Keeping and staying yourself clean is a common basis in the condition of our today’s society. Being careless about your personal hygiene is like stepping beyond the bounds of decency. Nevertheless, we can always use the hints and tips of people who are more experienced or those who had gone through unpleasant situations and are qualified to provide advice. Intimate hygiene is extremely important because it ties in with sex and romance, the two of the most important things in the life of any person. So here’s what every man needs to know about mandatory penis hygiene.

The place to start is the tip of the penis. The foreskin covers the glans, but there is plenty of space for unpleasant things to accumulate between flesh and skin. If you do not wash correctly, you may actually find a white substance gathers, which goes by the name of smegma. Smegma is a combination of dead cells, skin oils and moisture; and bacteria often thrive in this dark, moist and closed space. So, pull the foreskin back as far as it would go and start washing this area with lukewarm water. Be careful to wash both the glans and the inside of the foreskin, the part that is not normally exposed.

Make sure you are super clean down there because there probably is no bigger turn-off for a woman than a man who takes off his shorts revealing an unclean penis. This is generally considered a huge faux pas. Another word of caution, you can’t expect oral sex if you don’t take good care of yourself.

Men who are circumcised have to be just as careful as the non-circumcised guys. The lack of a foreskin means that bacteria and dead cells do not accumulate there, but it also means that the glans is no longer protected from contact with dust, sweat and all sorts of substances and fabrics that would otherwise be kept away from the penis. Some doctors also think that circumcised penises are more exposed to bacteria causing infections of the urinary tract, that is why keeping yourself clean at all times is of paramount importance.

The second area that you should focus on is the base of the penis. This is where sweat and hair combine to produce a strong smell, just as in your armpit. The area needs frequent washing in order to keep sweat from gathering there, especially since it’s covered by underwear for most of the day. Shaving or clipping down the hair is a very good idea, particularly in summer. Washing is far easier without a lot of hair getting in the way. Between the glans and the base of the penis you might also want to give the shaft a thorough scrubbing for good measure.

And lastly, the third area of focus: the testicles. Dangling between your legs, the testicles are even more prone to catching an unpleasant smell as sweat can accumulate in the folds of skin or in the space between the penis and the testicles. Wash each of them carefully and make sure the perineum (the small patch of skin between the base of the testicles and the anus) is also clean and free of smell.