- Running water
- Many care products
- Toothbrushes in all variations
- Toothpastes with fresh flavors
- Nail scissors
- Deodorants in abundance
- We can easily give worn clothes a new scent in the washing machine.

Interestingly, we see time and again that people make far too little effort with their hygiene and then wonder why their partner doesn't look very enthusiastic in bed.

Others, on the other hand, display a completely exaggerated awareness of hygiene. What, too much is also possible? Oh yes. Have you ever experienced the other person frantically running into the bathroom to take a quick shower at the first hint of eroticism? Fragrant does not mean hiding behind an artificial cloud of scent. Your own body odor has a very special right to exist and can be a real turn-on. Too much or too little, both can ruin your love life. What exactly should you pay attention to?

1. regular showering prevents body odor

The be-all and end-all of body care is regular showering. This also provides the necessary freshness right after getting up in the morning. If you like, buy a special shower gel and let yourself be pampered by the fragrance, care or scrub. If you are careful to avoid plastic packaging, you can buy wonderfully fragrant soaps at any organic market.

Dermatologists advise not to overdo it with cleanliness, as showering too often damages the skin's bacterial flora. For proper love hygiene, I would say that a short shower every day, not too hot and with pH-neutral washing lotion, should be ok. After sport, on hot summer days or after an exam that makes us break out in a cold sweat, the sweat can or should also be showered away.

2. the right body care: creams, lotions, deodorants

This is not about becoming a wellness monster. But a face cream is also good for men's skin and appearance, can have a refreshing effect and, above all, smell good. Speaking of fragrance: Not all deodorants work equally well on everyone. If you notice that your own is failing, get rid of it and get a new one. A body lotion rounds off your moisturizing routine and keeps your skin supple.

3 "You have beautiful hair"

What a pleasure it is to stroke your partner's hair during lovemaking! That's why it shouldn't be neglected either. Now, not everyone has the time in the morning to take intensive care of a long or particularly thick head of hair. But if you are prone to dandruff or greasy hair, you should pay particular attention! Dandruff falling out of your hair by the thousands is just as unattractive as dandruff on your face. There's no helping it, you need anti-dandruff shampoos or scrubs. And proper care is not just for the other person. It's also simply good to take the time to do something for yourself.

4. the male genital area

A particularly important topic is, of course, the care of the intimate area. This should be thoroughly taken care of.

- The penis, scrotum, anus and pubic hair, if present, should be soaped up and rinsed thoroughly.
- The foreskin, if present, should then be pulled back and the glans cleaned with a pH-neutral washing lotion at best.

The latter is particularly important, as whitish smegma forms under the foreskin and on the lower edge of the glans from the secretion of numerous sebaceous glands and dead skin cells. An absolute no-go! It doesn't smell good, looks unpleasant and makes even the most fellatio-happy partner shy away.

5 The female genital area

Women also produce smegma. And here, too, this tends to be a turn-off for tasty cunnilingus. Nevertheless, you should be sparing with the use of washing lotions in the intimate area.

- Daily showers are good, although the vulva - the visible part of the female genitals - can also be washed with a pH-neutral washing lotion. However, less is more here, as the mucous membranes are very sensitive. Ultimately, plain water is also sufficient.
- However, under no circumstances should the vagina - the inner area - be washed, as it has self-cleaning properties. Soap unbalances the sensitive vaginal flora, which can make you more susceptible to infections or vaginal fungus.

Incidentally, many women are ashamed of their own intimate odor and therefore tend to exaggerate their hygiene. A man whose partner absolutely has to shower before sex should bear this in mind.

6 How about an intimate hairstyle?

Intimatehairstyles are a matter of taste. That's why opinions differ here. Some find the bush in the female triangle of pleasure stimulating, others prefer it naked. Men are now also encouraged to trim their private parts and armpit hair. However, you shouldn't forget that it is precisely this hair that intensifies your own odor. And for many, this provides a special erotic kick. The same applies to the rest of your body hair. It also retains a person's own personal odor. And if you wash regularly, you don't need to worry about hygiene checks in this respect.

7. well-groomed hands and feet can have an eroticizing effect

Hand and foot care clearly belongs in the area of sexual hygiene. Anyone who has ever wanted to give calloused feet a foot massage or likes to suck their toes can easily understand this. Unkempt feet also look rather unattractive in sandals. Unless, of course, someone is into that ...

You can either get a professional manicure or pedicure or do it yourself. Every drugstore has a selection of care utensils such as pumice stones or callus rasps.

- Well-groomed and short fingernails are particularly important. Cracks or nails that are too long can damage both the sensitive mucous membranes in the vaginal or anal area and condoms during sex.
- In addition, entire colonies of bacteria can form under long nails, which become invisible under colored nail polish. Wash your hands when you get home and before sex to rinse off bacteria.

8. oral hygiene business card

Let's move on to oral hygiene. I would almost say that our teeth are our calling card for personal hygiene. We can't do anything about crooked teeth, but we can do everything about unkempt ones. Regular brushing and the use of dental floss or interdental brushes at least twice a day are part of general hygiene. Mouthwashes and tongue brushes round off the daily care program.

Dentists recommend a professional dental cleaning every six months. This also removes discoloration caused by drinking coffee, tea, red wine or tobacco. Mint sweets, chewing gum or ginger provide fresh breath between meals.

9 Anyone can operate a washing machine today

I mentioned the washing machine above. Thanks to this wonderful technology, there are no more excuses for musty clothes.

- Underwear should definitely be changed every day! There's no discussion about that. Recently, a video clip of a man dancing a striptease with a clear skid mark in his white underwear was circulating on YouTube. Such a mishap of human digestion can happen. However, anyone who is prone to this should make sure that everything is in order before undressing!
- Women are familiar with the problem of discharge. Panty liners, which can be removed quickly, can help here.
- Synthetic clothing promotes perspiration and should therefore be changed as often as possible.
- As dead skin particles or make-up residue also collect in towels, these should also be put in the washing machine regularly.
- The same applies to bed linen. Changing them regularly is a must.

All for the love life!

Whether a person looks well-groomed or not depends on various factors. Overly sloppy clothes, unpleasant body odors, greasy hair, unkempt teeth or bad breath can hinder the best lover in developing their sexual potential. It doesn't take much effort to take care of yourself and show the other person that you care about them.

What's the best way to say it?

Now we know what works and what doesn't. But how do I talk about it if I have the feeling that my partner needs to take action? It's definitely important to talk about it.

- You can now throw it out there reproachfully: "You always smell like that", thereby hurting your partner and directly activating defense mode. Not a good idea if you really want a change.
- It's better to phrase the request in a positive way: "You always smell so wonderful after a shower!" or, conversely, "I find the natural scent and taste of your vagina incredibly arousing!"
- If you don't want to say anything at all, you can shower together with your partner and spend a lot of time on the areas of your body that particularly need it. Positive reinforcing comments can also be useful here.
- A voucher for a pedicure, manicure, visit to the hairdresser or beauty salon can also be a subtle but very effective hint.
- Many health insurance companies reimburse part of the cost of oral hygiene. This is easy to find out and can be discussed informally with your partner.
- If none of this helps, then nothing helps: a clear conversation must be held. But in a positive way, please!

Anja Drews - qualified sex educator for ORION