None of us is immaculate—in fact, you can probably think of a gross habit or two you engage in yourself. Americans around the country were willing to 'fess up about their secret funky fouls.
15 People Just Revealed the Hygiene Norms They Break When They’re Alone (…and Some Might Be Super Relatable)
Updated Jan. 31, 2024
Recent research suggested that upwards of 90% of Americans—ahem—clean their noses in private, despite possible health risks of nose-picking. The truth is, in many cases, our alone-time habits are harmless. After all, most of us have probably at least one habit our loved ones decry if they’re present to witness it.
To prove our point, we asked readers around the country to share their secret solo behaviors…that they’re pretty sure everyone else does too, but won’t admit. How many of these can you relate to? (Cough, cough—taking the phone to the bathroom!)
1. Licking peanut butter out of the jar
“I love peanut butter just on its own, and it feels like such a waste to get out utensils and a bowl and everything,” says Kristy P., 62, of Columbus, OH. “So when I’m solo, I’ll just use my fingers. But I smooth the top back over so my family won’t know. Yes, they end up using the same jar later. I told you it was gross!”
The 6 Worst Germ-Swapping Habits It’s Time To Break Post-Pandemic
2. Itching…places
“Ah, there is nothing like a good scratching to really make a man feel good!” says Brian R., 47, of Portland, OR. “But it’s really not socially acceptable, so I’ll wait until I’m alone to go to town. You changed my name, right?”
(Yep, we changed his name!)
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3. Popping zits (and recording it?!)
“People don’t realize, but there are so many people online that are obsessed with watching people pop pimples,” says 18-year-old Charlie S. of Minneapolis, MN. “I bought an extractor tool with a camera attached. When I’m home alone, I’ll record it. It’s so satisfying popping a pimple, but it’s 100 times better watching other people be satisfied with your pimple-pop, too!”
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4. Eating messy snacks in bed
“My bed is my happy place and if I’m home alone, that’s where I’m gonna be—cuddled up under the covers and watching Gilmore Girls reruns,” says Ally S., 17, of Spanish Fork, UT. “And obviously, I’ll need snacks. I eat popcorn, ice cream, cookies, whatever, and yes some of it ends up in the sheets with me. I once woke up with a plastic ice cream spoon stuck to my hair.”
We fully support the some indulgent downtime.
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5. Cleaning a menstrual cup
“I personally don’t think this is gross but my family does, so I only do it when I’m home alone,” says Ashley M., 26, of Boise, ID. “I use a menstrual cup instead of tampons or pads when I get my period, and it needs to be sterilized at the end of every cycle. I do this by boiling it for 15 minutes in a saucepan. I rinse it off first! But my family still thinks it’s horrible.”
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6. Skipping showers
“I have little ones at home so I’m rarely alone, but when I do have the house to myself I want to do…nothing. That includes hygiene things. I don’t shower, wash my face, brush my teeth—nada!,” says Nanci F., 40, of Lincoln, NE.
7. Eating raw cookie dough
“I’ll make a batch of chocolate chip cookie dough—yes, the kind with eggs—and eat it raw. It’s a little gross, but it’s so much better than eating them cooked!” says Sarah B., 35, of Memphis, TN. “But probably the grossest thing about it is that gluten gives me terrible gas. Good thing I’m alone!”
Oh, No! Your Worries About Eating Raw Cookie Dough Are True-ish
8. Sniffing belly button odor
“I love to stick my finger in my belly button,” says Adam T., 23, of Phoenix, AZ. “Don’t you tell me y’all don’t do that too, I know you do! Everyone likes their own belly button smell.”
9. Peeing in the shower
“When I’m showering, I’ll just take the opportunity and pee. It saves water, washes down the drain, it’s fine,” says Leo S., 29, of Atlanta, GA. “I only do it when I’m home alone!”
10. Trying strange makeup looks
“In another life I would have been a makeup artist, but these days the closest I get is trying out crazy, outlandish, and weird makeup looks. I do a lot of stage makeup or costume looks,” says Lia F., 28, of Evergreen, CO. “I wait to try out new makeup styles until I’m alone because I don’t need any judgment from family members!”
11. Letting gas go
“I don’t know why, but sometimes I just have a lot of gas that gets pent up. So when I’m alone I’ll just let it fly!” says Priya S., 45, of New Albany, OH. “It’s so satisfying not holding anything back!”
12. Nose-picking
At least Shaun S. of Naperville, IL admits to what data suggests most of us do behind closed doors: “Whenever I was stressed out as a kid I would pick my nose,” he says. “There was just something really soothing about it … The thing is, it’s so gross, but it still works. At least now as an adult, I do wash my hands afterwards.”
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13. Sitting naked on the couch
“I hate shopping, so I have just enough clothes for the week,” says Jaxson T., 20, of Austin, TX. “If I wait one day too long to do laundry, then I’m out of clothes so I’ll just strip and hang out on my couch butt naked until they’re done. Obviously I wait until my roommates are gone!”
Those roommates might want some savvy couch-cleaning tips…
14. Taking the phone in the bathroom
“My toilet time is my favorite time to catch up on texts or watch videos or play games on my phone,” says Jason A., 32, of San Francisco, CA. “Everybody does this even if they won’t admit it—so is it really ‘gross’ anymore?”
15. Skipping hand-washing
Especially with virus season upon us, we definitely don’t recommend this one: “When other people are around, like in public bathrooms, I will do what I call ‘performative hand washing,'” says Claudia M., 33, of Boston, MA. “I always wash my hands with soap and water.”
She says when she’s alone, the practice tends to be less thorough—that is, unless, she goes number-two, when she adds that she washes her hands “no matter what.”
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Originally Published: October 11, 2023
