With Alta Coetzee

The first thing you must know about any Brazilian

Higiene is the most important thing you must understand about a Brazilian culture. So, never, ever deny them a shower.

Brazilians are the cleanest people in the world. Their personal higiene comes from the native índios. The índios took showers daily and sometimes even twice!

There are many stories about Brazilian's showering habits across the world. A lot of them occurred in Europe, specialy in old hotels, where there is just a shower "at the end of the aisle". Or Brazilians being houseguests and taking showers twice a day, increasing the electricity and water bill, made their hosts very nervous.

Once, in Chile, South America, a Brazilian girl arrived at her destiny. She found the bathtub filled up with household items. It was impossible to use. She asked the hostess if there was another bathroom where she could take a shower. With a surprised expression the hostess answered: "It is winter, there is snow outside. Why do you need a shower?"

Brazilians hate bad bodily odours, specialy from under your armpit. Perfume is a suttle fragrance and is not to hide bad body odours. French people have a questionable reputation in Brazil about their personal higiene as they use perfume to disguise just that.

When washing dishes, it is important to wash each dish twice. First with warm soapy water, and remember to change this water freaquently during the dishwashing process, and afterwards with just warm clear water. If you feel the need though, you may even rinse it after that in clear cold water.

Brazilians wash their hands for everything, specially before eating. An expatriate living in Brazil might serve pizza to Brazilian guests. Be aware. Do not touch the food with your hand, no-one will eat it. Please provide eating utensils. We do not do the hand eating thing!

Please remember: if you are a guest in a Brazilian house take at least one shower daily specially before bed time. It is disgusting to go to the bed without taking a shower.

So, if you need someone to clean your house properly, ask a Brazilian. Guaranteed your house will be spotless and sparkling from top to bottom.

Don't forget: after they did this, they will take a loooooong shower.