Emergency personal hygiene
Consider how you might solve problems when water is scarce, and familiar resources are not available:
- Washing Hands
- Washing Clothes
- Washing your body and Hair
- Taking care of yourself or loved ones when ill (vomiting, diahrrhea, Pregnancy, menstruation, etc.)
Water
Emergency Recommendations is 1gal of water/person/day
This recommendation is for the DRINKING WATER an average person not exerting themselves and in a comfortable (not hot, dry or windy) environment..
-active persons will need more water
- a hot, windy, and or dry environment will necessitate more water
- sick persons will need more water (losing fluids)
-This estimate DOES NOT include water needed for washing, bathing, cleaning clothes and other personal hygiene needs.
For Personal Hygiene, you will need SAFE, CLEAN water, but not necessarily Drinking quality water.
Washing Hands
Fecal-Oral transmission is the main spreader of deadly disease among people. It is very important to make sure hands are being properly cleaned after toilet use among both adults and children and before handling or consuming food.
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Have a convenient Hand washing station
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Don't use bar-soap between different people: Bar soap spreads disease. it is made up of fats and oils which suds up nicely and are meant to be washed away with copious water. but Bacteria love growing all over bar-soap eating the fats.
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Use liquid soap
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Don't use Antibacterial soap - avoid anti-bacterial products such as hand sanitizer except in occasional situations like medical treatment. Frequent use will build up a resistance to antibiotic products. - (I Invite further personal research)
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Keep nails short and tidy - Long nails are germ traps and harder to keep clean
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Google "Tippy-Tap Hand washing systems" (hands free)
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Bathing
You can keep yourself quite clean and hygienic for long periods of time without a traditional bath.
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practice a sponge or "spit" bath. using only 1 gallon of hot water
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Start by washing face.
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Then wash hair, not using too much shampoo and focus on scrubbing scalp.
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use shampoo to scrub the rest of your body especially at all junction areas.
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Slowly pour water with a cup on top of head, rinsing scalp and face and allowing suds to travel downwards. Use last of water to make sure all soap is rinsed off. Use a clean towel to dry off.
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Grey soapy water from bath can be used as a preliminary rinse for clothes washing
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Even without a water bath, you can keep yourself clean using a washcloth and soap regularly. you can learn how to adapt your hair to not become so greasy between washings. Also you can very effectively wash hair with minimal water just in a bowl.
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It is better to wash before going to bed rather than in the morning. you should clean yourself of pollens, dust, dirt etc. and not take that into your clean sleeping quarters, pillow etc.
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Use warm water to better dissolve skin oils - enjoy it!
Washing Clothes
Its amazing how dirty clothes get just camping, or working outside! much less in an emergency situation.
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Focus on removing Body fluids (sweat, odors, and dirt) not the stains
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Start with the cleanest clothes first (consider holy garments or underwear)
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You can use recycled wash water from hand washing and bathing for the first rinse water.
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Wash once in soapy water - At least 2 rinse cycles (more may be necessary if using too foamy of soap)
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Warm and hot water is preferable to break up oils and kill pathogens (hotter than body temperature - think of how a fever works)
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Whites can be boiled for sterilization (not colors) - great for bandages. best on natural fibers. may ruin synthetic cloths and elastics etc.
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Clothes will be disinfected through UV radiation if left to dry out in the sun (will bleach, but who cares)
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- Hand Agitators: Manual Lehman's clothes washer or DIY
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Wash boards
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Clothes Wringer (I highly recommend! you will use less water when you wring your soapy water out before transfering to the rinse water. Also, from personal experience, wringing by hand absolutely DESTROYS your hands, causing pain and arthritis etc. )
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Get good soaps that are safe on hands and earth (natural and biodegradable). not too sudsy or you will have a difficulty time rinsing and will need more water. Avoid strong scents which attract critters. (Seventh Son, Castille soap etc.)
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Clothes lines (clothes pins etc.) - work in cold and freezing weather too.
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Wash Contaminated clothes separately from other clothing (diapers, family cloth, period underwear etc. - these should be first soaked in chlorine)
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Pathogens are killed by drying out and being exposed to UV rays. your equipment can be reasonably sanitized in-between washings.
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avoid over exposure of UV rays on plastic which will become brittle. Also, in cold weather, plastic tools are also brittle and more susceptible to cracking.
pest and vermin control
We don't have time to cover this topic in class, but consider how and what you will need to discourage dangerous pests who will disrupt your sanitary conditions.
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FLIES - flyswatters, fly strips - proper sanitary conditions
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Rodents - Re-usable traps,
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Be cautious of poisons if they may be exposed to cats or dogs or farm animals.
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Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is used as a DIY rodent control method that, when ingested, reacts with stomach acid to produce large amounts of carbon dioxide gas. Because rodents cannot burp or vomit, this gas buildup causes severe internal bloating, pressure, and potential rupture of the stomach or intestines, resulting in death. It is typically mixed in equal parts with an attractant like sugar, flour, peanut butter, or cornmeal to entice the rodents to eat it.
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Ants - look into Diatomaceous Earth
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Mosquitos - remove or treat any standing water
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Lime - Lime (calcium carbonate) added to manure compost acts primarily as an odor neutralizer and accelerator, breaking down organic matter faster and reducing acidic odors. It helps increase compost temperatures, boosts calcium levels . Applying it on top of a heap helps minimize unpleasant smells and acts as a barrier to deter insects, rodents, and other animals.
Trash
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Burry -
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Compost - Organics and Biodegradables that can't be fed to chickens.
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Recycle, Reuse and Repurpose - Cloth, Plastics, Metals
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Save to burn - Paper products
Sources Cited: For a more in-depth learning module on this subject see the courses available for free and for site members ($5.99/month fee) at www.Jimsway.com. All thanks goes to Jim Phillips for his research and life dedicated in teaching provident living.
