If it’s yellow, let it mellow
If you’re over the age of 50, chances are you’re somewhat money conscious. With that being said, some older folks don’t tend to flush the loo when going for a number one, leaving the urine to fester. Gross? Somewhat, but with the ever-rising energy prices, it’s a smart hack to save a few dollars.
Picking your nose
When in the comfort of your own home, you may do as you please. Still, many older folk take that to the extreme, resulting in lengthy nose-picking sessions that’s enough to turn anyone’s stomach. Worse still, many people simply flick their boogers all over the place!
Reusing dirty jeans
There’s many reasons why we sometimes skip out on washing our clothes. Firstly, it can be costly to run a washing machine. Secondly, it requires a lot of time – washing, drying, folding, and putting garments away can take up a big chunk of the day. And, finally, we sometimes simply forget, donning clothes that have been worn several times due to our faltering memories.
Using your phone on the toilet
When going to the loo, many of us have an odd desire to bring your cell phone in with you. After all, we need something to pass the time! Just maybe don’t let your friends and relatives know that you’re sending them a message while you’re taking a number two…
Skipping out on showers
If you’ve spent most of the day indoors, it can be easy to forgo your daily shower. After all, you may think that your body is still relatively clean from the day before. Unfortunately this isn’t entirely the case, with dead skin cells and traces of sweat still needing to be washed away before you tuck yourself up in bed.
Putting your hands down your pants
There’s something oddly comforting about placing your hands beneath the waistband of your pants. Sometimes, we do it to keep our extremities warm. Others, it’s simply about the pleasure of feeling the fabric against your skin. Ensure you do this in the comfort of your own home, however, as you may get some strange looks if you do it in public.
Sniffing your armpits
When you last showered a day or two ago, it can be hard to tell whether you’re filling the place up with body odor. In comes the sniff test – a brief raise of the armpit and a sharp inhale to determine whether you smell fragrant or musty. If you’re in that much doubt, it may be best to just jump in the shower.
Reusing underwear
It can be hard to keep track of what’s clean and what’s not, particularly as your memory begins to betray you. Some people, therefore, end up reusing their underwear, unsure if it’s good for another day or not. The true test? Give it a sniff. If it smells okay, it’s good to go.
Picking your fingernails
Instead of using nail-specific tools, many of older folk tend to use their bare hands when taking care of their nails. Whether it’s picking out the dirt that lies within or simply stripping your nails with brute force, it’s a gross habit that many of us fail to admit to.
Ignoring expiration dates
Expiry dates are more guidelines than strict rules, right? Often, many people over the age of 50 will resort to the sniff test – giving their carton of milk a good whiff to see if it’s still usable. If it smells alright, it’s still going to be used – regardless of what the label may say.
Picking dry skin
As we age, our skin can become dry and flaky, whether it’s on our lips, our nails, or our toes. For some, there’s no better hobby that playing with these dry patches of skin, picking away at yourself until you’re nice and smooth. Just ensure that you put any specks of flesh in the bin – you don’t want your house to be coated in dead skin.
Eating food that’s been left out
Waste not, want not! Just because food has been left out for a while, it doesn’t mean it’s inedible. Simply giving it a good old whiff is enough for most people to discover whether it’s still tasty or not – regardless of how long it’s been festering on the kitchen counter.
Peeing in the shower
Admit it – you’ve peed in the shower in your lifetime. There’s something about the warm, running water that kicks our bladders into overdrive, causing us the dire need to urinate at a moment’s notice. Although the pee is washed away with the water, it’s still a pretty gross habit… So maybe keep this one a secret from your family.
Using the same towel over and over
Washing your towel is a task that slips most people’s minds – with too many activities requiring their attention. Therefore, it can be weeks (and weeks!) before you give your towel a proper wash, using the same one day-in, day-out. You know it’s time to put it in the washing machine when it starts to smell a little musty.
Pulling your nose hair
As we age, we tend to find more and more hair popping up all over bodies. Many over 50s resort to pulling out the stray hairs in their noses or ears, yanking the strands until their eyes water. There are nose and ear trimmers on the market, so consider grabbing one next time you go shopping for a more pain-free method of hair removal.
Losing bladder control
It’s a sad fact of life – as we age, we tend to lose control over our bodily functions. Sneeze or laugh too hard, and you may find that a little bit of pee comes out. It’s nothing to be ashamed of – aging comes for us all, and some things just can’t be helped.
Shaving facial hair
As time ticks on by, many women start to notice that they have hairs popping up all over their bodies – most notably on their face. Instead of rocking a post-menopausal mustache, most women resort to plucking and shaving, keeping their faces fuzz-free.
Squeezing spots
Spots aren’t just a battle that teenagers have to contend with, it affects the over 50s too! The older generation find no greater pleasure than spending entire afternoons squeezing at stubborn spots, relishing in relief when they finally get a particularly stubborn pimple to pop.
Picking off makeup
At the end of a long day, the last thing you want to do is spend hours undergoing your skincare regime. Instead, many older women simply pick off their makeup, plucking at their eyelashes until the area is mascara-free. What to do with all of that excess product? Simply why it on your clothes, of course!
Not washing your hair
Let’s face it – washing your hair is a long, arduous process. When faced with the busy schedule of day-to-day life, it can be all too easy to skip out on the hair wash. Instead, many seniors can go days – or even weeks – without putting any sort of product in their hair, leaving the dirt to fester.
Picking at ingrown hairs
Seeing an ingrown hair is an open invitation to pick away at it, attempting to break it free simply by using your nails. This practice isn’t recommended, however, as opening the wound can lead to nasty bouts of infection. Instead, let your body take charge, knowing it’ll eventually discharge the stray strand.
Using outdated products
All makeup and skincare products have an expiry date on them, usually from when the product itself has been opened. However, with ever-so-slightly waning eyes and a less-than-reliable memory, it can be difficult to know which cosmetics are still in date. Throwing caution to the wind, many women use them until their products run dry, ignoring the best before date entirely.
Using a handkerchief
These little slithers of fabric are the grimmest of the grim. Reusing the same bit of cloth to wipe or blow your nose every single day is pretty unhygienic, leaving crusts of snot to fester. Instead, use single-use tissues – throwing away any soiled products after use.
Using a water bottle that hasn’t been cleaned
Staying hydrated is important, especially as we age. Some people carry a trusty water bottle with them at all times, helping to keep them nice and healthy. However, what many fail to do is give the bottle a decent clean. A quick rinse doesn’t cut it – washing up liquid and warm, soapy water is the way to ensure all traces of bacteria are eliminated.
Not washing makeup brushes
If you’re slowly departing from the world of makeup, you may neglect to take proper care of your products. Just because you’re not using as much foundation as you once did, it doesn’t mean that you can reuse the same brush everyday without giving it a wash.
Napping – without washing your blanket
The older we get, the more we like our sleep. There’s nothing wrong with taking a mid-afternoon nap to put the spring back in your step, but you do need to be aware of how often you wash your blanket. The longer you spend wrapped up in your comfy blanket, the more you sweat, meaning that more frequent washes are required.
An increase of wind
Burping and farting are both unfortunate side effects of getting older. Many older folk seem to have a disregard for who hears their bouts of flatulence, letting it out wherever they may be. Spare those around you from the gross habit – instead excusing yourself to pass wind in private.
Picking food from your teeth
Having a piece of food stuck in your teeth is an irritating experience, particularly when it’s stubbornly wedged in between your chompers. Instead of stuffing your fingers in your mouth, it’s a good idea to use some floss, reducing your chances of contracting any bouts of illness.
Not washing your face
After years of daily commitment, sometimes washing your face just feels like too much effort. As we age, many of us become less focused on our outward appearance. If we don’t wash our face and suddenly erupt in a bout of pimples and wrinkles, then so be it.
Eating leftovers
No food should go to waste – and that includes leftovers. No matter how long the food has been festering in the fridge, many older people tend to go back time and time again, eating food that’s been sat there for days at a time.
Keeping stained undies
We tend to care less about our clothes as we age – and that includes our underwear. Strange stains may appear on the fabric as the years go by. Instead of throwing them out, replacing them with a new pair, many people cling onto the dirty garments, wearing them time and time again.
Using perfume or cologne instead of washing
Who needs to wash your clothes when a quick spritz of perfume will have you smelling nice and fresh? Sometimes, we’re in a pinch when it comes to our outfit choices, resulting in wearing clothing that hasn’t visited the washer in a fair few days. Thankfully, an array of sprays is here to save the day.
Hoarding
For some reason, many older folk tend to hoard onto anything and everything. Boxes and boxes of stuff line their homes, hoarding keepsakes to rummage through on a rainy day. Keeping an excess of belongings in your home can create an influx of dust, leaving your house not quite as clean as you’d believe.
Loose lipstick
Whether it’s a lack of hand-eye coordination or those pesky eyes not being quite as sharp as they once were, many older ladies tend to rock smeared lipstick. Sometimes, the lippy can even spread to their teeth, resulting in red smiles. Often, this lipstick is transferred over to grand-kids, leaving great big kiss marks on their cheeks.
Crusty candy
It’s a rite of passage – once you reach a certain age, you eventually start handing out pieces of candy to your younger relatives. Sometimes, these candies have been kept at the dark depths of your purse or pocket, picking up stray strands of debris and dirt. Yuck.
Sharing bath water
Ever conscious about saving those extra few dollars, many over 50s tend to share their bath water with their other halves. Although it may significantly reduce the cost of your water bill, it means you’re wallowing in the same dirt-ridden water as your spouse, making the savings not entirely worth it.
Clamorous chewing
Ill-fitting dentures or poorly-working facial muscles can result in many noisy bouts of chomping, leaving your family members covering their ears in horror. Although it can’t be helped, it may be best to be conscious of how loud you’re smacking your chops at the next family function.
Dust, everywhere!
When you spend a large amount of your time in the same environment, you can go blind to any stray pieces of dust or dirt. Because of this, many homes belonging to the boomer generation are covered in a thin layer of dust. If you’re struggling to stay on top of your household tasks, consider hiring outside help.
Ignoring food hygiene
After years of strictly following food guidelines, fears of food poisoning suddenly go out of the window. Double-dipping into cake mixtures or tasting sauce that’s surrounded by raw chicken are common occurrences, leaving you wondering why you ever adhered to the strict rules in the first place.
Failing to wash your hands
When in the comfort of your own home, you may feel as though you don’t need to wash your hands as frequently. It’s only your own bacteria from your own body, after all. Still, frequent hand-washing it recommended, protecting both yourself and your family from any traces of bacteria.
Coughing into your hand
It’s something we’re all taught as children – cover your mouth when you cough. However, using your hand is the wrong way to go about it. Think about it – you cough into your hand, and then those germs contaminate everything you touch. Instead, cough into your elbow, keeping those pesky germs at bay.
Picking your eye gunk
It’s something that happens more and more as you get older – your eyes suddenly produce an excess of yellow gunk. Instead of washing away this secretion with a flannel, many over 50s choose to pick at it with their bare hands. Gross – especially if you don’t wash your hands afterwards.
Getting into bed with dirty clothes
As we age, our energy levels severely deplete. Because of this, many over 50s find themselves without the motivation to slip into pajamas, instead wrapping themselves up in their duvet in their lounge-wear. Those garments have picked up all sorts of debris and dirt throughout the course of your day – dirt which will then contaminate your bed.
Sharing toothbrushes
What’s a mere toothbrush between close friends? Riddled with gross plaque and bacteria, that’s what. No matter how close you are to your friends and family, it’s best to keep your toothbrush for your use only – unless you want to be filling your mouth with other people’s germs.
Kisses from your pooch
Your dog may be your best friend, but that doesn’t mean you should let them lick your face. Just think, their faces are constantly sniffing in the dirt, while their tongues are used to clean their private parts. If they then use that same tongue to kiss you, they’re coating you in all sorts of unsavory bacteria.
Not washing new clothes
When you get a brand new outfit, it can be tempting to wear it straightaway, skipping the wash. However, this practice is pretty gross. Think about it – who knows how many people have already tried it on? Besides, as it sat on the rack, shoppers may have sneezed or coughed directly on the fabric, littering the garment with their germs.
Not closing the toilet lid
This one is for the men who are over 50. For some reason, they have the odd habit of leaving the toilet lid (and seat) up. Annoying for the women, but not so gross on the surface. Flushing the toilet with the lid up, however, is the epitome of grossness. Particles of feces erupt from the loo, coating your bathroom with invisible specks of bodily waste.
Blowing out birthday candles
As you get older, more candles decorate the top of your cake. Blowing them out and making a wish may seem like an innocent act, but it’s actually pretty grim. When we blow air from our mouths, specks of spit fly out – spit which will land directly on the cake’s frosting. Just think about how much saliva flies out with 50 or more candles to extinguish!
Wearing shoes inside the house
For some over 50s, there’s a strange obsession with wearing shoes inside the house. Simply trotting about across the carpet isn’t so bad – it hopefully gets vacuumed daily, anyhow. What is pretty gross is putting these shoes up on your couch or other pieces of furniture, coating them with dirt and germs from the outside world.
Putting on a buffet
There’s nothing quite like getting all of the family together for a delicious buffet. What many over 50s fail to realize, however, is just how unhygienic these spreads are. Double-dippers, sticky fingers, coughs, sneezes, and all sorts of bugs can find their way to the food, making the entire feast a stomach-churning affair.
Putting random things in your mouth
It’s a habit that most seniors possess – you see something strange on your kitchen counter, and you immediately pop it into your mouth, discovering what the strange splodge is. Needless to say, this is a gross habit. It could be anything – filling your body with potentially harmful bacteria.
Licking your fingers
It’s a rite of passage – when you hit a certain age, you have to lick your fingers before handling any paperwork. To be fair, it can be quite difficult to separate fiddly pages when your fingers are dry. However, it’s probably best to use moisturizer instead of saliva – nobody will want to handle those pages after you’ve drenched them with your spit.
Invading other people’s personal space
As we get older, our hearing betrays us. Sometimes, this can lead us to getting up close and personal to strangers, whether it’s when we ask people for help in a store or simply chatting with the neighbors. Try and keep a healthy distance from other people – they don’t want to have your breath caressing their skin.
Not flossing
When you’ve been on the planet for a significant period of time, your flossing habits may fall by the wayside. Having to do the mundane practice day in, day out can get tiresome, leading to many seniors skipping the practice altogether. Keep your teeth and gums nice and healthy – you’ll thank yourself for it later.
Picking out earwax
Another sorrow of growing older is the sudden increase of earwax. While it does need to be removed, don’t attack your ears with q-tips – or worse still, use your fingernails. Instead, use ear drops – removing ear wax without the grossness of digging your nails into the gunk.
Not brushing your teeth
After another long, tiring day, it can be all too tempting to just crawl into bed, forgoing your evening teeth clean. Many over 50s are guilty of this, thinking that skipping the odd night here and there won’t do too much damage. Unfortunately, that isn’t the case, with the food you’ve consumed throughout the day wreaking havoc on your mouth.
Itching with objects
When you’ve got that itch that’s just out of reach, many over 50s will resort to using random household objects to satisfy their urge to scratch. It’s pretty gross for everyone else in your household – the next time they go to use the TV remote, they’ll be unaware that it’s coated in your dead skin cells.
Constantly sniffling
If you’ve got a runny nose, do everyone around you a favor and go and blow it on a piece of tissue. Constantly sniffling is an unsavory habit, irritating your friends and family. What’s even worse is when you wipe your runny nose on the back of your sweater when you think nobody else is looking…
Drooling
When you hit a certain age, you may find that you awake to soggy, wet pillows. This is due to you sleeping with your mouth open, letting all of your saliva run free. There’s little that can be done about this gross habit – other than ensuring that you frequently change your bedding.
Not doing a deep clean
Cleaning is a daily task, resulting in you forever chasing your own tail. When it comes to a deep clean, however, many people over the age of 50 tend to skip it, only properly cleaning their house once a year. Ensure that you regularly clean your home from top to bottom – pulling all of your belongings forward to remove any lingering dirt.