Five ways to help your man adopt good hygiene practices

Many couples tip toe around issues to do with hygiene and it’s easy to see why. It’s sensitive because it can be hard to tell your partner that they stink or that their breath is terrible without hurting their feelings.

Relationships often fall apart because of hygiene issues, as thus, we take the time to give this topic the attention that it needs.

These are some of the ways you can encourage good hygiene habits in your partner without crushing his spirit.

It’s quite unfair to tell someone about their poor hygiene when yours is lacking. This type of situation can make the conversation escalate into an argument so easily. It can also be a little embarrassing if you point out something he’s not doing, only to realize that he has some major hygiene concerns about you as well. The first step is to set those hygiene standards so that by the time you’re telling him about your concerns he can see where you’re coming from. He’ll also learn some good practices just from observing you.

This is a big deal especially when planning on moving in together. You could avoid unnecessary disagreements if you just let him know what is expected early on. Your partner might prefer direct communication and besides, this is always the best way to convey your feelings. Choose a time when there are no distractions from the TV and when your phones are away so that he takes your concerns seriously. Once you communicate, he can take full responsibility over his hygiene without you revisiting the issue over and over again.

Your approach is also key when addressing this sensitive topic. When talking to your partner about something that concerns you, it’s important to do so with extra love and care. When you notice that their hair isn’t clean or that they’ve been slacking on their hygiene of late, just let them know about it in a kind way. Otherwise being too harsh with them might emasculate them and damage their esteem.

This is also another sneaky but effective way to get him to improve on his personal hygiene. It shows that you’re concerned about him without hurting his feeing or embarrassing him in any way. This also works when you’re not yet comfortable telling him straight up that you’re not happy with something he’s dong or not doing as far as cleanliness is concerned. You can go shopping for cleaning supplies with him and try getting his opinion on certain products like the best toothpaste to use for example. Another way is getting him to help you clean the house as you listen to music or take ‘romantic’ showers with him often. The best way around this is to find fun ways to clean up with him. Hopefully he’ll get the hint.

One of the best ways to ensure he keeps up with it is by letting him know how proud you are of him when he makes an effort to change. When you tell him you’re not comfortable and he actually does something about it, it’s his way of showing he cares about you and wants to make you happy. Ignoring those small efforts or undermining him is the quickest way to make him revert to his old habits. If he improves, give him credit where it’s due.

Relationships are about accepting one another’s flaws. Although we all have those imperfections, there’s always room for improvement.

The bottom line is whenever you’re communicating your concerns to your man, do so with kindness.