HYGIENE & SANITATION

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Good hygiene and proper sanitation are essential to good health. Lack of hygiene can cause bacteria and infections to occur. Sanitation can cause sickness that will exacerbate a disaster. I will go over some alternative ways to clean your body and dispose of human waste. Some simple hygiene routines can be easily forgotten in a stressful disaster situation. You would think a normal daily routine of brushing your teeth would be second nature but when you are in survival mode this small but very important chore can easily be forgotten. Having some type of routine can help with mental health and also provide some sort of security for children to have a self-maintenance routine.  

 Routine Self-Maintenance in a Disaster  

-       Wash you face in the morning with some type of cloth (washcloth, bandanna or an old t-shirt)  

-       Brushing your teeth  

-       Change your underwear and socks daily to prevent bacteria buildup (women and get urinary tract infections if untreated) 

 -       Clean more frequently during menstruation  

-       Try to clean your full body at least twice a week   

Disposal of human waste is also something you may need to do if the grid goes down. One of the most popular ways is the use of a 5-gallon bucket also known as a “Luggable Loo” with a 6mil contractor bag to use for solid waste. You will also want some materials to help keep the odor down. The following items can help to minimalize odor, baking soda, chemicals like bleach or RV chem-treatment fluids, and last but not lease kitty litter (it works for the cats). Do not forget the toilet paper but if it is not available, then use an improvised bidet with a squeeze bottle.