Gross Things Women Do (And Never Admit)

Gross Habits Women Do When Nobody’s Watching

Being alone changes the rules.

The moment nobody else is around, perfectly respectable behaviour can quickly disappear. Suddenly there's nobody there to judge the questionable snack choices, strange inspections or shortcuts you'd never admit to in public.

The Sniff Test

We've all faced the decision.

An item of clothing is sitting on the chair. It has technically been worn before, but does it really need washing?

There is only one way to find out.

Sniff.

If it passes the test, back on it goes.

Bras, jumpers, jeans and pyjamas can be particularly likely candidates because many people don't wash them after every single wear.

The funniest part is the level of concentration involved—as though your nose is conducting a scientific examination.

Picking Things You Know You Should Leave Alone

Spot. Scab. Peeling skin. Random bump.

The sensible response is often to leave it alone.

Naturally, that isn't always what happens.

There can be something strangely satisfying about investigating a tiny imperfection that nobody else would even notice.

Then comes the inevitable moment when you've made it considerably worse and immediately regret touching it.

Sometimes the bathroom mirror brings out habits you'd never dream of doing while somebody else was watching.

The Things That Suddenly Become Acceptable At Home

Eating directly from the jar?

Fine.

Fixing a wedgie while walking through the kitchen?

Nobody saw it.

Dropping a snack crumb onto your top, finding it several minutes later and eating it anyway?

Apparently also fine.

Home is where standards can become considerably more flexible, particularly when you're alone.

The strange part isn't that people do these things.

It's how quickly everybody becomes perfectly civilised again the moment the doorbell rings.

Gross Bathroom Habits Women Rarely Admit To

The bathroom is supposed to be where people become clean.

Ironically, it is also responsible for some of the grossest habits.

The Shower Drain Situation

There are two types of people.

Those who remove hair from the shower drain immediately.

And those who notice it, decide they'll deal with it later and then continue pretending it isn't there.

Wet hair stuck to the shower wall isn't much better.

Somehow placing loose strands neatly against the tiles feels completely reasonable in the moment—until you return later and wonder who created the tiny hair mural.

Unfortunately, you already know the answer.

Inspecting Absolutely Everything

Bathrooms encourage investigation.

A strange hair suddenly appears.

A spot looks different.

Something comes out of your nose that seems weirdly impressive.

And instead of disposing of it immediately, there can be a brief inspection.

Why?

Nobody really knows.

The human brain apparently has an irresistible need to examine anything unusual that has just come from its own body.

Usually the investigation reveals absolutely nothing useful.

That rarely stops it happening again.

Using Things One More Time

That towel probably needs washing.

The face cloth has definitely seen better days.

The razor isn't quite as sharp as it used to be.

But could each survive one more use?

Probably.

Bathrooms are full of objects that somehow receive repeated “one more day” extensions.

Then eventually you notice the damp towel smell or look closely at the face cloth and realise the extension programme has gone too far.

That's usually when everything suddenly goes into the wash at once.

Gross Beauty Habits Nobody Talks About

Beauty routines look glamorous in adverts.

Real bathrooms tell a slightly different story.

Behind the finished hair and makeup can be brushes that haven't been cleaned recently enough, ancient products at the bottom of drawers and some surprisingly questionable shortcuts.

The Makeup Brush Water Nobody Wants To See

Clean makeup brushes look innocent enough.

The water that comes out of them does not.

After weeks of foundation, powder, oils and product build-up, washing a neglected brush can produce water that makes you question every time you've rubbed it across your face.

Sponges can be even more impressive.

You rinse.

You squeeze.

More makeup appears.

You rinse again.

Somehow there is still more.

It's simultaneously disgusting and strangely satisfying.

The Makeup Drawer Museum

Open enough makeup bags and you'll eventually find something ancient.

A lipstick from years ago.

An almost-finished mascara being kept for reasons nobody understands.

A broken eyeshadow palette that has survived three house moves.

A foundation shade that hasn't matched since 2019.

Products can linger because they were expensive, sentimental or might theoretically be useful again one day.

Cosmetics don't last forever, though, and products should be discarded according to their instructions and recommended period after opening.

That doesn't make throwing away the favourite discontinued lipstick any easier.

The Emergency Finger Applicator

Brush missing?

Finger.

Blender dirty?

Finger.

Tiny makeup correction required?

Definitely finger.

Hands are incredibly convenient beauty tools, even when an entire collection of expensive brushes is sitting approximately 30 centimetres away.

Clean hands matter when touching the face or applying products.

But in an emergency, the sophisticated beauty routine shown online can very quickly become someone standing centimetres from a mirror smearing makeup around with one finger.

Gross Bedroom Habits Women Would Rather Keep Secret

The bedroom is another place where standards become surprisingly negotiable.

Nobody is watching, everything is comfortable and tomorrow suddenly seems like the perfect time to deal with today's mess.

Wearing The Same Pyjamas Again

There is clean.

There is dirty.

And then there is the mysterious third category:

“Still fine.”

Pyjamas can live in this category for an impressive amount of time.

You pick them up.

You inspect them.

Possibly perform the sniff test.

And somehow they receive approval for another night.

Exactly how many nights is too many depends on the person, but everybody seems to have an internal limit that they're reluctant to disclose.

Eating Snacks In Bed

The snack itself isn't the problem.

The crumbs are.

One minute you're comfortably eating something while watching television. The next you're trying to work out why there's something sharp underneath your leg.

A crumb.

Then another.

Eventually the bed contains enough evidence to reconstruct the entire snack.

You brush everything towards the edge and promise yourself you'll never eat in bed again.

That promise can have an extremely short lifespan.

The Chair That Is No Longer A Chair

Almost every bedroom eventually develops one.

The chair.

It begins with one pair of jeans.

Then a jumper arrives.

Then something that isn't clean enough for the wardrobe but isn't dirty enough for the laundry basket.

Before long, the chair itself has disappeared underneath an entire category of clothing with no official name.

And somehow you know exactly where everything is.

Until somebody asks you to tidy the room.

Then the entire system suddenly becomes indefensible.