CLEANLINESS: Personal Hygeine

Cleanliness is both the abstract state of being clean and free from dirt, and the process of achieving and maintaining that state (Wikipedia). Cleanliness for some people means that there is no dirt, no stain, no dust, and no bad smell.

There are different areas for which we can show cleanliness; personal, environmental, workplace, household and spiritual cleanliness. The purpose of all these is to promote health, beauty, absence of offensive odour and to avoid the spread of dirt and contaminants to oneself and others people around us. For the purpose of this article we will stick to personal, household, workplace and environmental cleanliness.

Personal Cleanliness: Personal cleanliness is keeping yourself and your personal surroundings clean. It is very important to have good hygiene to be healthy. Personal cleanliness is personal hygiene.

One would think that everyone should be conscious about personal hygiene, but it is not so. Many people go without being properly well groomed or performing basic hygiene routines. Some blame it on the kind of work they do, while others simply cannot be bothered to be clean but the fact remains that your personal hygiene will affect some other person directly or indirectly.

·        Bathe every day before work, and/or every night before you go to sleep. Bathing will not only cleanse your skin and keep it looking more healthy and attractive, but it will also help cleanse your body of odours. Simply smearing on perfume or aftershave does not help cover up body odour, and can in fact exaggerate it in some cases.

·        Wash your hands frequently. You should wash your hands every time you are done in the bathroom and before every meal or snack. This doesn't mean run your hands under the water. Wash with soap and use hand sanitizers.

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Trim your nails regularly, especially if you work in the food service industry. Trimmed nails allow your hand stay much cleaner, and this will prevent spread of germs to food you handle.

·        Wear deodorant or antiperspirant daily if you tend to sweat. Some people can actually get away with not wearing deodorant, but most people, especially those who have heavy duty jobs or work in warm climates, benefit greatly from it.

·        For men, it is advised that you regularly wash and cut your hair to keep a neat appearance. If you have facial hair, keep it trimmed and neat.

·        For ladies, wear your hair neat and well groomed. Wash and use spray to neutralise odour. Use shampoo when washing, your choice of shampoo whether organic or not is solely dependent on you. Just make sure your hair is looking great and smelling nice.

·        Visit the dentist at least once a year -- twice a year is optimal. Though you may brush and even floss your teeth daily, your dentist will be able to diagnose and correct any oral health issues you have. Such issues can lead to bad breath, and some can cause serious health problems.

·        For ladies, it is advisable to keep hand sanitizer and facial tissue with your, or in your bag. Same is applicable to men but for the fact they do not always have carry-ons like ladies it would be advisable for them to wash hands and use a handkerchief for sweats.

·        Wash clothes and iron then. Keep your clothes tidy and neat.

(...to be continued)