To sweat, or not to sweat?
Following closures and pandemic restrictions, bars and nightclubs are booming again in Victoria—but it seems not all locals are up to snuff with their night-out hygiene habits.
So says Reddit user ‘bommerbyee’, who took aim at local bar and club-goers in a now-viral Reddit rant introduced by a rather blunt plea: “You smell gross; do something about it.”
“I went out … last night for the first time since 2019, and it was very clear that some (too many) of you have forgotten hygiene skills during the pandemic,” wrote Victoria’s bommerbyee.
It’s what ultimately prompted them to voice concerns and offer a few hygiene tips to those heading out on the town, like cleaning your washing machine and wearing fresh unworn clothes.
“When you’re at home sniffing your clothes, you might think your 3-day worn shirt smells fine (and it might at that moment), but as soon as you start to sweat, all your dried BO from the last few days comes wafting to the surface,” said bommerbyee.
Another tip: wash your hair.
“I know longer hair for guys is coming in fashion again, and you don’t need to wash your hair every single day if you’ve just been chilling around home not doing much,” said bommerbyee.
“But going for a night out in a crowded club is definitely the right time to wash your hair.”
Also, wear deodorant—and not just one quick swipe, noted bommerbyee. “Put on extra for a night out.”
And lastly, they pleaded: brush your teeth. “You no longer have a mask to shield your breath from everyone,” wrote bommerbyee.
In fact, the mask mandate, reintroduced in August 2021, was repealed by BC health officials on March 11th.
The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has numerous body, facial and dental hygiene tips posted on its website, especially since “good body washing practices can prevent the spread of hygiene-related diseases,” according to the agency.
“It’s been a rough couple of years. We all have to get used to crowded social activities again, but please, for the love of God, make sure hygiene is the first thing you fully relearn in our post-pandemic world,” added bommerbyee.
“I want to enjoy dancing again, and I can’t with you stinkers assaulting my senses on the dance floor!”
Posted last month, bommerbyee’s Reddit post has since received over 250 upvotes and hundreds of comments. The full discussion can be found here.
