Lyndi Hodges Arkansas State University Personal Hygiene Lyndi Hodges Arkansas State University

What is Personal Hygiene? Personal hygiene is very important to the human body! It simply means maintaining cleanliness and keeping yourself well groomed. There are several ways to keep your body clean and many reasons as to why you should do so! Personal hygiene refers to keeping your hair clean, teeth clean, body clean, and your clothes clean! 1

Why is personal hygiene important? It is so important to be sure that you are maintaining good personal hygiene. If you have poor personal hygiene you are putting yourself at risk to develop infections and many illnesses. Also, you are adding the risk of spreading these infections and illnesses! Along with these factors of poor personal hygiene, there are many social issues that come along with it. Bullies will often use this as a target point and sometimes others would rather just separate their selves from someone with bad personal hygiene rather than tell them that they need to work on it! 2

Clean teeth means a happy mouth!  Grab your toothbrush! It’s time to start brushing! It is important to brush your teeth because if you don’t your teeth will collect bacteria and plaque that will cause disease. EWW! You should always brush your teeth when you wake up and before you go to bed. Using a toothbrush with soft bristles and fluoride toothpaste is best for our teeth. You should brush for 3 minutes or you can sing your ABC’s twice! Clean teeth means a happy mouth!  3

Flossing is also important when it comes to taking care of your teeth Flossing is also important when it comes to taking care of your teeth! Flossing helps get those hard to reach areas between your teeth. Although brushing your teeth really helps, it is crucial to get deep between the teeth where the bristles of your tooth brush can’t reach. Flossing should be done very carefully and you need to be helped until you learn to do it yourself. Flossing every night in addition to brushing, will help prevent cavities between teeth! 4

It is important to change clothes often It is important to change clothes often! Even if you are not to puberty yet where you sweat all the time, your clothes will still collect dirt, stains, and smokes in the air. Eventually they will begin to smell! Nobody wants smelly clothes! Yucky! Also, changing your underclothes is important as well. Your underclothes will begin to collect sweat and dead skin cells. These will start putting of an odor before too long! PIU!!! 5

Keeping your hair clean will make you look, feel, and smell better Keeping your hair clean will make you look, feel, and smell better! Hair washing is important to remember when taking a shower. Oil, sweat, and dead skin cells begin to collect in the hair. This can make your hair look greasy and dirty and begin to smell! You should always lather up shampoo in your hair and scrub your scalp. Conditioner is helpful to those with long hair but not required. It will help untangle hair and keep it smooth. You should always rinse with clean water! 6

Using smell good products will also help with hygiene Using smell good products will also help with hygiene! Using deodorant will help decrease the amount of sweat you are producing and keep you from stinking. Although you can use perfumes or colognes to help smell better, you should NOT use them a substitute for a shower. They can help you smell better for a short amount of time but they do not help you stay clean! You can also use powders to help you stay dry and smell nice! These can be used under your arms or in your shoes. Also, insoles can be put into shoes that not only would make your shoes more comfortable but would also allow you to care for them easier! Letting your shoes air dry is also important. After your feet have been crammed in them all day they begin to get very sweaty. Bacteria loves dark moist areas! 7

Proper toilet etiquette is important to understand and practice Proper toilet etiquette is important to understand and practice! This is a huge part of hygiene and cleanliness. The goal should be to keep the bathroom and toilet as clean as possible while also keeping yourself clean! Clean up any dribble on the toilet seat or around it. Also, keep in mind to use enough toilet paper to get clean but do not waste the toilet paper. Dispose of toilet paper in the trash can and do not leave any on the floor. Use toilet liners if they are available! This will help reduce the risk of spreading germs or infections. After using the restroom it is ALWAYS necessary to wash your hands! 8

Handwashing should be done regularly Handwashing should be done regularly! This does not mean only before meals but every chance you have. Every time you leave the restroom you should wash your hands! This will help prevent the spread of germs. Washing your hands before meals will help eliminate some of the illnesses that come from the bacteria's on your hands. To properly wash your hands you should use warm water. You should add soap and lather it up! Scrub the front and backs of your hands while also getting in between your fingers and under your fingernails. Make sure to scrub for at least 20 seconds and rinse under clean water. Use a clean towel or paper towel to dry your hands. Never dry your hands on your clothes because they carry bacteria! 9

It is crucial to keep in mind all of the important factors that were discussed in this book. Keeping up with these tasks will help improve confidence and self-esteem. Also, it will improve social interactions! People will be more likely to approach you and be around you. Most importantly, it will help you keep healthy! By keeping your body and environment clean and having proper hygiene you will significantly reduce your risk for developing infections or becoming ill. It help keeps bacteria away from the body and at bay. 10