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I'm watching an episode of The Wonder Years, S3E4: Blockbusting. In it, Kim tells Dean, "I've heard things are...different at white people's houses. ::whispering:: You know they don't use washcloths in the shower?"
This is the second TV show I've watched recently where Black people have made references to white people not using washcloths.
In the first show, Atlanta (S3E1: Three Slaps), a white couple tell their Black foster kid that they don't use washcloths; that he should just use his hands to wash himself with. When the boy replies, "Even for my butt?", they shrug it off. The white couple were acting weird in other ways (this part of the episode was based on a true story, which I didn't find out till afterwards), so I thought that was just one more weird thing about them. I didn't realize there's a common belief that white people don't use washcloths.
Looking up the topic, it seems the belief may even be true!
Reddit: Does your country use washcloths for washing during a shower?
As for me, I always use a washcloth in the shower, but only for my cleaning my butt and my vulva (I use two different quadrants of the cloth for each.) Afterwards I lather up more soap on the washcloth to get it clean, rinse it, wring the water out, and hang it to dry for the next day. I reuse it for several days, usually until I do laundry.
For washing the rest of my body, I use soap and my hands.
Now, I'm not particularly interested how people wash their overall bodies - whether they use their hands or a washcloth, a sponge, real loofahs, or those mesh pouf/puff/scrunchy things, and whether they use soap, shower gel, or nothing.
But I am really curious about this: How do these people who don't use a washcloth wash their anus and vulvas?
Do they touch their anus with their fingers to wash it, with or without soap?
Do they rub it with a bar of soap, not touching it with their hands?
Do they not touch it with anything at all; do they rely solely on the stream of shower water to clean it?
Do they use a bidet and because of that not feel a need to wash it when in the shower?
Do they use a sponge/loofah/mesh puff to wash it? (The thought of that is almost as outlandish to me as the idea of using my fingers, but would be less surprising.) If so, do they use the same sponge/loofah/mesh pouf for washing the rest of their body too?
I'm probably missing other possible answers. I'll probably get few replies, but want to at least put the question out there. I'll make an anonymous poll question in case anyone doesn't want to reply in the comments.
Update:
I found this Reddit thread. It is so long that it seems to be never-ending (I haven't reached the end yet), but it is very enlightening!
Do normal people wash between the butt cheeks when showering
From the many comments on that thread, each of the possible answers I listed is what some people do. However, washing it using only one's hands and soap seems to be quite common.
This is the second TV show I've watched recently where Black people have made references to white people not using washcloths.
In the first show, Atlanta (S3E1: Three Slaps), a white couple tell their Black foster kid that they don't use washcloths; that he should just use his hands to wash himself with. When the boy replies, "Even for my butt?", they shrug it off. The white couple were acting weird in other ways (this part of the episode was based on a true story, which I didn't find out till afterwards), so I thought that was just one more weird thing about them. I didn't realize there's a common belief that white people don't use washcloths.
Looking up the topic, it seems the belief may even be true!
Reddit: Does your country use washcloths for washing during a shower?
As for me, I always use a washcloth in the shower, but only for my cleaning my butt and my vulva (I use two different quadrants of the cloth for each.) Afterwards I lather up more soap on the washcloth to get it clean, rinse it, wring the water out, and hang it to dry for the next day. I reuse it for several days, usually until I do laundry.
For washing the rest of my body, I use soap and my hands.
Now, I'm not particularly interested how people wash their overall bodies - whether they use their hands or a washcloth, a sponge, real loofahs, or those mesh pouf/puff/scrunchy things, and whether they use soap, shower gel, or nothing.
But I am really curious about this: How do these people who don't use a washcloth wash their anus and vulvas?
Do they touch their anus with their fingers to wash it, with or without soap?
Do they rub it with a bar of soap, not touching it with their hands?
Do they not touch it with anything at all; do they rely solely on the stream of shower water to clean it?
Do they use a bidet and because of that not feel a need to wash it when in the shower?
Do they use a sponge/loofah/mesh puff to wash it? (The thought of that is almost as outlandish to me as the idea of using my fingers, but would be less surprising.) If so, do they use the same sponge/loofah/mesh pouf for washing the rest of their body too?
I'm probably missing other possible answers. I'll probably get few replies, but want to at least put the question out there. I'll make an anonymous poll question in case anyone doesn't want to reply in the comments.
Poll #29587 How do you wash your ...
This poll is anonymous.
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 3
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 3
What do you use to wash your anus and/or vulva, if you don't use a washcloth for it?
Update:
I found this Reddit thread. It is so long that it seems to be never-ending (I haven't reached the end yet), but it is very enlightening!
Do normal people wash between the butt cheeks when showering
From the many comments on that thread, each of the possible answers I listed is what some people do. However, washing it using only one's hands and soap seems to be quite common.
no subject
Date: 2023-07-17 08:00 am (UTC)From:I use my hands and water.
no subject
Date: 2023-07-17 09:22 am (UTC)From:Washcloth
Date: 2023-08-05 07:51 pm (UTC)From: (Anonymous)This is something I never really though about, but now that I am, I can’t remember anyone using a washcloth. Simply no place to leave it to dry.
Some people refer to it as a facecloth, normally used for bathing outside of a tub or shower enclosure, and also used for exfoliating purposes.
Re: Washcloth
Date: 2023-08-05 08:12 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2023-08-05 07:56 pm (UTC)From: (Anonymous)https://www.amazon.com/Original-Korean-Exfoliating-Scrub-Green/dp/B0972FV4RS/ref=asc_df_B0972FV4RS/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=533109029886&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=9777582071061033052&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9001953&hvtargid=pla-1382376250459&psc=1#
no subject
Date: 2023-08-05 08:07 pm (UTC)From:https://www.amazon.com/ZUPERIA-Premium-Bath-Mitts-Washcloths/dp/B0C53S74GR/
https://www.amazon.com/Made-Easy-Kit-Bath-Mitts/dp/B07KMDTRTZ/
Washcloth vs facecloth
Date: 2023-08-05 08:07 pm (UTC)From: (Anonymous)Re: Washcloth vs facecloth
Date: 2023-08-05 08:21 pm (UTC)From:I didn't feel a need to launder them separately, as they were both washed out with water after using them, and the laundry itself should get them both completely clean. But what gets separated doing laundry is a whole 'nother topic.
Washcloth culture
Date: 2023-08-06 02:56 pm (UTC)From: (Anonymous)Re: Washcloth culture
Date: 2023-08-06 09:50 pm (UTC)From:Family size is an interesting consideration too. I have noticed some places don't have enough racks for hanging up towels; after moving into my house I put up several more including on the backs of the bedroom and bathroom doors.