I haven't heard that phrase in any context since then. Do parents still say that to their kids?

Yes, this is a literal shower though I just had.

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[–] 71 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (4 children)

Weirdly, the thing that reminds me to wash behind my ears is that I saw a video where a guy killed another guy, and he almost got away with it, but several days after the fact, they swabbed him down for samples and found that a tiny bit of blood from the victim had landed behind his ears and in all the days since then he had not washed it off.

Now I don't go around murdering people or anything, but for some reason that factoid pops into my head every time I take a shower.

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  • [–] 33 points 7 months ago

    If you haven't watched a baby or child eat you wouldn't understand how dirty they can get their ears. My daughter is just starting to eat solids and always get food behind her ears. She gets it on her hands and then rubs her ears so it gets covered.

    So yes we have to wash behind her ears

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  • [–] 19 points 7 months ago (1 child)

    I still say it to mine.

    It's a creased area that doesn't get a lot of attention. Creases such as elbows, armpits, knees, and groin are places where sweat and dead skin gather and should be cleaned. Behind the ears, especially if someone has long hair, is another, but tends to be forgotten, especially by kids.

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  • [–] 5 points 7 months ago*

    I agree and can't stress enough how very important it is to clean crevices. If you have had the horror of washing between a fat person's belly folds, had to do this for my disabled dad. Yeast and fungus will grow anywhere it is dark and moist. Including behind ears.

    The horrid smell of yeast growing under belly flaps will haunt me forever.

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  • [+] 27 points 7 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (7 children)
  • [–] 4 points 7 months ago (2 children)

    I always wondered if this wasn't just a clever reminder for kids to wash their hair.

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  • [–] 9 points 7 months ago

    One of my earliest memories is taking a bath and asking my mom why she always told me to wash behind my ears.

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  • [–] 8 points 7 months ago

    You lookin' ashy tho, so welcome to the slather yourself in lotion including behind the ears club lol.

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  • [–] 4 points 7 months ago

    I had a giant pimple in the crease behind my ear. Where my ear meets my head when I was 16. Like HUGE and puss filled. So gross...

    Anyway. Started really making sure that I get that area washed when I'm in the shower.

    Im bald so I wash my face, head and behind my ears with a "face wash" and then when I shampoo I go back over it again. Just to make sure.

    • Not shaven bald but buzzed super short with male pattern baldness.
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  • [–] 3 points 7 months ago

    Not only do I wash them I apply the smallest dab of lume behind them because as I got older they definitely got a bit stinky by end of day. Works great, no more stink.

    And yeah we tell our kids to wash everywhere, I remember the ads but I never thought about it other than being common sense.

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  • [–] 3 points 7 months ago

    anyone dry behind the ears knows to wash there

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  • [–] 0 points 7 months ago

    I usually just eat whatever gets behind ears. Not much of cleaning behind ears except when putting shampoo on hair so it probably cleans itself like that.

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