Cleanliness is of great importance in the prevention of many kinds of infections— infections of the gut, the skin, the eyes, the lungs, and the whole body. Personal cleanliness (or hygiene) and public cleanliness (or sanitation) are both important.

Many common infections of the gut are spread from one person to another because of poor hygiene and poor sanitation. Germs and worms (or their eggs) are passed by the thousands in the stools or feces (shit) of infected persons. These are carried from the feces of one person to the mouth of another by dirty fingers or contaminated food or water. Diseases that are spread or transmitted from feces-to mouth in this way, include:

  • diarrhea and dysentery (caused by amebas and bacteria).
  • intestinal worms (several types).
  • hepatitis, typhoid fever, and cholera.
  • certain other diseases, like polio, are sometimes spread this same way.

Personal Cleanliness (Hygienne)

  1. Always wash your hands with soap when you get up in the morning, after having a bowel movement, and before eating.
  2. Bathe often every day when the weather is hot. Bathe after working hard or sweating. Frequent bathing  helps prevent skin infections, dandruff, pimples, itching, and rashes. Sick persons, including babies, should be bathed daily.
  3. In areas where hookworm is common, do not go barefoot or allow children to do so. Hookworm infection causes severe anemia. These worms enter the body through the soles of the feet.
  4. Brush your teeth every day and after each time you eat sweets. If you do not have a toothbrush and toothpaste, rub your teeth with salt and baking soda.

Cleanliness In The Home

  1. Do not let pigs or other animals come into the house or places where children play.
  2. Do not let dogs lick children or climb up on beds. Dogs, too, can spread disease.
  3. If children or animals have a bowel movement near the house, clean it up at once. Teach children to use a latrine or at least to go farther from the house.
  4. Hang or spread sheets and blankets in the sun often. If there are bedbugs, pour boiling water on the cots and wash the sheets and blankets—all on the same day.
  5. De-louse the whole family often. Lice and fleas carry many diseases. Dogs and other animals that carry fleas should not come into the house.
  6. Do not spit on the floor. Spit can spread disease. When you cough or sneeze, cover your mouth with your hand or a cloth or handkerchief.
  7. Clean house often. Sweep and wash the floors, walls, and beneath furniture. Fill in cracks and holes in the floor or walls where roaches, bedbugs, and scorpions can hide.

Cleanliness In Eating And Drinking

  1. Ideally, all water that does not come from a pure water system should be boiled, filtered, or purified before drinking. This is especially important for small children, people with HIV, and times when there is a lot of diarrhea or cases of typhoid, hepatitis, or cholera. However, to prevent disease, having enough water is more important than having pure water. Also, asking poor families to use a lot of time or money for fire wood to boil drinking water may do more harm than good, especially if it means less food for the children or more destruction of forests.

A good, low-cost way to purify water is to put it in a clean, clear bottle or a clear plastic bag and leave it in direct sunlight for at least 6 hours. If it is cloudy, leave the water exposed to sun for at least 2 days. This method will kill most germs in the water.

  1. Do not let flies and other insects land or crawl on food. These insects carry germs and spread disease. Do not leave food scraps or dirty dishes lying around, as these attract flies and breed germs. Protect food by keeping it covered or in boxes or cabinets with wire screens.
  2. Before eating fruit that has fallen to the ground, wash it well. Do not let children pick up and eat food that has been dropped—wash it first.
  3. Only eat meat and fish that is well cooked. Be careful that roasted meat, especially pork and fish, do not have raw parts inside. Raw pork carries dangerous diseases.
  4. Chickens carry germs that can cause diarrhea. Wash your hands after preparing chicken before you touch other foods.
  5. Do not eat food that is old or smells bad. It may be poisonous. Do not eat canned food if the can is swollen or squirts when opened. Be especially careful with canned fish. Also, be careful with chicken that has passed several hours since it was cooked. Before eating left-over cooked foods, heat them again, very hot. If possible, give only foods that have been freshly prepared, especially to children, elderly people, and very sick people.
  6. People with tuberculosis, flu, colds, or other diseases that spread easily should eat separately from others. Plates and utensils used by sick people should be cleaned very well before being used by others.

Public Cleanliness (Sanitation)

  1. Keep wells and public water holes clean. Do not let animals go near where people get drinking water. If necessary, put a fence around the place to keep animals out. Do not defecate (shit) or throw garbage near the water hole. Take special care to keep rivers and streams clean upstream from any place where drinking water is taken.
  2. Burn all garbage that can be burned. Garbage that cannot be burned should be buried in a special pit or place far away from houses and the places where people get drinking water.
  3. Build latrines (out-houses, toilets) so pigs and other animals cannot reach the human waste. A deep hole with a little house over it works well. The deeper the hole, the less problem there is with flies and smell.