Lemmy
By the way, my psychiatrist strongly suspects I'm autistic. I'm being formally evaluated w/ the psychologists and stuff in late July. So that might be a reason why I have such an odd dilemma like this.
19 Jun 2026 17:32
How to stay hygienic w/ sensory issues
Alright, so, this is going to sound crazy, but I don't like showering. It has nothing to do with the feeling of being clean (I love cleanliness and order), but just simply because I find it uncomfortable to shower. I have a whole bunch of fancy shampoos, nice-smelling body washes, etc to help encourage me to shower, but it still just feels freaking uncomfortable and annoying. And it's so embarrassing to talk about it because of the stereotypes about people and showering. I end up showering on about an every-other-day or every-two-days basis, and I'd really like reducing that down to every day. I don't like smelling, or desperately trying to avoid people because I'm insecure I stink. I just want to be motivated to shower without having to constantly force myself to do it for the sake of everyone else or picking up the pieces.
By the way, my psychiatrist strongly suspects I'm autistic. I'm being formally evaluated w/ the psychologists and stuff in late July. So that might be a reason why I have such an odd dilemma like this.
By the way, my psychiatrist strongly suspects I'm autistic. I'm being formally evaluated w/ the psychologists and stuff in late July. So that might be a reason why I have such an odd dilemma like this.
Pick up some baby wipes. My wife and I like Water Wipes, they're plastic and fragrance free but there are many other choices out there as well. Aside from the obvious usage in the bathroom, a quick wipe down of your armpits and nether regions can go a long way to keep you fresh between showers. 
19 Jun 2026 17:41
A washcloth and a bowl of water. That's what all the civilized world has used daily during most of it's centuries. 
19 Jun 2026 17:49
True. And had they known at that time that more washing the hands and less touching the sick would help their health, I guess they would have done that.
19 Jun 2026 18:19
I just use bar soap. French brands feel the best. Try to keep it under 5 minutes. Wash your ass first and last. In between trying to make sure to get some soap over the rest of my body. Get my arm pits a couple times and then my face. Rinse and usually was my ass one more time and when the soap is off I'm done. Sometimes I like the water flowing on me but usually I just get in and out. You only need to wash your hair once in a while unless you got scalp problems or use a lot of hair style products. Just rinse it and let it dry on its own. Let it be free.
19 Jun 2026 18:34
I see where you come from. The stink will be a challenge if you don’t shower daily. As a rule of thumb, if you can smell yourself, others do, too.
A washcloth may do the trick. It’s important to use hot water and soap. Wash once with soap, a second time with clear water.
A washcloth may do the trick. It’s important to use hot water and soap. Wash once with soap, a second time with clear water.
19 Jun 2026 18:54
I bring my towel into the bathroom and turn the water on.
I tell myself I can turn the water off and give up but usually just the partial act of showering will get me to do it.
Putting on music or a podcast helps so I can pay attention to something else while showering helps too.
Otherwise I’ll use wet wipes for the days it’s just not happening.
I tell myself I can turn the water off and give up but usually just the partial act of showering will get me to do it.
Putting on music or a podcast helps so I can pay attention to something else while showering helps too.
Otherwise I’ll use wet wipes for the days it’s just not happening.
19 Jun 2026 19:15
Can you figure out what specifically you don't like about showering? Like is it taking you clothes off, the sounds of water echoing in the room, getting out and being wet before towelling off... like what combination of the million little sensory things involved is the issue for you?
Or is it more a timing/activity issue, like you don't want to interrupt whatever you're doing outside the shower to do the new different activity (or rather the million tiny activities involved)?
Or is it more a timing/activity issue, like you don't want to interrupt whatever you're doing outside the shower to do the new different activity (or rather the million tiny activities involved)?
19 Jun 2026 19:35
If you can smell yourself, others have been smelling you for a while.
19 Jun 2026 19:39
Just want to second all of this advice. Make showering as pleasant as possible - I use podcasts the most. I'll even bring in my coffee or a cold beverage and reframe it as "spa" time.
Also showering every other day, as long as you're not in a super hot climate, is usually plenty to keep yourself at normal levels of cleanliness.
Also showering every other day, as long as you're not in a super hot climate, is usually plenty to keep yourself at normal levels of cleanliness.
19 Jun 2026 19:53
Why is it so normalised that people have to shower every day? Are people running a marathon or something? It can even harm your skin to shower so often.
Unless you do physical exercise or have a condition showering everyday might harm more than it solves.
Source
Unless you do physical exercise or have a condition showering everyday might harm more than it solves.
Source 19 Jun 2026 20:08
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