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My boyfriend is gross...

I've asked this question on other platforms but unfortunately had no luck with zero replies. I need help and don't really know what to do anymore so i hope i can get some help here...

I have been with my boyfriend (22 M) for over two years now. i first noticed he didn't have good personal hygiene before we even got together, I noticed he smelled sometimes. He is the loveliest guy and has the sweetest heart so I could see past the bad sweat.

After a few months of being together I noticed it was much more, for example, his oral hygiene is awful, he barely brushes his teeth, only when I remind him. He says he does but the plaque and state of his teeth says otherwise (starting to decay at the bottom on a few of them).

Also, this one affects me the most, but he doesn't wipe his butt properly / at all after going to the loo. I tried to forget about it the first couple times and put it to an accident (he used to dirty my sheets when he slept over my house) but then it started to get worse where id have to wash my sheets pretty much every week, which was expensive for me as a student.

I talked to him about this crying and said how it affects me and how he needs to sort it asap. This was 5 months into our relationship when i said this. We are over 2 years now and he still does it. I have had this conversation with him so many times i cant count. He says he will change it and that he is trying. To be honest I have seen some improvement from what it used to be like, but its still happening.

FYI he is a large guy , so i can understand it may be difficult to reach round there, but its been to long. I reckon if he lost some weight it would help. He has been trying to loose weight for the past 8 months, but im not really seeing any change, im assuming because his diet hasn't changed, i've been trying to support him through this too.

Id really appreciate some help with how to get some change. Maybe i'm not saying the right thing? Its like he doesnt care about it enough to stop it, its as though he is comfortable being gross. I dont understand...

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Poor personal hygiene is a deal breaker for me. I don't know how you've managed two years with someone who can't wipe properly.
Reply 2
I do ask myself that sometimes.. I guess I'm in the hope he will change. we live separate atm, but its getting to the point where we may start looking for somewhere together. I definitely cant deal with this when i live with him, which is also what prompted me to ask on here. As you said, personal hygiene is very important for me too, which is why i don't understand why he doesnt. I'm a very houseproud person
Reply 3
Original post by Anonymous #2
Poor personal hygiene is a deal breaker for me. I don't know how you've managed two years with someone who can't wipe properly.
-- reply is below sorry accidentally got rid of the ref
Original post by Anonymous #1
I do ask myself that sometimes.. I guess I'm in the hope he will change. we live separate atm, but its getting to the point where we may start looking for somewhere together. I definitely cant deal with this when i live with him, which is also what prompted me to ask on here. As you said, personal hygiene is very important for me too, which is why i don't understand why he doesnt. I'm a very houseproud person

I'm not a fan of ultimatums, as usually I feel they are made full of emotion for things that cannot easily be changed or are unfair. But I feel that an ultimatum is fair in this situation and the condition, improve you personal hygiene to an acceptable standard, is easily achievable.
"Brush your teeth and stop soiling the bed today, or I'm off tomorrow"

There's simply no excuse for this to be an ongoing issue, it shouldn't take a year+ of 'trying' to wipe yourself, like if he hasn't got it by now..,
Reply 6
Original post by Anonymous #2
I'm not a fan of ultimatums, as usually I feel they are made full of emotion for things that cannot easily be changed or are unfair. But I feel that an ultimatum is fair in this situation and the condition, improve you personal hygiene to an acceptable standard, is easily achievable.
Yes i think it should be easily achievable. I have already said to him that I will not tolerate it when we move in together. How do you think i could go about it? i think i need a different perspective on it.
Reply 7
Original post by StriderHort
"Brush your teeth and stop soiling the bed today, or I'm off tomorrow"
There's simply no excuse for this to be an ongoing issue, it shouldn't take a year+ of 'trying' to wipe yourself, like if he hasn't got it by now..,
I see okay. Thing is I love him a lot. Which is probably why I find this so hard. Im hurting myself either way tbh. Every time i bring it up i feel fricken awful lol.
Original post by Anonymous #1
I see okay. Thing is I love him a lot. Which is probably why I find this so hard. Im hurting myself either way tbh. Every time i bring it up i feel fricken awful lol.

Well your choices appear to be put up with it or don't. You've already tried to talk about it loads of times and he's just not doing it, and moving in together won't fix it as he won't just magically start to listen or respect you when his postcode changes.

These are basic self care tasks, why isn't he doing them? This isn't a one of or lazy spell, it's years.
Original post by Anonymous #1
Yes i think it should be easily achievable. I have already said to him that I will not tolerate it when we move in together. How do you think i could go about it? i think i need a different perspective on it.
Be direct and clear with him, ensure he knows you are serious. But make sure he's at an acceptable standard before you move in together, as that will make everything harder if you wish to go your separate ways.
Original post by StriderHort
Well your choices appear to be put up with it or don't. You've already tried to talk about it loads of times and he's just not doing it, and moving in together won't fix it as he won't just magically start to listen or respect you when his postcode changes.
These are basic self care tasks, why isn't he doing them? This isn't a one of or lazy spell, it's years.

agreed.

Not exactly a high hurdle to apply some deodorant and wipe a few extra times.

Does your bf not see the dentist? Surely they'd have more than a few things to say about his supposedly poor oral hygiene.

Not a fan of giving bottom line statements as advice but this one really seems like it's curtains. If he's not able to look after himself now, how will he look after you and your families in future?
I could never this is so nasty how on earth have you managed 2 years with this man even in the same room wtf plaque on teeth and shii eww
Break up with him
Original post by Anonymous #2
Poor personal hygiene is a deal breaker for me. I don't know how you've managed two years with someone who can't wipe properly.

Anyone who solely uses toilet paper doesn’t wipe properly. That is probably over 90% of the UK population.
Original post by Bo77 Tman
Anyone who solely uses toilet paper doesn’t wipe properly. That is probably over 90% of the UK population.


Yes water is needed
Tbh honest at his age its going to be hard changing him. How has he lived like this for so long and how are you the only person to tell him? Being big is no excuse my husband is big also and a stickler for personal hygiene and perfectly capable of keeping himself clean. How you can kiss someone who doesn't brush their teeth and sleep with someone who keeps messing up your sheets in beyond me.
Original post by Anonymous #1
I've asked this question on other platforms but unfortunately had no luck with zero replies. I need help and don't really know what to do anymore so i hope i can get some help here...
I have been with my boyfriend (22 M) for over two years now. i first noticed he didn't have good personal hygiene before we even got together, I noticed he smelled sometimes. He is the loveliest guy and has the sweetest heart so I could see past the bad sweat.
After a few months of being together I noticed it was much more, for example, his oral hygiene is awful, he barely brushes his teeth, only when I remind him. He says he does but the plaque and state of his teeth says otherwise (starting to decay at the bottom on a few of them).
Also, this one affects me the most, but he doesn't wipe his butt properly / at all after going to the loo. I tried to forget about it the first couple times and put it to an accident (he used to dirty my sheets when he slept over my house) but then it started to get worse where id have to wash my sheets pretty much every week, which was expensive for me as a student.
I talked to him about this crying and said how it affects me and how he needs to sort it asap. This was 5 months into our relationship when i said this. We are over 2 years now and he still does it. I have had this conversation with him so many times i cant count. He says he will change it and that he is trying. To be honest I have seen some improvement from what it used to be like, but its still happening.
FYI he is a large guy , so i can understand it may be difficult to reach round there, but its been to long. I reckon if he lost some weight it would help. He has been trying to loose weight for the past 8 months, but im not really seeing any change, im assuming because his diet hasn't changed, i've been trying to support him through this too.
Id really appreciate some help with how to get some change. Maybe i'm not saying the right thing? Its like he doesnt care about it enough to stop it, its as though he is comfortable being gross. I dont understand...

Ugh, gross. Tell him straight out, do him a big favour.
Original post by Anonymous #3
Yes water is needed

Yes for sure, much better and easier to get clean. Or could go whole hog and get some wipes, or even a Biday .
Original post by Anonymous #1
I've asked this question on other platforms but unfortunately had no luck with zero replies. I need help and don't really know what to do anymore so i hope i can get some help here...
I have been with my boyfriend (22 M) for over two years now. i first noticed he didn't have good personal hygiene before we even got together, I noticed he smelled sometimes. He is the loveliest guy and has the sweetest heart so I could see past the bad sweat.
After a few months of being together I noticed it was much more, for example, his oral hygiene is awful, he barely brushes his teeth, only when I remind him. He says he does but the plaque and state of his teeth says otherwise (starting to decay at the bottom on a few of them).
Also, this one affects me the most, but he doesn't wipe his butt properly / at all after going to the loo. I tried to forget about it the first couple times and put it to an accident (he used to dirty my sheets when he slept over my house) but then it started to get worse where id have to wash my sheets pretty much every week, which was expensive for me as a student.
I talked to him about this crying and said how it affects me and how he needs to sort it asap. This was 5 months into our relationship when i said this. We are over 2 years now and he still does it. I have had this conversation with him so many times i cant count. He says he will change it and that he is trying. To be honest I have seen some improvement from what it used to be like, but its still happening.
FYI he is a large guy , so i can understand it may be difficult to reach round there, but its been to long. I reckon if he lost some weight it would help. He has been trying to loose weight for the past 8 months, but im not really seeing any change, im assuming because his diet hasn't changed, i've been trying to support him through this too.
Id really appreciate some help with how to get some change. Maybe i'm not saying the right thing? Its like he doesnt care about it enough to stop it, its as though he is comfortable being gross. I dont understand...

Can you two go to the gym together to motivate him to lose weight? Can you afford to go to the gym? Just as a heads up tho, it’s very difficult to make someone lose weight. Losing weight is hard so people typically won’t do it, or won’t be serious about it (he hasn’t fixed up his diet!), just for someone; this is an unfortunate truth. Keep insisting though if you want to continue the relationship, tell him about the benefits of losing weight and living longer together. Prepare him nutritious, low-calorie filling meal plans that he can cook himself, detail him what snacks, and the maximum amount (grams, packets etc) of snacks to have

Perhaps tissue, if he’s using tissue, isn’t a suitable cleaning method for him after poop. Suggest him to buy wipes to clean himself in the loo instead. If even that doesn’t do cleaning effectively, suggest him to use a bidet to clean himself if he’s comfortable with that, maybe the water might motivate him to clean more thoroughly

Can you videocall him every day when he wakes up to have a morning routine together, so that he brushes his teeth? Of course don’t tell him the reason, just say you want a morning routine together. Maybe don’t brush your teeth on the morning call, he might realise the reason for these morning calls…

All and all he strikes me as the lazy type. Lazy partners are insufferable and hard to change, as they can’t even change themselves for themselves. I’m so sorry
(edited 3 weeks ago)
Original post by hippieglitter
Tbh honest at his age its going to be hard changing him. How has he lived like this for so long and how are you the only person to tell him? Being big is no excuse my husband is big also and a stickler for personal hygiene and perfectly capable of keeping himself clean. How you can kiss someone who doesn't brush their teeth and sleep with someone who keeps messing up your sheets in beyond me.


OP is a soldier

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