personal hygiene: having a shower/bath etc.

[JeanDeSponde]

Germophobia (and I did not say "germanophobia") is indeed a common disease in many advanced countries where people fail to realize that our body comprise actually more germs than human cells, an overwhelming percentage of those germs being actually useful, not harmful.
"Useful" means that many of those inocuous germs are actually fighting harmful ones — this is why antibiotics should only be used in case of severe problems, and disinfectants are causing more skin problems than they solve — thrush / mycosis, and even infections when our usual, good skin germs are not here anymore to defend us.
Now a shower is not a disinfectant, and, although sweat is neither dirty nor smelly when emitted, it will degrade within hours to form unwanted by-products...

 

[Packard]

I think the presumption in New York is that people do or should shower or bathe daily.

I agree with others that the availability of hot water is essential for showering.

I recall years ago that for the sake of efficiency I bought one dozen golf shirts; every one was black. People started to avoid me when they came to believe that I was wearing the same shirt every day. I had to buy a bunch more colored shirts to mix in to avoid that stigma.

Pants don't seem to carry that stigma and I (for the sake of efficiency) buy four or more of the same pants in black with no problems (in terms of people avoiding me).

Of course if you want to be left alone avoiding the shower and wearing the same clothing all the time works like a charm.

 

[stevenvh]

@JeanDeSponde - It's true that sweat doesn't smell, but for certain bacteria a warm and moist place like sweating armpits are simply a feast. And in such an environment they breed like hell. And it's those bacteria which cause the smell we associate with sweating.

 

[JeanDeSponde]

Steven, this is what I meant by "unwanted by-products".
Packard, this is the very reason why every year I buy a new car with a different colour than last year's one: if the same colour people would think that I still have the same old car and disregard me.
Now with a brand-new different car and same twelve-month-old underpants I'm a real socialite, just like you.

 

[Packard]

Steven, this is what I meant by "unwanted by-products".
Packard, this is the very reason why every year I buy a new car with a different colour than last year's one: if the same colour people would think that I still have the same old car and disregard me.
Now with a brand-new different car and same twelve-month-old underpants I'm a real socialite, just like you.

You could just paint the old car. Then you'd have enough money to buy new underpants.

 

[L'irlandais]

Anybody who might disregard you for not getting a new coloured car every year, may well not be Worth the effort. I suggest a change of friends in that particular case.

 

[Minnie121728]

You could just paint the old car. Then you'd have enough money to buy new underpants.