The time you spend in your bathroom can be the most stress-free part of your day. There’s nothing that feels as good as the clean and fresh feeling that you get after taking a nice hot shower, right? But do you know there are a number of things that we may be doing wrong in this safe haven of ours, which might actually be detracting from our health rather than contributing to it.

Simple, everyday habits such as using a hard-bristled brush to brush your teeth, using your roommate’s hairbrush when you can’t find yours, shaving with a multi-blade razor — all these are pretty harmful to our health.

Unaware of the facts, we all make some common bathroom mistakes . Trust us, we are guilty too. Therefore, to help you look back at these mistakes and try to change your bathroom habits, we’ve put down a list. Go ahead, read and develop healthy bathroom hygiene now.

1. You Flush With The Toilet Lid Up

There’s physics to this. When you flush, the force with which the water pushes the fecal matter or the urine into the drain is also capable of flinging fecal matter, at least six feet outside the pot. Therefore, every time you flush, always remember to close the lid and then do it. You definitely do not want those gross particles in the air around you, do you?

2. You Don’t Clean Your Toothbrush That Often

We remember to brush twice a day. But how often do we clean it? Studies have shown that a toothbrush can contain a whopping 10 million germs in it, including the very dreadful E.coli.

If you’re wondering how to clean your brush? Well, just microwave it for 10-15 seconds. Do it once every week. If you’re one of those lazy souls who can’t clean their brushes, then we recommend that you change your toothbrush once in two weeks at least.

3. You Dry Yourself Way Too Vigorously

One of the biggest mistakes we do after taking a shower is to towel ourselves too vigorously, such that it can even damage our skin. And if you already have skin issues, this practice might just irritate your skin further

The ideal way to dry yourself after a shower is to pat dry with a towel. And if you love moisturizing then apply the body lotion before your body gets dried up. Only then will your skin absorb the lotion.

4. You Don’t Make Your Bathroom Skid-Proof

Tell us the truth now. How many of you have already slipped and fallen in your bathrooms while taking a shower or have had a narrow escape? It’s a common mishap that happens in bathrooms. In fact, studies show that nearly 81 percent of the injuries that happen in the bathroom are a result of slipping.

How do you avoid it? Being cautious will definitely help. Apart from that, you can go ahead and purchase those anti-skid mats and put them on your bathroom floor or in that tub.

5. You Haven’t Been Peeing In The Shower

You might find it to be a bizarre thing to do, but it’s highly recommended that while showering if you feel the urge to pee, just do it! Embrace the urge and let it flow.

We’re saying this because urine’s main component urea is considered to keep our skin hydrated in the healthiest way and also keeps itchiness at bay. So, you see, pee is magical!

6. You Use An Antibacterial Soap

If you thought that antibacterial soaps had more health benefits as compared to the normal ones, you were wrong all this while! Turns out plain soaps provide as much protection and nourishment to your skin as the antibacterial ones, minus certain risks. Constant use of antibacterial soaps weakens our body’s natural shield of protection against deadly microorganisms. Therefore, we suggest that you stick to the normal soap.

7. You Pile Your Hair At The Top Of Your Head When You Shampoo

We love lathering the shampoo so much that we massage our hair beyond necessity and make it dry and wash away the natural oils from it. And what’s worse, we roll up our hair in a bun and then lather up the foam By doing this, we’re just creating enough tangles in our hair to leave us in a tangled situation when we sit down to comb our washed hair.

The best way to shampoo your hair is to wash in its natural flowy way, downwards. Gently massage your scalp to get rid of dirt. That’s it! Don’t overdo the shampooing to stay in the shower for longer. You could hunt for better reasons to do so later.

These were some of the habits that need to be looked at and changed. Remember, that our bathroom is a sacred, a magical place. So, never ever take it for granted from now on. Are there any other bathroom habits that you know of which are a big “NO”? Let us know in the comments below.