Do the French Have Bad Hygiene? New Poll Says Yes

When research backs up popular stereotypes — isn’t that sometimes a bit awkward? How about these smelly French? A BVA poll for hygiene product manufacturer Tork revealed that the French aren’t as clean as many of their European counterparts; their preference for perfumes to bathes and foods with garlic exacerbate the problem.

The study revealed that 20 percent of French don’t wash before dining and 12 percent don’t after using the toilet, though 86 percent wash before making a meal.

Perhaps even more alarming is that one in five do not shower everyday, though this is balanced a bit by the 11.5 percent who bath many times a day.

45 percent don’t clean up after using public transportation, though 54 percent regard buses and trains ‘the dirtiest objects in daily life.’

The youth are worse , 18.9 percent of people between 18 and 34 cleaned their toilet daily, down from 44.9 percent of those aged 50 to 64 and 58.7 percent of those over 65.

21.4 percent report that they wash their hands ten times per day, and there may be some OCD in the mix and in the heavy showerers, but overall France is just a little more — natural — than other European countries.