Americans take pride in their hygiene routines, but not all global practices align with what’s considered “normal” in the U.S.
From squatting toilets and bucket baths to using twigs as toothbrushes, other countries follow hygiene habits that many Americans might find odd, or even unsanitary.
However, these traditions often stem from deep-rooted cultural norms, resource availability, and health benefits.
In this guide, we’ll explore 14 unique hygiene habits from around the world that challenge American standards and reveal just how diverse cleanliness can be.
Whether you find them fascinating or baffling, these customs highlight the global variety in personal care routines.
1. Squatting Over Sitting
With the possible exception of public restrooms, Americans typically do not squat to relieve themselves and tend to grimace at the thought of hovering over the toilet to go number two.
This cultural preference for sitting often makes the concept of squatting seem unusual or even unhygienic to many in the US. However, research indicates that squatting is actually a healthier way to use the toilet.
Furthermore, it can be considered more hygienic since there’s no need to touch anything during the process, addressing common American concerns about public restroom cleanliness. This demonstrates a fundamental difference in bathroom customs and perceived hygiene.
2. Water Over Paper
While bidets are prevalent globally and a common hygiene practice in many countries, Americans often reject their use. This rejection is due, at least in part, to hygiene concerns that Americans associate with water spraying. The idea of using water for personal cleansing after using the toilet can seem unusual or even unsanitary to those accustomed to toilet paper. However, critics of traditional toilet paper highlight its significant limitations, arguing that it does not achieve the same level of thorough cleanliness as water-based methods like bidets. This disparity showcases a fundamental difference in perceived effective hygiene.
3. Bucket Baths
In Ghana, the Philippines, and parts of Australia, taking a lengthy, Western-style shower is not common. Instead, many people in these regions rely on taking bucket baths.
The concept of bathing with a bucket might make many Americans cringe, as they are accustomed to the continuous flow of water from a shower.
However, this practice often uses less water compared to typical showers that are common in American households.
This highlights a difference in water usage and bathing customs driven by cultural norms and resource availability.
4. Using Catch-All Cleaning Products
Americans commonly use specialized soaps for different body parts, such as separate soaps for their face, body, hands, and sometimes even their feet.
In contrast, in many other parts of the world, the idea of specialty soaps is considered laughable. Though it may seem unbelievable to some Americans, people from many cultures simply use one soap for everything.
This reflects a more utilitarian approach to personal hygiene, where a single cleaning product suffices for all purposes, contrasting sharply with the American preference for highly specific product lines.
5. Nighttime Bathing
In America, showering first thing in the morning is often considered a key part of good hygiene, linked to making oneself presentable for the day. However, in many countries, people choose to bathe at night instead.
Their primary goal in doing so is to remove the grime and dirt accumulated throughout the day before going to bed.
This difference in bathing timing suggests varied priorities: Americans prioritize freshness for the day ahead, while others focus on cleansing away the day’s impurities before sleep.
6. Finger Foods
Eating in America primarily involves the use of utensils, with few exceptions, and not using them is often seen as unhygienic.
Conversely, in other countries, such as India, using one’s hands to eat is an expected and common practice.
This cultural difference can be a significant point of contrast in hygiene perceptions and dining etiquette. What Americans might view as unsanitary, other cultures consider a normal and accepted part of their culinary traditions.
7. Masking
During the pandemic, a subsection of Americans expressed concerns about the unhygienic nature of wearing a mask all day.
However, in countries like Japan, masking when sick was a commonplace habit well before the COVID-19 pandemic. This highlights differing cultural norms around preventing the spread of illness.
While some Americans found prolonged mask-wearing unusual or unsanitary, many other cultures had already integrated it as a standard practice for public health and consideration for others.
8. Kiss To Greet
Many Americans are comfortable with handshakes and, in friendly situations, might lean in for a hug. However, the practice of kissing someone on the cheek to greet them, as is done in France and other countries, often makes many Americans cringe.
The idea of placing lips on an acquaintance’s cheek is often perceived as an “absolute no” by many in the US.
This social custom reflects a significant cultural difference in physical greetings and personal space boundaries.
9. Perfume as Hand Sanitizer
In Turkey, it is a tradition to offer honored guests a perfume called Kolonya to clean their hands.
While the high alcohol content in these scented liquids does effectively reduce germs and bacteria, much like hand sanitizer, the idea of using perfume instead of conventional hand sanitizer is often enough to make some Americans scoff.
This practice showcases a cultural blending of hospitality, fragrance, and hygiene, which can seem unusual from an American perspective accustomed to specific sanitizing products.
10. Remove Your Shoes
Taking off shoes upon entering another person’s home is a widespread courtesy in many parts of the world. For instance, in Japan, homeowners often offer slippers to guests to wear inside.
However, some Americans find it unhygienic to remove their own shoes and then wear someone else’s footwear.
This demonstrates a clash of hygiene perspectives: one prioritizing cleanliness within the home by leaving outdoor shoes at the door, and the other prioritizing personal hygiene by avoiding shared footwear.
11. No Soap Hand Washing
In Hindu culture, the practice for washing hands does not involve soap. Instead, people rely on ash and soil for cleaning.
While studies indicate that scrubbing with these substances is an effective form of cleaning, the thought of forgoing soap when handwashing often grosses out many Americans.
This highlights a significant divergence in cleaning agents and perceived cleanliness standards, where natural materials are effectively used in place of commercial soaps.
12. No Deodorant
Forgetting to apply deodorant is considered embarrassing within American culture. Yet, in other countries, deodorant is not commonly used.
For example, only about 7% of East Asians regularly wear deodorant. This difference may be partly due to genetic factors that make many individuals in the region naturally less odorous.
This illustrates how genetic predispositions and cultural norms together shape personal hygiene habits regarding body odor.
13. Twigs Over Toothbrushes
Brushing teeth with a toothbrush is a standard part of good hygiene in America, where commercial dental products like Crest or Colgate are widely available.
However, in many other cultures, where such products are absent, people rely on twigs for cleaning their teeth.
These natural alternatives, often derived from specific plants, have been shown to be effective at removing plaque.
This demonstrates a resource-dependent adaptation of oral hygiene practices, where natural tools serve the same purpose as manufactured ones.
14. Air-Drying Clothes
Concerns about mildew and mold lead many Americans to heavily rely on electric dryers for laundry. Conversely, electric dryers are not as common in many parts of the world.
Instead, people frequently use clotheslines or other methods to air-dry their clothes. This practice is often seen as more energy-efficient globally.
This difference highlights varying priorities: American convenience and mold prevention versus energy conservation and traditional methods in other cultures.
Alicia Richards