1. You’re not cleaning your toothbrush.
Why: A study found that the average toothbrush contains about 10 million germs, including E. coli.
Try this instead: Once or twice a week, microwave your toothbrush for 10 seconds.
2. You’re flushing the toilet with the lid up.
Why: When you flush the toilet bacteria sprays out up to 10 inches — covering everything in a fine layer of filth.
Try this instead: Put the toilet seat down before you flush. Seriously.
3. You’re wasting water trying to find the right temperature.
Why: A 10-minute shower can waste up to 42 gallons of water.
Try this instead: Once you find your ideal water temperature, mark where the knob is with a bright nail polish.
4. You’re drying yourself off too vigorously.
Why: Rubbing yourself dry with a towel can make dry skin worse and exacerbate other skin issues.
Try this instead: Gently pat yourself down with your towel post-shower, and if you’re going to moisturize, moisturize before your skin is completely dry to lock in added moisture.
5. You’re at risk for slipping.
Why: Bathtubs, like most other things, are slippery when wet — 81% of injuries in bathrooms are caused by falling.
Try this instead: Slip-proof your shower with a kit.
6. You’re using the wrong shampoo.
Why: Sodium lauryl/laureth sulfate is the ingredient that helps shampoo lather and may be a culprit in causing dry, frizzy hair.
Try this instead: Try a sulfate-free shampoo, available at your local drugstore or online, like L’Oréal EverPure or Living Proof Full Shampoo.
7. You’re flushing money down the drain in the form of razors.
Why: Hasn’t anyone told you money doesn’t grow on trees? Extend the life of your razors by sharpening them.
Try this instead: Try this tip from Instructables by grabbing a pair of old jeans and run your razor up the pant leg about 15 times and down the pant leg 15 times — you’ll keep your razors for longer and save dollars. This has been microscopically been proven to work.
8. You’re rubbing your body with millions of gross dead skin cells.
Why: Over a 24-hour period, you shed close to a million skin cells.
Try this instead: Let your loofah dry between uses, and once a week, clean it with a solution of water and bleach.
9. You’re destroying your horny layer.
Why: Your horny layer is the protective outermost layer of your skin, and over-exfoliation keeps it from doing its job.
Try this instead: Exfoliate twice a week or use a body wash with alpha hydroxy acid, which will target dead skin cells specifically and break them up.
10. You’re letting your skin dry out.
Why: Once skin is dry, it doesn’t absorb moisture as well.
Try this instead: Apply lotion while your skin is still damp to lock in that moisture ASAP.
11. You’re not peeing in the shower.
Why: Urea, the main component of pee, has been shown to hydrate skin and stop itchiness. So, actually, pee is magical.
Try this instead: Embrace the urge and let it flow. Plus, you conserve water! In Brazil, an environmental group ran a whole campaign encouraging people to use the shower like a toilet (number one only).
12. You’re using antibacterial soap.
Why: A study by the University of Michigan states that antibacterial soap carries the risk of creating antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Try this instead: Use regular soap. According to the same study, regular soap works just as well as antibacterial soap at preventing illness.
13. You’re washing your hands wrong.
Why: Research concluded that if everyone washed their hands, we could prevent one million deaths a year. It also reduces diarrhea by 47%.
Try this instead: The CDC provides a handy guide to washing your hands, but some takeaways are always after the toilet and before you touch food.
14. You’re not cleaning your filthy retainer.
Why: According to researchers, mouth retainers are crawling with potentially harmful bacteria and fungi — like Candida, which causes yeast infections.
Try this instead: Wash your hands before and after you touch your retainer. Also, clean your retainer with a toothbrush and mouthwash.
15. You’re not using your shower to steam your clothes.
Why: Quit wasting time ironing your clothes separately.
Try this instead: Leave your clothes hanging up in the bathroom while you hop in the shower. They’ll be steamed and wrinkle-free by the time you’re out.
16. You’re over-shampooing.
Why: Shampooing every day can dry your hair out because it strips your hair of its natural oils, which are needed to keep your hair healthy.
Try this instead: Some derms recommend shampooing two to three times a week. Rumor has it Prince Harry didn’t wash his hair for two years. Or ditch shampoo and join the No Poo Movement.
17. Your laziness is turning your contacts case into a cesspool.
Why: Almost 90% of contact lens cases are contaminated because we’re nasty humans who top off the contact solution in the case rather than completely replacing the contents.
Try this instead: Dump it all out and refill your case with fresh solution like you’re supposed to.
18. You’re developing deodorant-immunity.
Why: In the same way that bacteria can become resistant to antibiotics, you can also become immune to your antiperspirant of choice.
Try this instead: Switch it up every once in a while. Try a different brand every six months.
19. You’re leaving smears on the bathroom mirror.
Why: Wiping the fog off with your hands or a towel streaks the mirror when it dries.
Try this instead: Try this tip and use a blow dryer on the mirror for a few seconds, or spray the mirror with very hot water. It evens out the temperature and the fog disappears.
20. You’re letting your shower curtain attack you.
Why: Every time you turn around to grab the soap, your shower curtain is clinging to your body.
Try this instead: Attach wooden or metal clothespins to the bottom of your shower curtain to weigh it down to keep it in its place/the friend zone.
21. You’re leaving skid marks in the toilet.
Why: We can’t always control what we leave behind.
Try this instead: Place a few sheets of toilet paper down in the toilet bowl before you use the bathroom. That way, no one else will ever have to know (or see) your business.
Source: Keely Flaherty