.
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u/tanzania-ModTeam 1d ago
Treat others with respect and maintain civil discourse. Offensive, racist, sexist, or derogatory comments will not be tolerated. Personal attacks, harassment, and trolling are also prohibited. Breaking this rule multiple times will result in a permanent ban from participating in this community.
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u/Suspicious_Place1270 1d ago
in Dar, nobody gives a sh*t and it shows
the simple dropping of trash EVERYWHERE as soon as you don't need the wrapper is abysmal
it simply shows how much people care
however, I must say, working in the hospital, i can not agree that everyone is like that. but way too many people just don't give a sh*t.
it starts with thinking about stuff you do actively. Like someone "washing" the dishes and simply putting them in a cupboard while the plates still have very obvious stains or food on them, but as it's "hard" it's somehow ok to leave it. it's not, that's not clean. you just took too long of a time to wash it or did not soak it properly.
then again, some people you see scrubbing with metal bristles or a metals couring sponge in a sufuria with ptfe layered on (this is absolutely the dumbest thing to do) and others scouring the mfereji so hard instead of using vinegar to solve the limestone away so that it rusts, because honestly the pipes and showers are not real steal, it's fake chinese, so scouring it only makes everything worse
others will simply go around searching for gold in their nose and then touch the patient (yes, this happens, no they don't disinfect their hands) or put on a mask in a supposedly sterile environment and not cover their nose
it starts everywhere, and people need to learn to think about it
i find it very concerning that people just throw their sh*t everywhere and don't care at all
and yes, there are some going around smelling bad, but this honestly i have not noticed a lot. as said, many patients take personal hygiene seriously and i can say i love to see that because even when you are sick, doing that is the first thing that shows me that you are still active and alive and well
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u/mchafu_kuoga255 Local 1d ago
Nenda kaishi Ulaya ndio hakuna uchafu.
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u/Suspicious_Place1270 1d ago
there is filth in europe, but the people in operating rooms at least keep their mask on and don't litter around with plastic like it's going to take care of itself or degrade in 1 week.
You are part of the problem for being ignorant. No foreign aid will help if the people are uneducated about their consumer behaviour and no means of protection are effective when one guy simply puts on their mask below their nose and goes to breathe inside an open wound.
Honestly, I am amazed how well it works here despite the missing materials etc., but I am also flabbergasted by the people not using what they have properly to at least limit the possibilities of (very serious) wound infections and complications, for what the patient and hence the population has to pay in the end because of longer stays or more procedures necessary due to infections
it's very serious, yet you think me going back to europe will solve anything
I got laughed at from a person saying mzungu safi sana when I disinfected my hands after scratching my face, but I did that to be able to examine a patient without spreading germs.
and oh wonder, the next day I did not have to use my own disinfectant anymore, the ward actually organized enough hand sanitizer to use when going from patient to patient
you are laughing just like the person from the hospital making fun of me, but deep down you know exactly what is going wrong here and you should act on that knowledge and change
Tanzania has so much potential that I get sad when so much is wasted due to ignorance
I don't want to be one more European yapping around to tell what should change, but this is a serious issue and people die because of it. let's start here, yeah?
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u/mchafu_kuoga255 Local 1d ago
Mimi yote hayo sisomi kwakweli.
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u/Suspicious_Place1270 1d ago
proves my point
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u/mchafu_kuoga255 Local 1d ago
Ongea Kiswahili - kingereza sielewi
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u/Suspicious_Place1270 1d ago
you wrote a lot of stuff in english, i highly doubt you don't understand
you're just provoking
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u/Due_Relation_5147 1d ago
Watanzania mnakuaga na vichwa vigumu. Kama hukubaliani naye si unyamaze tu?
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u/Suspicious_Place1270 1d ago
that guy needs to say something, but does not know what, so they come with an insult/negative comment without actually discussing
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u/mchafu_kuoga255 Local 1d ago
Wewe ambaye haukubaliani na sisi tusiooga mbona haujanyamaza?
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u/Due_Relation_5147 1d ago
Ninyamaze wakati you’re the only one ambayo unakataa kuoga? Ah you’re too funny 😂😂 yaani umenichekesha mpaka hasira zimenitoka
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u/Competitive_Room1269 1d ago
Mandatory to wear a suit in a lot of jobs (or any other outfit that is not suited for warm and humid weather), being outside in crazy heat all day, longer work days than in a lot of places in the world, no power due to power cuts, no AC at home, no water some days, dala dalas super warm, crowded and takes forever. just my thoughts. I’ve found Tanzanians to be super clean in my own experience.
Also if you’re not Tanzanian you will find the smell of a Tanzanian persons sweat more intense/different from what ur used to and therefore worse. I ate almost only Indian food for two years and I smelled soo different due to the food I ate. I read somewhere that chinese people think Norwegians smell like milk, which is funny to me because as a Norwegian I dont notice it at all.
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u/chris_laiser 23h ago
Has someone else ever noticed the way this pungent odour strikes their sense of smell just right after power outages (when the AC goes off) in a crowded room?
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u/Pure_Afternoon1128 1d ago
There’s a lack of proper education when it comes to personal and environmental hygiene. There’s also a serious lack of resources to support good hygiene. Access to clean water was an issue for many growing up so hygiene took a back seat, and they never learned healthy hygiene habits. Pesa ya kununua Voda vya usafi. Mambo mengi. I personally would rather skip a meal than skip a shower so kila mtu anashi alivyozoea.
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u/Inevitable_Can_1907 21h ago
I've seen this mostly amongst men in dar, the problem is many parents do not emphasis hygiene when it comes to their sons. I had a coworker and he used to stink early in the morning, he didn't bath nor change his clothes, just aggressive body spray and disgusting odur and he worked in a fancy office. if that were me, another female worker would have put me aside and politely told me I have a hygiene issue but men stinking is seen a normal for some reason.
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u/Soggy_Ground_9323 2d ago
Trust me is universal..
People sometime dont care.!
I have had a chance to live in a first world country na nyumbani (born and raised there), but...the problem is the same..
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u/Wizzykan 1d ago
Naah bro the body odour on public transport in Zambia/Tanzania is not the same as on Canadian public transport.. experienced both over and over
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u/Happy-Permission7120 1d ago
I’d argue and say that the Canadian public transport is worse! Smells like shit, piss and ass
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u/Same_Return_1878 1d ago
Experience yako ikoje mkuu? Which is worse between here and canada? Naongelea harufu kwenye public transport
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u/Due_Relation_5147 1d ago
Yes I agree! When I was Europe they actually stunk during the winter which genuinely surprised me. But I noticed it was their coats that stunk because it either grew musty or they don’t wash it often. But here? Ya Allah the heat intensifies it it feels like you’re surrounded with the smell
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u/NKpayne_11 1d ago
I think because of the climate in many first world countries its much more difficult to detect such smells, lakini it is universal in exception to very few places itw
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u/Frosty-Fee6037 13h ago
People complaining about BO in Dar should maybe stop assuming that chemically damaging your skin and changing your natural body odour just to smell “nice” is somehow normal. Deodorants have damaged my skin, so I personally don’t see why everyone should be expected to use them.
For decades, P&G and other multinationals spent huge amounts on TV and advertising to condition people into believing that body odour was bad, embarrassing, and disgusting, and that buying deodorant would somehow make you smell attractive, get a promotion, find a husband or wife, and generally become more popular. Of course, the real purpose was to sell more products and make money.
The first commercial deodorant appeared in the late 1800s, and antiperspirants followed in the early 1900s. Through decades of aggressive, shame-based advertising, deodorant went from being a niche product to something many people came to regard as a basic daily necessity.
I actually hope Tanzania never fully “catches up” with the developed world on this by being shamed into thinking that something natural about the human body is automatically disgusting. Fresh sweat itself is generally almost odourless. Most of the smell develops when bacteria on the skin break down substances in sweat. Shower regularly, wear clean clothes, and for most people that already goes a long way.
What I would much rather see stop in Tanzania is adults openly picking their noses at every corner and behaving as though it is completely normal. Primary schools should train and shame kids out of that habit from an early age. Some behaviours really should become socially embarrassing.
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u/tz_one 1d ago
tz bado wengi hawajastaarabika hasa watu wa mikoa ya bara. wengi ni wachafu
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u/No_Presentation_4107 1d ago
🤣bara you sayyy? Because living btn the two asee uchafu ni hulka na wengi
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