There is a moment many of us have as adults when we recall some action we used to take when we were younger that now fills us with horror and shame. From atrocious creative work to downright disgusting habits, we all have a few things that we hope remain in the past.
So someone asked “What have you always done, but later found out was gross?” and these brave netizens spilled their guts. So make sure you have already satiated your appetite because you are about to lose it. Get comfortable as you scroll through, upvote your favorites, and comment your own gross habits, if you are brave enough.
#1
As a dude, standing up to pee. Seriously, the stuff sprays everywhere. We got one of those flashlights made for highlighting pet urine on carpet, and out of curiosity I shined around in the bathroom. It’s everywhere. Gentlemen, it’s really gross what we’re exposing the women in our lives to. We’re not talking about truck stops or rest areas, but the bathrooms of those we know and love. Sit down, it won’t emasculate you.
Image source: ZiggyEarthDust, Ketut Subiyanto
#2
I pick my nose (privately then wash my hands). I just can’t deal with a clogged nose & my fingers work better than a tissue ever could
Image source: harleybruuuh, Karolina Grabowska
#3
I love to eat the crispy, crunchy white yucca flowers from my yard.
I ate them for years before discovering there are tiny little white waxy worms that live in the flowers and blend in.
I eat other bugs and worms and stuff, but not raw, so I started to wash them out of the flowers before I ate them.
I learned the flowers are nowhere near as nutty and crunchy and delicious without the worms, so now I leave them in.
Image source: Mushrooming247, Svetlana Lisova
#4
I didn’t use to close the lid on the toilet before flushing. Oh the sharticles.
Image source: Standard-Guarantee94, Hakim Santoso
#5
Omg this isn’t something for me personal, but men?? Not washing their hands after they pee?? I seen this statistic during covid and asked my male friends and I couldn’t believe how many said this was true. It’s stayed with me ever since lol.
Image source: sukianaxx
#6
I was in my late teens before I learned you’re supposed to wipe front to back not back to front. I was like damn and started doing it the right way. I could never get a good clean front to back. I figured I just needed practice but I did it for 6 months and it never improved. I went back to the way I’ve always done it. I’ve never had a yeast infection or UTI. Idk how far you guys are wiping but I don’t have an issue
Image source: asexualrhino, Miriam Alonso
#7
As a child I would dig up bits of clay from the local sandbox. It wasn’t as good as play-doh, so I would cast it aside and continue digging.
Maybe I didn’t have a very good sense of smell at that age, because I was well into adulthood before I realized it was probably cat s**t.
Image source: Blue_Moon_Rabbit, Kaboompics .com
#8
When I was like 5 or 6 years old I would love going to the grocery store with my mom because the vegetable and fruit and meat tables always had the best ice to chew on….
Image source: campio_s_a, Blue Arauz
#9
I used to really like those self service lollies/candy buckets with the scoops. They were in most big box stores in Australia, like Kmart, Target, Big W. So much fun mixing and matching.
But then one day I started working at Target. Every single day I caught old people and kids with their hands directly inside grabbing them out and munching down all slobbery like. Turned me off forever.
Though not too long after they started disappearing from businesses so obviously someone got the unsanitary message.
Image source: blahblahrasputan, Melvin Silva
#10
I am 66yo and only learned a week ago that you are supposed to FLOSS FIRST & THEN BRUSH your teeth! I saw something on Reddit about this & I asked my family (3 adult kids & husband). They ALL knew to floss first, brush second – WHY DIDN’T ANYONE TELL ME??? They just thought what I did was weird but never mentioned it.
Image source: Makitsew, Sora Shimazaki
#11
I flushed my tampons my whole life until I was about 30. No one had taught me they weren’t flushable. I stupidly thought they were like toilet paper.
One expensive and embarrassing plumbing problem later, I never did it again.
Image source: Ew_fine, Miriam Alonso
#12
When I was a kid, I had pinworms. That’s no big deal, kids have them often from playing in dirt and putting their fingers in their mouth. However I was too embarrassed to tell my parents I had them, so I just…left it alone. I had recurrent bouts of worms on and off until I was in my late teens, and then at that point I developed a serious eating disorder for unrelated reasons and they all sort of died off because I wasn’t eating and pinworms feed on sugars in your intestines.
Image source: madamevanessa98
#13
as an asian i was always taught growing up to throw used toilet paper in the trash bin. it wasnt until i went on a school trip to italy the chaperone mentioned to everyone “the plumbing system here isnt as good as the USA so you guys are just gonna have to throw it in the trash bin” and everyone went “ew”. and thats when i learned that it was gross to throw toilet paper in the trash bin since the issue was youre basically having s**t bits sitting around in a bin.
Image source: stigma_numgus, La Miko
#14
not brushing my teeth every day.
i struggle with life-long dysthymia (basically chronic mild depression), and during the covid lockdown it got pretty bad and i’d straight up brush my teeth every other week, at best. i didn’t see the point because i didn’t leave my room.
i forced myself to get a thorough professional clean after about a year of this and it felt amazing. i’ve miraculously never had a cavity, though.
Image source: less_radio_more_head
#15
Spitting in public(on the sidewalk, streets, etc.)
Growing up in a smaller Texas Town, spitting whenever and wherever was a p common thing. It was totally acceptable to be walking down the street, and just kinda spit if you felt the need to. Never really thought anything of it. I didn’t realize people found spitting on sidewalks offensive until was about 30 or so. I still to this day don’t understand why. I try not to do it as much anymore. But.. if there ain’t anybody around bet’chur a*s I’ma spit tho.
EDIT: It has been brought to my attention that spitting can be a factor in spreading specific diseases/viruses. After doing some quick research on it, I have found this to be factual. Moving forward, I will be even *more* mindful of my spitting habits.
Image source: NuggleBuggins, Lukas Rychvalsky
#16
Sharing a bar of soap with my husband. I thought it was normal until it came up in my mom group. If we are going to bump uglies, we can definitely share soap. I don’t care if it’s gross, we only have one soap holder. 🥴
Image source: cocoakrispiesdonut
#17
All my life I wiped my toothbrush on the hand towel to dry it up until my sister asked what the f**k I was doing
Image source: Sark_Doul, Cup of Couple
#18
Not washing newly purchased clothing items
Image source: MysteryGoomba, Liza Summer
#19
Never take out my contact lenses.
Image source: WeaponLX23
#20
Double dipping snacks. Pretty logical but only found out recently that’s very bad etiquette
Image source: AggravatingDriver559
#21
Not brushing my teeth when I wake up. I would only brush my teeth after breakfast, and I would rarely eat breakfast. So most days I would only brush my teeth at night. I figured “Well I brushed last night and haven’t eaten anything since, so why should I brush again?” Then I learned about all the bacteria that feed on the tiny bits of food left in your teeth and they literally expel gas and feces in your mouth as they consume it. And this is what causes awful morning breath. So I have this mental image of bacteria poop and farts coating my mouth and have brushed every morning since regardless of eating breakfast or not.
Image source: scatteredwardrobe, Ron Lach
#22
I use my earring to scrape out the muck from under my nails then put the earring back in my ear
Image source: bettyswollocks22, Dmitry Zvolskiy
#23
I’m surprised to not see this here: wearing shoes inside. My family was not a shoes off family and they always wore outside shoes inside. I remember a few friends homes were strict shoes-off homes, but I thought that was the minority. I was about 27 years old before I realized it was disgusting and people were definitely judging my etiquette.
Image source: MyDogAteYourPancakes, Marcus Aurelius
#24
Not washing behind ears
Image source: sheesh-papa, Karolina Grabowska
#25
I was taught to wash my sheets once a month. Realized you’re supposed to do it way more.
Image source: NoUsername817226, cottonbro studio
#26
I always had dry hands as a kid and it didn’t like how it felt so I’d spit on my hands all the time
Image source: MetalFenris, RDNE Stock project
#27
I used to take s***s, would wipe for a bit, but if it was taking to long I would just stuff a wad of TP in my crack and deal with it later.
Image source: Lanky-Blueberry5782, Vie Studio
#28
Left dishes out in my room. Until I got freaked out at seeing ants everywhere, then I always put away dishes after finishing.
Image source: ZIntrovertCF
#29
Used to pluck my eyebrows on public transport.
So sorry to anyone who got those sticky little living hair follicles stuck to their clothes and skin.
Image source: Nannyhirer, Anete Lusina
#30
Eating snow, just take the same handful of snow you might see a kid stuff in their mouth and let it melt in a glass. Bet you wouldn’t willingly drink it!
Image source: Affectionate_Cloud86, Yaroslav Shuraev
#31
As a young child, I didn’t understand that as a female, we *have* to wipe for sanitary reasons. I felt that it was just another unfair stipulation imposed on my gender at the ripe age of maybe 5? So I refused to wipe when I peed because boys didn’t have to.
Image source: faceboobs701
#32
Teen years… Getting in bed with *outside clothes* on. Sitting on my bed with outside clothes on. Keeping my shoes on while sitting on my bed, might put my legs on the bed with the covers on but that’s f*****g disgusting and it bothers me when anyone does it in movies or my house (because anyone else in the world can do whatever they want — just not in my house).
I’ve made it a rule to change out of your outside clothes before getting into a bed.
Image source: tharealmouse, Andrew Neel
#33
Showered in a dirty tub. Once I discovered how gross it really was, my hoarder mother didn’t like it when I cleaned the bathroom, so I just lived with it til I was able to get a place.
Image source: TrustIsOverrated, Charlotte May
#34
I casually use cat whiskers as toothpicks when I find them laying around. I still do but not in public after I was sitting on a bus next to a stranger and got a bit happy when I found a whisker in my scarf. Poor stranger got discussed and surprised at the same time.
Image source: southlagoon, Monique Laats
#35
I chewed with my mouth open for decades
Image source: Ok_Share_6448
#36
Eating rice without washing it twice
Image source: SalesGrind
Follow Us
