What are 7 Personal Hygiene? Types, Benefits, & Importance!

What is personal hygiene? | Benefits of Personal Hygiene | Types of Personal Hygiene | Personal Hygiene for Kids/Babies | 10 Personal Hygiene Practices

Are you maintaining personal hygiene?

Not sure? Have you ever thought about personal hygiene and why it is important? What are the benefits of personal hygiene? 

I guess many of us are just taking baths, brushing teeth, grooming ourselves without actually knowing what we are doing.

Okay, tell me, are you sure the way you are brushing your teeth is correct? Or your way of bathing is right? 

Don’t scratch your head!

If you can not give a confident answer then you really need to read this article further. 

All personal hygiene is self-care or cleaning of our body. It includes all the activities which many of us do, like brushing, bathing, washing hands, changing clothes, etc. 

Especially nowadays people are so much into personal hygiene. That’s good if you are one of those people. Because it is of your benefit, I would discuss each and everything that you should know about personal hygiene. Let’s start with what is personal hygiene and why is it important?

What is Personal Hygiene?

If I have to explain in a few words, then personal hygiene is the care of your body. As going out and even in your home, you encounter several germs and viruses, which are all set to make you ill. And, I’m sure you do not want to lay on bed heating and taking medicines.

In other words, it is the external cleaning of the body to keep yourself safe from bacteria, germs, and viruses. Also, it allows your body to grow in a healthy way.

Therefore, your personal hygiene practices are there to keep you safe from all of these, if you are confused about what these practices are, don’t be! You are doing some of it, right from your birth, these bathing, washing hands, brushing, and more.

“Indeed, personal hygiene heels more than doctor’s prescribed medicines,” said Andoh Francis.

What are the Benefits of Personal Hygiene?

The number of activities which you perform regularly is termed as personal hygiene. It includes washing hands, taking a bath, brushing teeth, cutting nails, etc.

I can bet, many of you right now are like, oh I do all these things. But I want to tell you there is this manner of doing all these things. That I will discuss in detail.

According to the World Health Organization, “Hygiene refers to the conditions and practices that help to maintain health and prevent the spread of diseases.”

Assuming, most of you now at least can answer the importance of personal hygiene, can you?

  Here, let me highlight the benefits of personal hygiene,

• Keeps you healthy and fit
• Eradicate germs and dead cells from the body
• Another benefit of personal hygiene is that it prevents you from infections and virus
• Enhance your self-esteem
• Keep people around you healthy too by restricting the spreading of germs
• Help you get ideal sleep as you do not have to worry about being unwell
• Ensure good mental health

What is the Importance of Personal Hygiene?

Let’s move to the importance of personal hygiene, here, First, it prevents the spreading of disease which keeps you and other people safe.

Second, personal hygiene makes you look confident, how? Imagine not bathing and brushing the teeth, just wake up and go to your office or school.

Everyone is well-groomed but you! 

This will for sure affect your self-confidence so you know what you have to do right? 

Another importance of personal hygiene is that it prevents you from developing germs and infection in your body which further leads to chronic diseases. With that, it also prevents you from the pain. 

Above all, any kind of disease also affects your immune system and results in obesity and more. I’m sure you don’t want things this way, do you? 

Institute for Global Department, in one of the sessions by Dr. Anjali Goel, pertained personal hygiene with the cleanliness of the body. And personal hygiene is defined as the first step towards good health.

So, you can see the importance of personal hygiene, it keeps you safe socially, mentally, and of course physically. 

Next, so far, you are now aware of the importance or benefits of personal hygiene but do you know about sanitation? Let’s have a look at the importance of hygiene and sanitation, this would give you a broad understanding of hygiene.

If not, let’s start with what sanitation is? It is a public health condition that includes clean drinking water, proper treatment, and disposal of sewage and feces.

Yes, all these are part of hygiene and sanitation. 

I’m sure you are well aware of how harmful contaminated water is? As it can result in diarrhea and serve as a vector of mosquitoes. These are waterborne diseases. 

So, here you need to keep the water clean to be safe. To add, it also includes not being in the contact of the face. That’s why we wash hands after going to the washroom as it contains several germs that are enough to make us sick. 

Therefore, washing hands after pooping is inevitable because it results in dissipating E. Coli. That is, by the way, drug-resistant.

You can understand the importance of hygiene and sanitation, right? 

What are the Types of Personal Hygiene?

Here, I would enlighten you with, what are the 7 personal hygiene. I guess all of you are following most of them without realizing their importance. 

Then, why are you following this? That’s because this is how we all brought up or taught from the start. Bathing, brushing, washing hands and more is part of our routine because this is what we learn from our parents. 

So, let’s go through, what are the 7 personal hygiene? 

1. Toilet Hygiene

The toilet is the best place for the germs to develop, the main reason behind this is the bowl of a toilet. Do I need to explain why most of the germs are present in the bowl? 

Because of urine and feces which give space to the harmful bacteria and germs to grow. Some of these are E Coli, salmonella, and more. 

These bacteria are not limited to the bowl of a toilet but are spread on the floor, doorknob, flush, and toilet seat. 

However, you might occasionally think, why does your bathroom always have a foul smell? That’s because the bacteria in the bathroom absorb the organic waste and release the gases.  

Let’s see, how you can make your bathroom clean, 

• Clean and sweep every corner of the floor and don’t forget to pick up the trash. To clean the floor you can use the floor cleaning solution and scrubs.
• Don’t take your phone and other things in the washroom as it transforms the germs. Then, even after washing your hands, you end up having germs on your hands.
• Use a different brush and keep it separate from other brush
• Flush the toilet after every use.
• To prevent the spread of bacteria, ensure to close the lid before flushing.
• After washing hands dry your hands then leave the washroom because on wet hands bacteria develops faster.
• Clean or disinfect the door handle, flush handle, switches of the light, towel dispensers, mirrors, and more. In short, clean all the areas which are most touched.
• Wash the toilet brush after every use with disinfecting detergent.
• For at least 20-30 seconds you should wash your hands after using the bathroom.
• Don’t share towels.
• Keep your bathroom floor dry and to lessen the humidity using a ventilation system.
• Clean the seat of the toilet with a bacteria reducing agent.
• If running water is not available, use sanitizer with 60% alcohol. 

2. Shower hygiene

According to Primer magazine, most people don’t have to take shower regularly as you end up losing most of the essential oil from your skin. Then, to fulfill the requirement of the oil your body has to produce more oils. Probably, you can take a shower every next day. 

However, if this is not possible you can avoid using shampoo every next day. Most of us are, what about greasy hair? Don’t worry, for this, you can drizzle some baby powder around your hair root.

However, bathing allows you to wash all the dirt, the odor of sweat, that irritated. For this, use the quality of soap to remove all the dirt and odor. To add, it also removes the dead skin.

Don’t forget to apply soap under the armpit, hands, legs, and more. 

Later, shampooing hair helps in preventing the hair from the oily residue and removes dandruff too.

For women, it also includes one more important aspect which is vaginal hygiene. Why it is important, of course, to prevent infection and diseases. What should you do to keep your vagina clean? 

Here, first of all, many women think soap can clean their vagina it can but don’t use scented soap, antiseptic, gel, etc. Vagina has a self-cleaning organ which eliminates the requirements of anything. Soaps or other products might result in affecting the PH level of the vagina. That afterward, irritate.

Then, don’t use any scented vaginal hygiene products, forgo wearing tight clothes, ensure to keep your underwear dry, wash your underwear, don’t forget to change your pad every 4-6 hours using pads for a long time can result in infection.

Consequently, don’t use dirty clothes, mud, ash, cow dung, and more during the menstrual cycle as all these can affect the vagina and result in severe infection and disease. Hence, cleaning the vaginal is one of the important types of personal hygiene.

Cleaning the belly button is important as most of the belly button has crevices which provide the perfect home to the bacteria to develop and grow. Also, it contains all the sweat, dead skin, and dirt. Even from 60 belly buttons, a study found 2,368 bacterial species.

So, similar to other parts, your belly button needs to be washed and cleaned. Use warm water, washcloth, and mild soap to clean up button belly. Then, don’t forget to dry it with the help of the towel. Cleaning belly button and vaginal area are one of the 7 types of personal hygiene.

3. Oral hygiene

Brushing the teeth is important to prevent tooth decay. Let’s start from scratch, the major reason for tooth decay and other gum related issues is plaque. 

To remove the plaque, you need to brush your teeth regularly. Here, just rubbing the bristles of the toothbrush on the teeth does not mean it is cleaning your teeth. 

You have to follow up a method, most of you do not know? Are you one of them? 

Don’t worry, I’m going to tell you the right way to brush up teeth:

• Keep your toothbrush at the angle of 45° to your gum line
• Using more toothpaste does not give you healthy and white teeth. Hence, use pea-sized toothpaste 
• Then, with the gentle circular motion brush your teeth
• Do not apply pressure as it will hurt your gums
• Repeat the same inside surface
• To clean the chewing surfaces, move the brush back and forth
• Don’t rub your gums but teeth
• Finally, spit out of toothpaste after you are done
• Don’t use anyone’s brush
• Change your toothbrush in every 3-4 months or when bristles flared or worn

One of my friends, he changes his toothbrush once in a year. He is too lazy to get a new toothbrush. Change this attitute if you also have!

According to the American Dental Association, brushing teeth for 2 minutes and twice a day, morning and before going to bed are enough.

Why should you not brush for a long time? Brushing teeth for long is not bad but brushing teeth for too much time could harm the teeth. 

How?

Sometimes, it removes the enamel of the teeth and eventually, your gums get hurt. 

With brushing teeth, you should also floss your teeth to remove the plaque from the areas of the teeth where it is tough or impossible for the toothbrush to reach.

How to floss? That’s easy you just have to follow some steps, 

• Move the floss in the C-shape, from up and down while holding the floss with thumb and index finger
• Don’t be harsh or don’t hustle otherwise you would end up hurting yourself
• Move it beneath the gum line of each side
• Do the same with all your teeth and it is done
• Rubbing the floss on the gums might result in bleeding
• Ask your dentist for the right way to floss the teeth
• After this, rinse mouth either with water or antibacterial mouthwash

Finally, cleaning your tongue is easy, simply use the backside or the front side of the brush to clean up your tongue. With easy back and forth motion, you get the clean tongue. You can also use a tongue cleaner.

4. Nail Hygiene

Most people do not consider it important but it is one of the essential types of personal hygiene.

Why? 

Because long nails might be capable of harbor dirt and germs which contribute to spreading of the infections like pinworm.

That does not mean that short nails do not do the same but there is a difference in the capability to spread the infection. 

Therefore, trimming and washing the underside with the soap is important. The side skin of the infectious nail swells up and you might also find the nail thick. If it gets severe, you should visit a doctor. 

How to keep your nails clean?

• Frequently, trim and clean your nails
• During washing hands, brush your nails with soap
• Before using nail grooming kit or other utensils, even when you visit a salon, ensure to sterilize all the equipment
• Don’t bite and chew your nails
• During cutting the nails, don’t cut the curtains as it protects the nail from infection
• Instead of biting or ripping the hangnail clip it

Keep your nails dry and clean, this will prevent the development of bacteria. Moisten the hands with lotion is not a bad idea while applying it on your hands. 

To strengthen your nails, apply a protective layer. To add, you can also use biotin to strengthen your weak nails. 

You should call a doctor when you notice discoloration, change in nail shape like curl, bleeding, or not growing nails.

5. Sickness Hygiene

Do you have a cold? Are you feeling weak and dizzy? 

Of course, covering the mouth before sneezing and coughing are important, you know that right? 

But do you really know how to do it? Let’s see, 

• Cover your mouth and nose while coughing and sneezing with a tissue. After that, throw the tissue immediately in the dustbin.
• If the tissue is not readily available you should sneeze on your elbow not in hands
• Wash your hands after sneezing and coughing
• Wash hands for at least 20-30 seconds
• You can use sanitizer with 60% alcohol to clean your hands
• Don’t offer a handkerchief to anyone whether you have a cold or not
• Wash your hands, if your hands after handshake with anyone who has cold
• If you are not well, you should also maintain distance from others. It simply means, remains at home
• Clean the surface instantly if an unwell person touch it
• Wash fruits properly

Following these makes you healthy and fit, it protects you from the flue, illness, coronavirus, and more. In return, it keeps your loved ones and people around you safe.

6. Hand Hygiene 

Going out, touching surfaces, and meeting people results in making your hands full of germs, infection, bacteria, grease, dirt, virus, and other unwanted substances. 

Yes, you might find your hands clean because these all are small and can not be seen with the naked eyes. 

That simply means it is time to wash your hands.

Washing hands prevents the spread of disease from person to person, this will keep you and other people around you safe. 

It might take some time but nothing is better than your good health, right? 

Let’s see how you should wash your hands, according to the World Health Organization, 

• First, wet your hands
• Second, apply soap to make enough lather
• Third, interlace your fingers and put a right palm on the left dorsum, repeat likewise on the left hand
• Interlacing the finger and rub palm to palm
• Grab your left thumb with the right palm and rub rotationally, similarly do with the other hands
• Clasp your right-hand fingers and move them on the left-hand palm. First, backward movement than forward, vice verse
• Wash hands at least for 20 seconds
• Dry your hands with the help of the towel and turn off the tap with the towel

You can also watch this video.

7. Clothing Hygiene

Our clothes represent us.

People judge us on what we are wearing, right? 

But, do you think your dirty clothes give you a good impression? 

Nah! Not at all, but let me tell you it is going to affect your health too. 

Here I have covered the outer layer of the clothes which you should wash and change not frequently but regularly. This also includes your socks. Wearing dirty clothes can affect your skin, resulting in an awful smell. Although, above all, it results in the spread of microorganisms.

Further, comes the most essential layer of the clothes which is the inner layer. That is often denoted as underclothes that remain close to our body and include dead skin and sweat. 

All this results in the development of bacteria and infection which can get severe. 

Therefore, you should regularly change your underwear like your pants, vest and bras. 

Mostly, you need to clean your underwear, because it might have bits of feces. Again, that can unravel into the urinary tract resulting in urinary tract infections. 

At last, now you know what are 7 personal hygiene and hopefully, you also understand how to be safe. 

What are the Personal Hygiene for Kids/Babies?

So far, you have understood the types of personal hygiene now it is time to undergo personal hygiene for kids. 

Now, it is tough to make your kid understand things but as our parents teach, we also have to do the same. 

Personal hygiene for kids are, 

1. Time to Brush

Making your kid do something is tough but you won’t be successful unless you try. Let’s start with brushing, you do not have to do anything new but follow the same steps to brush his teeth.

In brief, move the brush gently in a circular motion inside and outside surfaces of the teeth. Then, move back and forth on the chewing area. 

Yes, don’t let your kid swallow it and teach him to spit it out. For the baby of 3-6 years, you should use pea-sized fluoride toothpaste.

Why pea-sized fluoride toothpaste?  That’s because it will not harm your kid, even if swallowed.

Fluoride toothpaste is safe to use as it is a mineral that is naturally found in water, soil, and air. It prevents cavities, strengthens the enamels, prevents the development of local bacteria, whitens the teeth, and more.

After brushing, also teach your baby how to floss teeth. The best way to encourage the kid to brush is to do it by yourself and make a routine of brushing, even if the baby doesn’t like it. Because eventually, your kids get used to it. 

Choose a soft toothbrush for your kid or to encourage brushing, let him choose his brush. Try to make it fun, put your baby sit on your lap.

2. Enjoy the water

Bathing could be fun for the baby but according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, if the baby of below a year takes bath more than 4-5 times a week, could result in dry skin.

On the other hand, according to the American Academy of Dermatology, the kid of 6-11 years old should only take bath for,

• Should take bath 1-2 times a week, 
• When he/she is dirty
• After done with playing in the swimming pool, ocean, or other water bodies
• Being sweaty or bad odor is time to bath
• If your baby has skin-related issues then bath baby as prescribed by the doctor
• Use kids soap and shampoo to clean the baby’s skin and hair
• Don’t use grown-up products on the kid’s skin
• Don’t be harsh but bathe the baby with all the care 

To bath your kid, first, keep everything near you either soap and shampoo. You can use baby bathtub or bath seat to bathe your baby. Bathing is one of the major personal hygiene for kids as much as it is important for adults.

Start with washing the baby’s face, further to clean up the other body parts like armpits, neck, legs, arms, and more. Use washcloth dipped into the soapy water for cleaning.

To be noted, be gentle on the baby’s skin as it is sensitive and gets hurt easily. Don’t leave the baby alone in the bathtub, in or around the water it could be very harmful. 

3. Baby! Wash your Hands

This could be tough, as after playing or doing homework the very next thing that baby wants is eating. And they just don’t like washing hands. 

Let’s make hand-washing fun for the baby, to encourage him you can also wash hands with him. Don’t just wash hands but follow the steps that I have mentioned above. 

You can make it fun for the kid, use varied colored or smelled soap. Allow your kid to choose a soap for him so that he can himself wash his hands later. 

Sing a song with the baby, that might be a happy birthday song twice and as the song ends, your hands are clean. To add, you can also add some glitters, choose a bubbly soap, use prints soap with interesting prints, and more. 

Teach your kid to wash hands, 

• Before and after eating food
• After playing with animals, even your pet
• Also, after coming home from school and playing
• After shaking hand with friends
• Especially after coming out of the washroom, ensure to make this a habit
• After sneezing and coughing

4. Time to remove the germs from the nails

When it comes to cutting the nails of a kid, you have to take a tour of your home to cut them.

Why? 

Because this is something that could terrify the baby, so first make them understand that it is safe. For this, you can start by cutting your nails or make them understand why it is important. Also, teach them to scrub their nails every time they wash their hands.

As kids play in the mud, this enhances the chances of dirt getting collected in their nails. That again increases the possibility of spreading bacteria. Therefore, cleaning nails of the baby is an essential part of the personal hygiene for kids.

To make it less hectic, you can also try distracting your kid with the help of your partner and end up cutting nails while he pays attention there. If not, then make it a game, you can also try out cutting the baby’s nail during bath time or feeding time. In short, when a baby is busy.

Most importantly, as a kid’s nails are not very strong therefore I would advise you, use a baby nail cutter or clipper instead of an adult’s nail cutter to cut baby’s nail. While cutting nails, ensure that enough light is available in the room and don’t cut the baby’s skin. Additionally, to deter the ingrown nail cut the nails of the toes straight. 

5. I’m sick!

Teach your kid how they can get sick. This will help you make them understand what they should do if they have a cold. 

Teach your kid to use a tissue and their elbow if tissue is not available to cover the mouth. 

This also includes maintaining distance with friends who have a fever or cold. Likewise, be at home or maintain distance if your baby is sick. 

Teaching all this will keep your kid and people around him safe not only from infection and diseases. But it can also protect your kid from coronavirus too.

6. Clean Clothes

That’s your duty I guess. Playing in the mud, falling in the park while playing, and more all is the part of your kid’s day. 

But this for sure makes you do more work.

As I have mentioned, dirty clothes are capable of spreading germs, infection, and bacteria. Hence, let your kid change the clothes when he comes home after playing and from school, if possible. This also includes cleaning of the undergarments of the kid too. 

So, here you see types of personal hygiene your kids should be following. You should teach your kid why it is important for them to follow personal hygiene for kids or what the benefits of personal hygiene are.

Personal Hygiene Tips For School Students

Only maintaining cleanliness at home does not work if you do not maintain it outside, which is very crucial. 

Being at school your kid comes in contact with several students, are you worried whether he caught some infection? 

Don’t worry! 

Here, I would discuss the personal hygiene tips for school students which keep your kid safe even when you are not with him. 

Personal hygiene tips for students, 

• Wash hands before and after eating food
• Don’t share food and water bottle utensils with other students
• If you have cold, stay at home this will prevent the spreading of flu, cold, and infection. If not, then use a tissue when coughing and sneezing. However, if you don’t have a tissue, use elbow
• Throw tissue after use
• Don’t use used tissue
• Maintain a healthy diet, it will keep you healthy and fit
• Change your socks regularly
• Keep your nails short
• Don’t share anyone’s handkerchiefs neither offer yours to anyone
• Try not to touch everything in the washroom
• Flush the toilet with the lid closed to prevent the spreading of germs
• Clean the desk with the tissue if any sick person touches it or you find it dirty
• Wash hands after playing
• Try not to play in the mud
• Try to maintain distance from infected people that does not mean teasing him/her
• If touch any animal, wash your hands instantly 
• Don’t use any soap but use yours
• If use anyone’s pencil or other equipment clean it with a tissue
• Try to avoid crowded places 

Hope the list of personal hygiene tips for students is useful and he will realize how good it is. 

To make him understand why it is important, explain how germs spread and why it is important to be safe and healthy. 

After the personal hygiene for school kids, the next topic would be 10 personal hygiene practices. 

Let’s not waste time and move to the 10 personal hygiene practices that you should include in your life.

10 Personal Hygiene Practices

Here, you would know what practices you should include keeping yourself clean and hygienic. So, 10 personal hygiene practices are, 

1. Washing hands, yes it is important to prevent the spreading of germs. For this, you can use soap and sanitizer with 60% alcohol. Don’t just wash hands follow the method that I have mentioned above
2. Bathe keeps you fresh all-day, use soap and shampoo to eliminate the dirt and dead skin from your body and hair
3. Brushing for 2 minutes would be fine but brush every inner and outer surface of the teeth including chewing surface
4. Floss is essential to clean the areas where a toothbrush can not reach
5. Trimmed nails are essential, as it limits the amount of carrying the harbor dirt and germs. Keeps your nails short and scrub your nails with the soap and water every time you wash hands
6. Clean clothes not only define you but keeps you hygienic too, therefore wear clean both inner and outer clothes. Change your clothes regularly and wash them and let them dry in the sunlight to kill germs
7. While sneezing and coughing cover your mouth with the tissue and elbow. Try to be at home if you are sick or have cold
8. Sleep is also a part of personal hygiene as it keeps you physically fit and lessens the chances of diabetes, stroke, blood pressure, and more. As during sleep our heart and blood vessels repair
9. Make a mental list or checklist to check whether you are following all the things that you should do to be healthy or not
10.  Visiting a doctor for a complete check-up is a good idea. Fix schedule appointment and concern appointment with the doctor to whether you are fine or not

Is sharing caring? 

Definitely, sharing is caring but can you use someone’s handkerchief? 

No, right? 

When it comes to personal hygiene you should maintain some distance. Using someone’s handkerchief, tissue, food or water utensils and more is not caring. 

But it might make you or the other person sick, especially if you don’t know the person at all. 

Yes, you can share your clothes only if those are washed because there are chances of catching diseases like scabies, dermatitis, and other fungal diseases. Likewise, don’t use someone’s lip balm and don’t eat unfinished food, don’t use a handkerchief or used tissue and more of others.

These are some of the things that you should follow to be healthy and fit. 

Conclusion 

At last, you have a list of things to maintain personal hygiene for school students or personal hygiene tips for students. You even know what are the 10 personal hygiene practices that you should include in your life. 

You are all set to be healthy, clean and hygienic. 

But before that, you have to follow these steps which in return makes you healthy. 

Without taking steps you can not reach anywhere, right?

Let’s take a step now! 

You can set reminders, use cues, and of course practice makes the man perfect. All these will help you to follow all the 7 personal hygiene. Try to avoid crowded areas. But for this, 

You have to get up and take a step.

Did we leave anything above in the personal hygiene tips? If yes, please share it in the comments below and help others.