The best personal hygiene practices are often the most simple. They can also be some of the most difficult to follow. In a world where most people have regular access to clean water, soap, and other basic necessities for proper skin care, it’s easy to slip into bad habits. Sometimes we forget about our own bodies when our mind is busy with other things—but this kind of neglect can lead to short-term consequences like skin infections or long-term health problems like gastrointestinal issues. With these top simple rules in mind, however, you’ll always have good personal hygiene practices as an essential part of your lifestyle:
Wash Your Hands Often
Washing your hands is an important part of any good hygiene routine, and should be done at least before you eat and after using the bathroom, handling pets or animal products, and handling raw meat. You can also use hand sanitizer if there is no soap or water available (but be sure to wash with soap and water afterwards). Make sure you are scrubbing in between your fingers and under the nails as well. To get the best results from washing with soap, use warm water instead of hot water (you don’t need it that hot) and wash for at least 20 seconds! Do not forget to properly dry your hands as wet hands are more likely to spread germs..
Clean and Disinfect Frequently Touched Surfaces
Frequently touched surfaces include door handles, doorknobs, and faucet handles. Clean these surfaces with a clean cloth and then disinfect them by wiping the surface with a disinfectant solution often.
Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces on a regular basis. It’s not enough just to wipe down your bathroom once or twice a week—you need to do it more often if you have small children in the house who are prone to getting sick more often than adults. Make sure to choose hygiene products wisely, as those can make a huge difference in the general hygiene of any environment, be it your bathroom, kitchen, or any other place in the house.
In addition to cleaning frequently touched surfaces, be sure that you’re also washing your hands thoroughly after using public restrooms or changing diapers (or handling anything else that could potentially spread germs).
Cover Your Mouth When You Cough or Sneeze
Covering your mouth while coughing or sneezing is a long-standing rule that remains in place to protect others from getting sick. You don’t want to be responsible for making someone else ill, right?
It’s also a good idea to use the inside of your elbow instead of your hand when covering your mouth. By doing so, you can avoid contaminating other surfaces like the doorknobs on public restrooms and the door handles of taxicabs. And if you happen to cough or sneeze in the middle of somewhere like an office building or subway station, stay away from other people, as much as possible until you get away from them!
Keep Food Preparation Areas Clean
Kitchen is an essential point in your home so make sure your home kitchen is ideal for entertaining. It’s important to keep food preparation areas clean. Before you start preparing food—as well as after you’re finished preparing it—you need to make sure that the surfaces of your kitchen are clean. Cleaning before and after preparing food also helps prevent cross-contamination, which can occur when bacteria from raw meat or eggs gets on a cutting board and then contaminates other foods that are prepared on top of it.
Clean utensils should be used for each type of food in order to avoid contamination. For example, when you’re cutting up chicken, don’t use the same knife or fork from earlier (when your child may have been eating carrots). Wash hands before and after handling raw meats and eggs, too!
Eat Healthy Foods and Exercise Regularly
Getting a good night’s sleep isn’t the only thing you can do to keep your body in tip-top shape. A balanced diet full of fresh fruits, veggies, and lean protein will help you stay energized throughout the day and make it easier to exercise when you’re feeling tired. Exercise is another essential part of clean living; just 30 minutes of vigorous physical activity—such as running or weightlifting—can improve your heart health by lowering your blood pressure, reducing stress hormones like cortisol (a major cause of belly fat), and improving insulin sensitivity (a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes).
Get Enough Sleep
How much? A good rule of thumb is to sleep for about 8 hours a night, but some people need more or less than this.
How? Make sure your bedroom is dark and quiet, and go to bed at the same time every night. If you’re still having trouble getting enough restful sleep, talk to your doctor about it.
Conclusion
Good personal hygiene is the foundation of a healthy lifestyle. It’s also the key to feeling comfortable and confident in your own skin. Make sure to follow the above-mentioned tips to keep you and your environment clean and healthy.
