How to Have Good Hygiene (Boys)

Reviewed by Barbie Ritzman

Last Updated: November 8, 2024 Approved

Having good hygiene is an important aspect of staying healthy and clean. Maintaining good hygiene can also improve your appearance to others. When you have bad hygiene, there's a greater chance of you spreading bacteria to other parts of your body and it increases your likelihood of getting sick. Luckily for boys, maintaining good hygiene is easy as long as you take the right steps to keep yourself clean and build good habits that you stick to.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Keeping Yourself Clean

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1
Take a shower every day. Once you get old enough to start going through puberty, daily showering is essential to have good hygiene. Use soap and hot water when you shower and concentrate on your face, hands, feet, underarms, penis, and bottom.^{[1]
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- Shower after you sweat a lot, like after sports or a physical activity.
- After washing your face, apply a light moisturizer with SPF to protect your skin and keep it smooth.
2
Wash your hair regularly. If you have coarse, dry, or very curly hair, you may not want to wash it every day because it could dry it out. However, if you have exceptionally greasy, oily, or fine hair, you should do it every day to prevent oils from building up. Test it out and see how often you have to wash your hair before it starts looking or feeling oily.^{[2]
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- Conditioner moisturizes dry hair and keeps it smelling good.
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3
Brush and floss your teeth every day. Brush your teeth two to three times throughout the day to keep healthy gums and teeth. Each time you brush, make sure that you are scrubbing all of your teeth and take your time. Also, make sure that you floss at least once a day. This should keep your mouth clean and keep it smelling good.^{[3]
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Mayo Clinic
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- You should brush your teeth for two minutes each session.
- You should replace your toothbrush every two to three months.
Cut your nails whenever they are getting long with a clipper or manicure scissors. You should also keep them clean by washing them when you wash your hands. Keeping shorter nails will help you maintain good nail hygiene.^{[4]
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Mayo Clinic
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5
Change your clothes daily. Wearing dirty clothes can cause microorganisms and bacteria to build up on your body. It's especially important to change clothes that are closest to your body, like undershirts or underwear. Doing this daily will prevent your clothes from smelling bad and will keep you clean.
- Ideally, try to keep at least five good shirts and three pairs of jeans that you could wear to school over the course of the school week.
- You should also change your clothes after you sweat a lot.
- If you need to wash your own clothes read Wash-Your-Clothes.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Smelling Good

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1
Apply underarm deodorant. If you sweat a lot, underarm antiperspirant will prevent you from sweating. If you still live with your parents, ask them to buy some deodorant for you at the store. Apply the deodorant every day when you wake up so that your underarms smell fresh throughout the day.^{[5]
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- Underarm deodorant is not a replacement for showering.
2
Keep your feet clean. Wearing dirty socks, or no socks at all, can cause your feet to smell bad. If you are wearing clean socks but still have a bad feet odor, concentrate on cleaning them when you shower or bathe and rotate which shoes you wear during the week.^{[6]
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- Make sure that your feet are completely dry before putting on socks and shoes.
- Putting talcum powder on your feet after you shower might make your feet smell better.
If you are still struggling with body odor, you can try to cover the smell with a cologne or oil. Apply a spray of the cologne on your wrists and neck. When applying cologne, body spray, or oil, make sure you do so in moderation so that your scent isn't too strong.^{[7]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Building Good Habits

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Stick to your daily hygiene routine. The best way to maintain good hygiene over a period is to make it a routine that you do every day. Alter your schedule so you are leaving enough time to take care of your hygiene.^{[8]
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- A simple morning routine would include waking up at 7 a.m. to brush your teeth, wash your face, and put on deodorant before going off to school.
- Once you get home you could take a shower at 6 p.m. and brush and floss your teeth right before bed.
2
Pay attention to your skin and how much you sweat. Your body changes as you go through puberty and it means that different things are happening to you. As you go through puberty most people sweat more and their skin can get more oily.^{[9]
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- If you notice that you're sweating more, start applying underarm antiperspirant to reduce your sweating.
- If you notice that your face is oily, wash it more regularly with a facial soap meant for oily skin.
3
Wash your hands regularly. Get into the habit of washing your hands after going to the bathroom, playing outside, or handling anything with bacteria. To prevent getting sick or spreading germs to the food you're eating, make sure to wash your hands before and after you eat as well.
- Consider carrying a bottle of hand sanitizer with you. Note that this does not always automatically replace proper hand washing!

Expert Q&A

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Question

What can you use to brush your teeth if you don't have a toothbrush?

Jeremy Silverman, DMD
Dentist
Jeremy Silverman is a Dentist and Founder of Peace of Mind Dental Studio in Chandler, Arizona. With a decade of professional dental experience, he focuses his practice on incorporating mental well-being into the core of oral care. He also partakes in continuing education and stays up to date with the newest techniques, technology, and products. Dr. Silverman holds a BA in Psychobiology from the University of California at Los Angeles and a DMD from Midwestern University. He is a member of the American Dental Association, Arizona Dental Association, and Central Arizona Dental Society. Dr. Silverman is also Laser Certified by the World Clinical Laser Institute.

Jeremy Silverman, DMD

Dentist

Expert Answer

Our fingers can work in this scenario. Be sure to thoroughly wash your hands, place some toothpaste on the tip of a finger and brush your teeth in circular motions.

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I always wash my face twice a day. One in the morning and one before I go to bed. Should I change my habit and wash once after I reach home instead of washing it before I go to bed?

Community Answer

It depends on your skin. If you notice that your skin is very oily after school, you may want to wash it after school and then once before bedtime. Take note of your skin. If it's drying out a lot, reduce the number of times that you wash it.

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Why should we clean our self?

Community Answer

Cleaning yourself keeps you healthy and smelling good.

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