One of the most effective ways we have to protect ourselves and others from illness is good personal hygiene. This means washing your hands, especially, but also your body. It means being careful not to cough or sneeze on others, cleaning things that you touch if you are unwell, putting items such as tissues (that may have germs) into a bin, and using protection (like gloves or condoms) when you might be at risk of catching an infection.
Personal hygiene, such as bathing, is very much dependent on the culture in which you live. In some cultures, it is expected that you will wash your body at least every day and use deodorants to stop body smells. Other cultures have different expectations.
Tips for Good Personal Hygiene
Good Personal Hygiene
Bathe daily
Body odor is a result of numerous factors combined altogether. These involve pheromones (includes chemicals produced by the body to repel or attract people sexually), alcohol like wastes secreted by the skin, bacteria arising from dead skin, sweat as well as unwashed clothing. Even if you take regular showers, or use a wet washcloth for the aromatic body parts, or soak in a bath tub, it is equally important to maintain the cleanliness of the skin. While traveling or in times when you cannot reach water or are unable to get a body wash easily, ensure concentrating on areas like face, armpits, neck, feet, and groin area.
Keep your hair clean
The scalp also contains sweat glands like the skin on other body parts. The natural oils secreted by the scalp combine with the sweat and bacteria produced by hair follicles thus leading to odor if not washed at proper time. It is important to wash your hair at least twice or thrice a week. However, if daily washing of hair is making your hair dry, you can opt for diluting the shampoo. Alternatively, the shampoo can also be skipped completely once per week
Keep your teeth clean
The mouth is the home of many different bacteria types that are responsible for bad breath. Therefore, regular brushing and flossing of teeth is essential every morning. The reason lies in zero production of saliva while sleeping combined with the accumulated bacteria that lead to mouth odor in the morning. Additionally, it is also important to brush as well as floss the teeth care before bedtime.
Keep your teeth clean
Wash hands frequently
Hands play the most vital role in transfer of germs from one individual to the other. Ensure proper hand wash after you use the bathroom, sneeze, blow your nose, or after handling small children or pets. Most importantly, always ensure a hand wash before and after meal preparation.
Ensure wearing clean clothes
Keeping your body clean and hygienic is of no use if it is not followed by wearing clean and tidy clothes. Bacteria and dry skin cells stick to the fabric thus developing that weird and funky smell as experienced after gym workouts. Also, change your undergarments and socks daily. Most importantly, if you want to repeat a dress one more day, try to hang it among the launderings thus allowing it to air out and get free from germs and bacteria caused by sweat.
