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Anna Trupiano is a first-grade teacher at a school that serves deaf, hard-of-hearing, and hearing students from birth through eighth grade.

In addition to teaching the usual subjects, Trupiano is charged with helping her students thrive in a society that doesn’t do enough to cater to the needs of the hard-of-hearing.

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A six-year-old child farted so loud in class that some of their classmates began to laugh. The child was surprised by their reaction because they didn’t know farts make a sound. This created a wonderful and funny teaching moment for Trupiano.

Trupiano shared the conversation on Facebook.

See posts, photos and more on Facebook.

While the discussion Trupiano had with her students was funny, it points to a serious problem faced by the deaf community. “I know it started with farts, but the real issue is that many of my students aren’t able to learn about these things at home or from their peers because they don’t have the same linguistic access,” she told GOOD.

“So many of my students don’t have families who can sign well enough to explain so many things it’s incredibly isolating for these kids,” she continued.

Trupiano hopes her funny story about bodily functions will inspire others to become more involved with the deaf community by learning sign language.

“I would love to see a world where my students can learn about anything from anyone they interact with during their day,” she told GOOD. “Whether that means learning about the solar system, the candy options at a store, or even farts, it would be so great for them to have that language access anywhere they go.”

This article originally appeared on 12.14.18

A lot of parents are tired of being told how technology is screwing up their kids.

Moms and dads of the digital age are well aware of the growing competition for their children’s attention, and they’re bombarded at each turn of the page or click of the mouse with both cutting-edge ideas and newfound worries for raising great kids.

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But beneath the madness of modernity, the basics of raising a moral child haven’t really changed.

Parents want their kids to achieve their goals and find happiness, but Harvard researchers believe that doesn’t have to come at the expense of kindness and empathy. They say a few tried-and-true strategies remain the best ways to mold your kids into the morally upstanding and goals-oriented humans you want them to be.

Here are six practical tips:

1) Hang out with your kids.

This is, like, the foundation of it all. Spend regular time with your kids, ask them open-ended questions about themselves, about the world and how they see it, and actively listen to their responses. Not only will you learn all sorts of things that make your child unique, you’ll also be demonstrating to them how to show care and concern for another person.

2) If it matters, say it out loud.

According to the researchers, “Even though most parents and caretakers say that their children being caring is a top priority, often children aren’t hearing that message.” So be sure to say it with them. And so they know it’s something they need to keep up with, check in with teachers, coaches, and others who work with your kids on how they’re doing with teamwork, collaboration, and being a generally nice person.

3) Show your child how to “work it out.”

Walk them through decision-making processes that take into consideration people who could be affected. For example, if your child wants to quit a sport or other activity, encourage them to identify the source of the problem and consider their commitment to the team. Then help them figure out if quitting does, in fact, fix the problem.

4) Make helpfulness and gratitude routine.

The researchers write, “Studies show that people who engage in the habit of expressing gratitude are more likely to be helpful, generous, compassionate, and forgiving — and they’re also more likely to be happy and healthy.” So it’s good for parents to hold the line on chores, asking kids to help their siblings, and giving thanks throughout the day. And when it comes to rewarding “good” behavior, the researchers recommend that parents “only praise uncommon acts of kindness.”

5) Check your child’s destructive emotions.

“The ability to care for others is overwhelmed by anger, shame, envy, or other negative feelings,” say the researchers. Helping kids name and process those emotions, then guiding them toward safe conflict resolution, will go a long way toward keeping them focused on being a caring individual. It’s also important to set clear and reasonable boundaries that they’ll understand are out of love and concern for their safety.

6) Show your kids the bigger picture.

“Almost all children empathize with and care about a small circle of families and friends,” say the researchers. The trick is getting them to care about people who are socially, culturally, and even geographically outside their circles. You can do this by coaching them to be good listeners, by encouraging them to put themselves in other people’s shoes, and by practicing empathy using teachable moments in news and entertainment.

The study concludes with a short pep talk for all the parents out there:

“Raising a caring, respectful, ethical child is and always has been hard work. But it’s something all of us can do. And no work is more important or ultimately more rewarding.”

This article originally appeared on 06.16.15

If you just got married, chances are lots of people think they know what your life is like.

These people are totally well-meaning! And also, mostly wrong.

Being married isn’t exactly like it used to be. Which is great, as there are so many different, amazing ways to be newlyweds than ever before. But it’s also occasionally frustrating, as we newlyweds are frequently forced to dispel a lot of myths about our relationships.

So let’s get them out of the way in one fell swoop.

Here are the most common (but mistaken) assumptions strangers make when you’re a newlywed couple, and what our lives are really like.

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Assumption #1: We went on our honeymoon already, and we left right after the wedding.

Reality: In our dreams, we definitely did — and we had a great time!

In real life, however, most of us can’t just take a week (or more) off work at will. The office is hella busy, and on top of that, we live in the only wealthy country in the world that doesn’t mandate any paid vacation. Many of us were barely able to get the day of our actual wedding off (ultimately, we compromised with our manager and took a half-day).

We’re planning to get to it … eventually. But it might be a while. We promise we’ll send pictures!

Assumption #2: We’re going to have babies ASAP.

Reality: We love being married! But, you know, we actually haven’t decided? About babies? We’re just enjoying being married right now. But we’ll let you know when it happens. We promise.

Assumption #3: We’re going to move out of “the city” one day.

Reality: It makes sense to assume that, like so many newly married couples in generations past, we’re already planning our escape from our local metropolis to a less population-dense area TBD. But many of us who live in the city really, really like it! The city is great. There are good schools here. We can get nachos delivered at 3 a.m.! From either the good nacho place or the OK-but-cheap nacho place.

Sure, some of us are planning to one day move to the ‘burbs for more space (and many already are), but many of us aren’t. And still others of us who already live in the suburbs are making the suburbs more like the city.

Having a yard is really nice, but so is not having car insurance payments.

Assumption #4: We feel superior to our second-cousin Frieda whose boyfriend of 19 years still hasn’t proposed.

Reality: Even though we’re feeling pretty good about being married, Frieda and Richard are adults and get to make their own decisions — no matter what Aunt Cindy thinks. Maybe they have financial reasons. Maybe they decided a long time ago they don’t want to be married. Maybe they believe marriage is an oppressive, archaic, patriarchal institution that they don’t want to participate in, and also they’re vegan now.

In any case, leave Frieda and Richard alone.

Assumption #5: We’re going to have babies soonish.

Reality: So, yeah. Like I said. Really haven’t decided about babies. Keeping our options open. But probably not soon? You know?

Assumption #6: One of us changed our last name.

Reality: There’s totally nothing wrong with couples who decide that one partner will take the other’s last name, of course. But not all of us do. At least 1 in every 5 women decide to keep their maiden names, according to a New York Times survey. And if you haven’t taken your partner’s last name, it’s kind of frustrating to constantly hear yourself referred to as Mr./Mrs. Someone Else (for opposite-gender couples, this pretty much applies exclusively to women).

If you’re not sure what last name to use, just ask! We’ll tell you what the deal is.

Assumption #7: We’re having Guinness Book of World Records amounts of sex.

Reality: For those of us who waited to have sex until marriage — which is, of course, totally cool — you might need a supercomputer to tabulate. But lots of us have been together for a long time already and may even have been living together already, so we’re probably having whatever amount of sex is normal for us. It’s just a regular part of our lives that throwing a wedding doesn’t really have a magical impact on.

After many years in a relationship, most of us take “Netflix and chill” quite literally. And seriously.

Assumption #8: We’ve finished all our thank-you notes.

Reality: Never. We’ll be writing these until the end of time.

Assumption #9: Hanging out with one of us means hanging out with both of us.

Reality: We’re still different people. Each of us is a self-sufficient being with free will. And we’re probably totally down to hang out with you, even if our spouse isn’t available.

Except you, Greg. We’re totally avoiding you.

Assumption #10: We’re going to have babies ever.

Reality: So um, like I said, there’s actually a chance we might never have babies? We might decide we don’t want them after all. We might find out we can’t — in which case, these questions might become extremely invasive and painful. We might adopt a child … who’s not a baby. We haven’t figured it out yet.

At the end of the day, It’s kinda up to us, you know?

Assumption #11: We never use the garlic press you got us.

Reality: We use it all the time! Thank you so much!

Assumption #12: One of us is going to stay home and take care of the house from here on in.

Reality: Some of us might want to be a housewife or husband. Others of us shudder at the thought of giving up our careers, or urging our spouse to give up theirs. Still others of us might want to, but might not be able to forfeit the second income. There’s really no right — or standard — way to do it anymore.

Assumption #13: We both have all the same likes, dislikes, preferences, outlooks, and opinions now.

Reality: My wife will never convince me to like jazz. And I will probably never convince her to like “Captain Phillips” fan fiction. And you know what? We’re OK with that.

For the things that matter, we’re committed to presenting a united front. But we’re still individuals with different thoughts, feelings, and opinions about what Tom Hanks was up to two weeks before the Somali pirates attacked, ’cause honestly, that’s where the real drama of the story probably is.

Assumption #14: We wear wedding rings.

Reality: Some of us like wearing a physical symbol of our connection and duty to our spouse. Some of us don’t as much. So we don’t wear them. But don’t worry! We’re still extreme double married 5000.

Assumption #15: Making us a pink cake that says “baby” on it is going to change our mind about babies.

Reality: It won’t. But we will definitely eat that cake.

Assumption #16: Our lives are a lot different now.

Reality: Beginning roughly seven seconds after we say, “I do,” lots and lots and lots of well-intentioned people ask: “How does it feel?!” seemingly expecting to hear: “So much has changed! We got matching ponies! Being married really is a whole new world!” It feels like we’re disappointing them when we answer, “Pretty much the way we did the day before the wedding.” Which is silly, since there’s no shame in that.

For some couples, life is a lot different after marriage, and that’s great. But if stuff is kinda sorta the same, that’s OK too! Life was great before. That’s why we decided to get married.

Assumption #17: If we’re not going to lay out a precise plan for having babies, at least we’ll probably get a pet.

Reality: OK. This one is true.

This article originally appeared on 11.06.15

Around 1 a.m. on April 24, semi-truck drivers in the Oak Park area of Michigan received a distress call from area police: An unidentified man was standing on the edge of a local bridge, apparently ready to jump onto the freeway below.

Those drivers then did something amazing. They raced to the scene to help — and lined up their trucks under the bridge, providing a relatively safe landing space should the man jump.

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Fortunately, he didn’t.

The impressive line-up wasn’t a coincidence — the drivers were prepared for exactly this sort of situation.Sgt. Jason Brockdorff of the Huntington Woods Police Department told The Detroit News that the response was something local police and truck drivers had actually trained for. But what was unusual was the sheer number of drivers who responded to the call.

“That’s a practice we use if we have a jumper,” Brockdorff said. “We try to do it every time, to lessen the distance someone would travel if they were to jump. Fortunately, that didn’t happen.”

The incident lasted nearly four hours, into the early morning. However, once the trucks were in place, the police were able to more comfortably negotiate with the unidentified man.

Eventually, the man walked off the bridge on his own and is currently receiving medical help.

In a pair of tweets, the local police department called attention to the incident to remind people in similar situations of the importance of seeking mental health services (emphasis mine):

This photo does show the work troopers and local officers do to serve the public. But also in that photo is a man struggling with the decision to take his own life. Please remember help is available through the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.

You can also call a loved one, member of the clergy or 911. There are so many people that can help you make the choice to get help and live! It is our hope to never see another photo like this again.

Working together, the police and everyday strangers saved a life.

Ordinary people heeded the call of service to help a fellow person who was struggling. It’s a powerful image that’s impossible to ignore, and a reminder of humanity at its best.

This article originally appeared on 04.24.18

Fear of flying—aerophobia, in technical terms—is an extremely common phobia, affecting around 25 million adults in the U.S. alone. Some people grit their teeth and white-knuckle their way through their fear, while others find themselves unable to get on an airplane at all because of it.

Such a fear is understandable, really. Hurtling through the sky at 500 miles per hour, tens of thousands of feet above the Earth’s surface, isn’t exactly the way humans were designed to get from place to place. (We may have evolved with the brain power and ingenuity to make it happen, but that doesn’t mean we automatically go along for the ride without our sense of self-preservation kicking in.)

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One of the triggers for people with aerophobia is turbulence—the occasional shaking and pitching of an aircraft when it hits certain conditions in the atmosphere. Even people who are comfortable flying can find turbulence disconcerting sometimes, especially when it creates a sudden dropping sensation. Turbulence is normal, but it doesn’t feel normal when you’re sitting in a chair 30,000 feet from solid ground. It feels chaotic and out of control.

Anna Paul, a popular TikTok star from Australia, has shared a helpful visual for people freaked out by turbulence in a video that has more than 19 million views.

Paul explains that a pilot shared the analogy of a plane flying through the air being like an object suspended in jello. There’s pressure on all sides, so even if the jello is shaken—and the object shaken along with it—the pressure suspends the object.

In other words, a plane is not going to suddenly drop down out of the sky due to turbulence, in the same way that an object won’t drop out of the middle of a bowl of jello.

Watch:

@anna..paull

Fear of flying tip ✈️❤️

The jello analogy is also used by aerophobia experts. Therapist Les Posen specializes in flying phobias, and he shows his clients a model airplane suspended in raspberry jello to illustrate the fact that turbulence won’t cause a plane to drop out of the sky. He even goes a step farther by having clients smell the jello, and then advises them to eat some raspberry candy or juice on the plane to remind themselves of the analogy, using their senses to calm their nerves.

At the end of her video, Paul said there’s never been a plane crash from turbulence, but that’s not quite true. In 1966, a flight (BOAC 911) coming out of Tokyo broke apart in midair due to unexpected severe turbulence. However, that was a very long time ago. Monitoring of meteorological conditions has greatly advanced since then, as have the designs of modern aircraft and the skill of pilots, so experts will tell you that turbulence is not something to worry about.

If imagining air pressure as jello doesn’t really work for you, it may be helpful to have a visual of what turbulence actually is. For that, Captain Stuart Walker, who has been flying for 30 years, explains the four main types of turbulence, what causes them and what pilots do to avoid them or reduce their impact. He also explains what passengers can do to minimize their chances of feeling turbulence on a flight, such as sitting over the wings or toward the front of the plane and flying earlier in the day when temperatures are not as likely to cause air disturbances.

Whether you prefer hospital-food-based analogies or no-nonsense, scientific explanations, the bottom line is that turbulence feels far scarier than it actually is. A shaking plane is not going to drop from the sky, modern aircraft can withstand a great deal of movement midair and pilots are highly trained to handle turbulence.

And remember: Commercial airline travel really is the safest way to get to where you’re going, statistically speaking. So next time you fly, kick back, relax and imagine you’re suspended in jello, knowing you’re in capable hands when the turbulence starts.

This article originally appeared on 06.23.22

Language is a fascinating thing to explore. Where words come from, how things are named, the way sayings and slang are constantly being invented—it’s all great fun to plunge into.

But sometimes a deep dive into words and language reveals missed opportunities as we contemplate what a thing should be called instead of what it is.

Reddit user johnnylgarfield asked, “What is badly named, and what is a better name for it?” and hoo boy did the wordsmiths deliver.

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Anything that could have “Otto” in it should

“Otto Preminger wrote his own biography and failed to title it Otto-Biography.

Once in a lifetime pun, and he just threw it away.” – hippo717

“I saw an automatic car wash with the name “Otto’s automatic carwash”

The fact it wasn’t called an ottomatic carwash still hurts me.” – ShadowVader

Alternate names for everyday things that we should seriously consider

“I keep seeing people say that contractions should be birthquakes.” – ssssobtaostobs

“Dentures. Should be Substitooths” – donkeyknuckles

“Any bacon alternative that is not named Fācon is an abomination.” – RitaPoonismysister

“Jet ski. Dumb name. Obviously it is a Boatercycle.” – KYbywayofNY

“Hemorrhoids should be asteroids obv.” – UncleDuude

“Olives should be Greece’s Pieces.” – rmg18555

Words that just shouldn’t be the way they are, on principle

“Abbreviation should be a much shorter word. Dyslexia should also be easier to spell.”– Masked_Daisy

“Lisp” shouldn’t make me lisp.” – rhaegar89

“And why isn’t palindrome a palindrome?” – slimfastdieyoung

“Why is a fear of palindromes aibohphobia?!?” – 1nonspecificgirl

“The same reason the fear of big words is hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia.” – redwolf1219

“The word for your condition is also your exposure therapy!” – quaffee

How about two things that should simply be swapped?

“I’m not the first to say it, but ‘pick-up artists’ and ‘garbage men’ should swap titles.” – GGAllinPartridge

“A driveway should be a parkway and a parkway should be a driveway.” – scottcmu

“And cookies and bacon should switch since you bake cookies but cook bacon.” – cwx149

“Butterflies should be Flutterbys.” – genderlawyer

A whole thread just for the weather folks

“Weather forecast is boring. Weather prophecy is awesome.” – dire18

“Atmospheric foretelling.” – uneducated_sock

“Precipitation Prognostication” – VonBrewskie

“As the atmospheric oracles have foretold, ’tis raining.” – Shi-Rokku

“Meteoracles*” – HauntedHippie

“You mean the skyentists?” – illfygli

And everyone’s favorite, the naming of animal groups

“Why is a group of squid called a shoal when it should be called a squad?” – xdark_realityx

“A squid squad? Nice.

A crow crew

A whale wall

A swan swarm

A bat batch

A lobster cluster

and of course

A group of groupers” – loopywolf

“Cloister of oysters” – itsmarvin

“A Murder of Crows. It should be a CawCawphony.” – EscapedCapybara

“A murder of crows goes so unfathomably hard tho, it can stay.” – mrspuffispeng

“The committee on groups of bird names are the best in the business. They put everyone else to shame. Murder, curiosity, charm, kettle, mural, cast, parliament. Why even compete?” – remeard

Even though the number of uninsured Americans has been on the decline for over a decade, the cost of healthcare is still astronomical, especially if you are uninsured. A perfect example of this story was recently shared by TikToker Cinthanie McAllister, who told a hilarious story about a bill she got for having a nasty case of gas.

Obviously, high healthcare costs aren’t funny, but sometimes, a good laugh can make the pain a bit more bearable.

“I bet you didn’t know that you wanted to know how much it costs to fart without insurance in an ER in the United States,” McAllister starts her video from the kitchen.

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“A little while ago, I woke up in the middle of the night with the most excruciating abdominal pain I have ever experienced in my life,” she said while doing her best to hold back the laughter. “I was doubled over. I couldn’t walk. I had to literally crawl across our bedroom floor to wake my husband up to get him to take me to the ER. They had to come out to the car and wheelchair me into the ER because I couldn’t walk because I was in so much pain.”

i have to laugh to keep from crying because this is insane

@cinthanie

i have to laugh to keep from crying because this is insane #storytime #ervisitstorytime #emergencyroom #fyp

The pain was so severe that healthcare workers tried to give her morphine for relief. But McAllister didn’t want any. “I was like, ‘No! I don’t want any f*cking morphine; I just want to know what’s wrong with me.'”

The staff had McCallister take a CT scan because they were concerned, as were the McAllisters, that she may have a ruptured appendix. If not, then why would she be in such terrible pain?

While she was waiting for the scan results, nature called and McAllister went into the restroom. It was there she realized what was causing all of the abdominal distress.

“I let out the world’s fattest ripper you’ve ever heard in your life,” she said, trying to keep it together. “It was so ungodly smelling. It was so unwomanly. It was so wretched. Like, I’m positive that if there were bugs in the walls in that hospital, they were bug-bombed out. It was so f*cking bad.”

“Anyways, needless to say, after letting out the world’s biggest ripper, I felt pretty good,” she admitted. “They ruled it as gastrointestinitis. The CT scan came back clear and they sent me on my way with some suppositories.”

“How much do you think it cost me to let out that fart in the ER with no insurance? I’m telling you right now, you’re wrong. It’s more. It’s more than what you think,” she says. “This fart cost me $8,621.10.”

“The price of gas in this country is outrageous,” Sarah Staten wrote. “Happened to me once… spent hours in the ER for the Dr to say I had a ‘fart stuck sideways,'” D added.

Many people gave her advice on how to avoid paying the bill.

“Get an itemized bill and tell them you are a cash patient. That should cut it in half or more. Then, just tell them you’ll make payments. Send them $20 a month. They’ll take it and do nothing,” SeaChelleAviatrix suggested.

Upworthy has contacted McAllister for comment and has yet to receive a response.

Many people dream of somehow being able to pay their parents back for the sacrifices made for them during childhood. Whether that’s something physical, like paying off their mortgage, or simply being the best version of ourselves to make them absolutely proud.

For Lindsay Moore, it was finding a “prized possession” her dad once gave up to help the family, and returning it to him once again.

Moore still vividly remembers being only seven years old when she saw her father walk into a comic book store to sell a Dan Marino rookie football card from his first season with the Miami Dolphins.

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In a now-viral TikTok, Moore’s father is seen reliving this memory as he holds onto a Christmas bag and a family member reads a card out loud.

“Money was tight, so you were selling your most prized possession – at least I viewed it as that,” Moore wrote. “I felt your sacrifice and it taught me that I would do whatever necessary to ensure my future family never needed anything. It was a lesson that has stuck with me since that moment.”

It was also the moment she became “determined” to pay her father back. Cut to thirty years later, and her father is her Secret Santa. It was the perfect opportunity to fulfill that promise.

“I will never be able to fully repay that debt,” her note continued. “Seven-year-old me would be so elated to see that I finally fulfilled that promise I made to myself. Thank you for everything.”

As he listened, Moore’s dad began tearing up. Sure enough, he opened his gift to see it was the cherished card he sold all those years ago.

The video concludes as Moore and her father enjoy a warm embrace.

@lindseyswagmom

Im not crying, you’re crying

♬ original sound – Lindsey Moore

The sweet exchange certainly struck a chord online.

“When he started crying I LOST IT,” one person wrote.

Another added, “Something about bringing a grown man to tears always gets me.”

A few parents shared their own stories of sacrificing prized possessions.

“As someone who has sold his prized Gretzky rookie to provide for his kids, I appreciate and respect this a lot,” commented one person.

“Just had to sell my signature MacKinnon jersey to pay bills. Sucked so much but kid comes first,” echoed another.

On the flip side, some shared their one experience of getting to repay their parents. One wrote:

“I got to do this for my mom last year. She won a [Dolce & Gabbana] purse one year at work and sold it to buy my prom dress and never thought twice. She never [got] name brand anything. So this year I took her to get her very first name brand fancy hand bag or her picking, my treat.”

But perhaps the best comment belonged to this person, who astutely pointed out: “The card wasn’t the real gift to him. It was hearing his impact on you. Priceless.”

We might not all get to reclaim what our parents sacrificed. And that’s okay. There are so many other ways to share just how much of a positive impact they made on our lives. Even saying how much we appreciate them can be an invaluable reward. Yes. Really.

This article originally appeared on 12.23.23

Almost 100 years ago, nine newspapers joined forces to create a national spelling bee to help promote literacy. Now the Scripps National Spelling Bee has become so popular that was televised for 27 years on ESPN before moving to its own network in 2022.

The Scripps National Spelling Bee is a serious competition with students who have studied arduously to memorize root words, phonetic rules and unusual spellings in the hopes of being crowned the nation’s spelling champion. The honor also comes with a $50,000 cash prize, so the competition is fierce.

But that didn’t stop one competitor from bursting into giggles at being asked to spell the word “sardoodledom.”

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During the 2007 Scripps National Spelling Bee, 11-year-old Kennyi Aouad approached the microphone with serious concentration when it was his turn to spell. But when the judges told him the word he was to spell and he repeated it, he burst out laughing.

“Sardoodledom” isn’t a word most of us have ever even heard, much less recognize. (It means “mechanically contrived plot structure and stereotyped or unrealistic characterization in drama”—basically “melodrama”—according to Merriam-Webster.) It does sound a bit funny saying it out loud, and even one of the judges started giggling at the young contestant’s reaction to it.

Watch Kennyi lose it repeatedly as he tries to make it through his turn:

Despite how serious the competition is, these kids are still just kids and people loved seeing his joyful reaction to a silly-sounding word.

“His laugh!! I love that in the seriousness of spelling bees, he was able to be himself. This made me smile!” wrote one person.

“So cute. Smart with a touch of sense of humour,” wrote another.

“Talk about breaking the tension!!” shared another. “I love it and he got it right!”

If you’re curious, Kennyi placed 34th in that year’s spelling bee. He would go on to compete again, however, and tied for 5th place in the 2009 bee.

This article originally appeared on 9.28.23

We all know that proper hygiene is important, but when it comes to which hygiene habits take priority, we can’t always agree. Heck, we can’t even agree on some of the basic things when it comes to cleanliness, like how often to shower.

A lot of this we can chalk up to no one rule being able to apply to all humans. But some helpful habits might go undone simply because we aren’t aware of how much they can benefit our wellbeing. Or we’ve gotten so busy that we’ve forgotten them.

Luckily, the internet is a mecca of crowdsourced hacks.

Reddit user u/Away_Needleworker655 recently asked “What are some underrated hygiene tips?” and answers ranged from items (and body parts) that often go ignored to helpful products and everywhere in between.

Check out what folks are saying below. You never know what ideas you might be able to glean to make life just a little more squeaky clean.

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”Baking soda works better than any other gimmicky product for stinky shoes.”

”I work for a sock design company. Sooooo many people think they have bad foot odor, and some do, but most people are just wearing really low quality all polyester socks. Switch to a cotton blend or wool blend!!!! You will see a huge difference.”

“I honestly thought ‘don’t forget to wash behind your ears’ was just a folksy way of my parents telling me to be thorough with washing. Then at some point I ran my finger behind my ear and smelled it, and got religion about washing behind my ears.”

“Washing your reusable water bottle daily to prevent bacterial growth.Changing your pillowcase frequently to prevent oil and bacteria buildup. Regularly cleaning and disinfecting your kitchen sink, as it can harbor harmful bacteria.”

“Hot water and dish soap will get rid of just as much bacteria as disinfectants so don’t worry too much about a special product. A good scrub down with dish soap and rinse with the hottest water will work just fine!”

“When cleansing your face, spend 60 seconds rubbing the cleanser in.”

“Maybe not so much hygiene per se but in order to keep your house tidy it really helps to never walk empty handed. If you’re sitting at the dinner table for example and getting up for a drink/toilet visit/whatever, put your plate and cutlery on the counter. Goes for everything that needs to be moved anyway, snack wrappers, glasses, cups etc. Takes almost no extra effort and it is a habit that’s very easy to gain. This way you’ll prevent a buildup of a seemingly manageable amount of clutter/trash. House is easier to clean and it is better for your peace of mind. So incredibly simple but turned out to be a life changer for me and some of my ADHD friends. Try it for a couple of days/weeks and it becomes so habitual that it doesn’t take any discipline to keep it up. Because I know that lack of discipline can become a (very) serious problem if you have nothing to fall back on.”

“If you are disabled, chronically ill, dealing with mental illness, etc, and struggle to shower, use baby wipes or a wet rag to wash yourself. It will help you feel refreshed, and something is better than nothing!”

“Use body cream straight after you shower and then apply your cologne or perfume whatever. It absorbs everything and you smell good for hours.”

“Floss guys. It’s not that hard and makes a huge difference.”

“Cleaning/ disinfecting your phone.”

“Your computer keyboard, too! Especially if you eat or smoke while using the computer.On a high-quality keyboard you can remove the keycaps and wash them, then take a swab and some rubbing alcohol to the spaces between the keyswitches. Laptops and cheap desktop keyboards are difficult, though. You can at least wipe off the key surfaces.”

“Take your shoes off at the door.”

“Your steering wheel is probably filthy. I use baby wipes to clean it when I’m sitting in traffic.”

“Getting a pedicure. It’s amazing! You don’t even need the color. It feels tremendous and your feet feel great!”

“Replace your toothbrush regularly! the bristles become worn and ineffective after a 3/4 months.”

…and last, but possibly most important…

“Work to figure out what makes keeping up with your hygiene difficult and keep an open mind while looking for solutions, no matter how atypical.”