Hygiene practices vary greatly across cultures, and what’s considered normal in one part of the world might seem unclean to someone from the United States.
This article explores 14 hygiene practices from around the world that Americans view as unhygienic, from squatting toilets and bucket baths to air-drying clothes and eating with hands.
While these habits may challenge American standards, they often have practical, cultural, or environmental reasons behind them.
Understanding these global hygiene practices offers insight into how cleanliness is defined differently around the world, and why it’s important to keep an open mind about what “hygienic” really means.
Here are 14 hygiene practices from around the world that Americans view as unhygienic:
1. Squatting Over Sitting
Most Americans typically do not squat to relieve themselves, aside from perhaps in public restrooms. The idea of hovering over the toilet tends to make them grimace.
However, research actually indicates that squatting is a healthier way to use the toilet. From a hygiene perspective, it is arguably also more hygienic because you don’t have to touch anything.
This contrasts sharply with the common American practice of sitting directly on a toilet seat, highlighting a fundamental difference in toileting habits based on cultural norms and potentially surprising health benefits.
2. Water Over Paper
While bidets are prevalent globally, Americans often choose not to use them. This avoidance is due, at least in part, to hygiene concerns associated with the water spraying.
Conversely, critics of traditional toilet paper point out its significant limitations in achieving thorough cleanliness.
This cultural difference highlights varying perspectives on effective cleansing, with Americans favoring paper and caution regarding sprayed water, while others see water as offering a more thorough method despite potential concerns from outsiders.
3. Bucket Baths
In countries such as Ghana, the Philippines, and parts of Australia, taking a lengthy, Western-style shower is not common.
Instead, many people rely on taking bucket baths. Although the idea of bathing with a bucket makes many Americans cringe, this practice often uses significantly less water than a typical shower.
This difference highlights how resource efficiency and cultural tradition shape daily routines, offering a more water-conservative approach to personal cleansing compared to the often water-intensive American showering habit that makes many from the US react negatively.
4. Using Catch-All Cleaning Products
Americans commonly use different soaps for various body parts – a special one for the face, another for the body, a third for hands, and sometimes even one for feet.
In contrast, in many other parts of the world, the concept of specialty soaps is considered laughable. It might seem unbelievable to some Americans, but people from many cultures simply use one soap for everything.
This highlights a less consumerist approach to personal care. The global preference for multi-purpose soap prioritizes simplicity and utility over product segmentation, which is often marketer-driven in the US. This makes the one-soap concept seem unbelievable to some Americans.
5. Nighttime Bathing
In America, showering first thing in the morning is seen as part of good hygiene, often done to make oneself presentable for the rest of the world.
However, this morning routine is not universal. In many countries, people prefer to bathe at night instead. Their aim is to wash away the grime and sweat accumulated throughout the day before going to bed.
This highlights a cultural variation in the primary function of bathing. While Americans often focus on presenting a clean appearance first thing in the morning, many other cultures prioritize cleansing from the day’s impurities before rest.
6. Finger Foods
In America, eating almost always involves using utensils, with very few exceptions. Not using utensils is often viewed as unhygienic.
However, this is not the case globally. In other countries, such as India, using one’s hands to eat is not only common but often expected. This highlights a significant cultural difference in food consumption practices.
While Americans view utensil use as fundamental to hygienic eating, in cultures like India, using hands is deeply ingrained and considered normal and expected within that context, demonstrating how food-related cleanliness norms can vary globally.
7. Masking
During the COVID-19 pandemic, some Americans questioned the hygiene of wearing a mask for extended periods.
This perspective contrasted with practices already established elsewhere. In nations like Japan, wearing a mask when sick was a commonplace and routine practice well before the pandemic.
This difference underscores varying cultural attitudes towards public health and personal responsibility in preventing illness.
While some Americans questioned hygiene aspects during the pandemic, cultures with longer histories of masking when sick view it as a standard, hygienic practice aimed at protecting others.
8. Kiss To Greet
Americans are generally comfortable with greeting others using handshakes and, in friendly contexts, hugs.
However, kissing someone as a form of greeting is considered an absolute no for many Americans. The mere idea of placing lips on an acquaintance’s cheek, as is customary in countries like France and others, makes many Americans cringe.
This cultural boundary highlights how different societies express warmth and greeting. While Americans limit physical contact, cheek kissing crosses a personal space and perceived hygiene limit that makes it uncomfortable for many in the US.
9. Perfume as Hand Sanitizer
In Turkey, there is a tradition of offering guests perfume, specifically called Kolonya, for them to clean their hands.
While these scented liquids do contain a high alcohol content, which is effective at reducing germs and bacteria, the concept of using perfume in place of traditional hand sanitizer is enough to make some Americans scoff.
This cultural tradition in Turkey offers a unique perspective on hand cleansing. Although the alcohol content provides a germ-reducing benefit, the American association of perfume with fragrance rather than sanitation leads to disbelief or dismissal.
It shows how local customs blend hygiene with cultural rituals that seem unconventional to outsiders.
10. Remove Your Shoes
In many parts of the world, taking off your shoes before entering another person’s home is considered a common courtesy.
In countries like Japan, homeowners often go a step further and offer guests slippers to wear inside. Ironically, some Americans find it unhygienic to remove their own footwear and potentially wear someone else’s slippers.
This practice highlights a cultural difference in defining home cleanliness and personal space. Many cultures prioritize keeping the interior clean from outdoor dirt.
The American discomfort with shared footwear reveals a different hygiene concern, focusing on potential contact with others’ used items.
11. No Soap Hand Washing
In Hindu culture, the practice of washing hands does not necessarily involve using soap. Instead, people often rely on ash and soil for cleaning their hands.
Studies have indicated that scrubbing with substances like ash and soil can be an effective form of cleaning.
However, for Americans who are accustomed to using soap and water to create a rich lather, the thought of forgoing soap entirely when handwashing grosses out many.
This practice in Hindu culture offers a striking alternative utilizing natural materials. While studies support the effectiveness of ash and soil, the absence of lathering soap feels fundamentally unclean to Americans. It shows how hygiene practices intertwine with cultural and environmental factors.
12. No Deodorant
In American culture, forgetting to apply deodorant is often a source of embarrassment. However, in many other countries around the world, deodorant is simply not commonly used.
This is particularly true in regions like East Asia, where only about 7% of the population regularly uses deodorant.
This lower usage may be partly attributed to genetic factors common in the region that result in many people having less noticeable body odor.
The widespread use and perceived necessity of deodorant in America contrasts sharply with many other countries, illustrating how biological factors can influence cultural hygiene norms.
13. Twigs Over Toothbrushes
Brushing teeth with a conventional toothbrush is considered a fundamental part of good hygiene practices in America.
However, access to modern dental products is not universal. In areas without these products, many cultures rely on using twigs for cleaning their teeth.
These natural tools have been shown to be effective at removing plaque. Using a standard toothbrush is foundational to American oral hygiene.
The use of twigs represents a resourceful and effective alternative. This highlights how diverse tools can achieve similar hygiene goals based on available resources and long-standing cultural practices.
14. Air-Drying Clothes
Due to concerns about mildew and mold developing on clothing, many Americans rely heavily on using electric dryers for their laundry.
However, electric dryers are not as common in many other parts of the world. Consequently, a significant number of people globally simply air-dry their clothes, often using clotheslines or other similar methods.
Reliance on electric dryers in the US stems largely from concerns about mildew and mold. This contrasts with much of the world where electric dryers are uncommon.
The global preference for air-drying is a more energy-efficient approach, underscoring variations in accessibility, energy habits, and drying methods.
Alicia Richards