Washing

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A woman washes her hands with soap and water. Woman washing hands.jpg
A woman washes her hands with soap and water.

Washing is a method of cleaning, usually with water and soap or detergent. Regularly washing and then rinsing both body and clothing is an essential part of good hygiene and health. [1] [2] [3]

Often people use soaps and detergents to assist in the emulsification of oils and dirt particles so they can be washed away. The soap can be applied directly, or with the aid of a washcloth.

People wash themselves, or bathe periodically for religious ritual or therapeutic purposes [4] or as a recreational activity.

In Europe, some people use a bidet to wash their external genitalia and the anal region after using the toilet, instead of using toilet paper. [5] The bidet is common in predominantly Catholic countries where water is considered essential for anal cleansing. [6]

More frequent is washing of just the hands, e.g. before and after preparing food and eating, after using the toilet, after handling something dirty, etc. Hand washing is important in reducing the spread of germs. [7] [8] Also common is washing the face, which is done after waking up, or to keep oneself cool during the day. Brushing one's teeth is also essential for hygiene and is a part of washing.

'Washing' can also refer to the washing of clothing or other cloth items, like bedsheets, whether by hand or with a washing machine. It can also refer to washing one's car, by lathering the exterior with car soap, then rinsing it off with a hose, or washing cookware.

A private home washing machine Washer.600pix.jpg
A private home washing machine

Excessive washing may damage the hair, causing dandruff, or cause rough skin/skin lesions. [9] [10]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ablution in Christianity</span> Prescribed washing

In Christianity, ablution is a prescribed washing of part or all of the body or possessions, such as clothing or ceremonial objects, with the intent of purification or dedication. In Christianity, both baptism and footwashing are forms of ablution. Prior to praying the canonical hours at seven fixed prayer times, Oriental Orthodox Christians wash their hands and face. In liturgical churches, ablution can refer to purifying fingers or vessels related to the Eucharist. In the New Testament, washing also occurs in reference to rites of Judaism part of the action of a healing by Jesus, the preparation of a body for burial, the washing of nets by fishermen, a person's personal washing of the face to appear in public, the cleansing of an injured person's wounds, Pontius Pilate's washing of his hands as a symbolic claim of innocence and foot washing, which is a rite within the Christian Churches. According to the Gospel of Matthew, Pontius Pilate declared himself innocent of the blood of Jesus by washing his hands. This act of Pilate may not, however, have been borrowed from the custom of the Jews. The same practice was common among the Greeks and Romans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hygiene</span> Practices performed to preserve health

Hygiene is a set of practices performed to preserve health. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), "Hygiene refers to conditions and practices that help to maintain health and prevent the spread of diseases." Personal hygiene refers to maintaining the body's cleanliness. Hygiene activities can be grouped into the following: home and everyday hygiene, personal hygiene, medical hygiene, sleep hygiene, and food hygiene. Home and every day hygiene includes hand washing, respiratory hygiene, food hygiene at home, hygiene in the kitchen, hygiene in the bathroom, laundry hygiene, and medical hygiene at home.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laundry</span> Washing of clothing and other textiles

Laundry is the washing of clothing and other textiles, and, more broadly, their drying and ironing as well. Laundry has been part of history since humans began to wear clothes, so the methods by which different cultures have dealt with this universal human need are of interest to several branches of scholarship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Washing machine</span> Machine that washes clothes automatically

A washing machine is a home appliance used to wash laundry. The term is mostly applied to machines that use water as opposed to dry cleaning or ultrasonic cleaners. The user adds laundry detergent, which is sold in liquid, powder, or dehydrated sheet form, to the wash water.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bidet</span> Plumbing fixture or type of sink intended for washing the genitalia and anus of the human body

A bidet is a bowl or receptacle designed to be sat upon in order to wash a person's genitalia, perineum (taint), inner buttocks, and anus. The modern variety has a plumbed-in water supply and a drainage opening, and is thus a plumbing fixture subject to local hygiene regulations. The bidet is designed to promote personal hygiene and is used after defecation, and before and after sexual intercourse. It can also be used to wash feet, with or without filling it up with water. In several European countries, a bidet is now required by law to be present in every bathroom containing a toilet bowl. It was originally located in the bedroom, near the chamber-pot and the marital bed, but in modern times is located near the toilet bowl in the bathroom. Fixtures that combine a toilet seat with a washing facility include the electronic bidet.

Cleanliness is both the state of being clean and free from germs, dirt, trash, or waste, and the habit of achieving and maintaining that state. Cleanliness is often achieved through cleaning. Culturally, cleanliness is usually a good quality, as indicated by the aphorism: "Cleanliness is next to Godliness", and may be regarded as contributing to other ideals such as health and beauty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hand washing</span> Act of cleaning ones hands

Hand washing, also known as hand hygiene, is the act of cleaning one's hands with soap or handwash and water to remove viruses/bacteria/microorganisms, dirt, grease, or other harmful and unwanted substances stuck to the hands. Drying of the washed hands is part of the process as wet and moist hands are more easily recontaminated. If soap and water are unavailable, hand sanitizer that is at least 60% (v/v) alcohol in water can be used as long as hands are not visibly excessively dirty or greasy. Hand hygiene is central to preventing the spread of infectious diseases in home and everyday life settings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dishwashing</span> Process of cleaning cooking utensils and other items to prevent foodborne illness

Dishwashing, washing the dishes, doing the dishes, or washing up in Great Britain, is the process of cleaning cooking utensils, dishes, cutlery and other items to prevent foodborne illness. This is either achieved by hand in a sink using dishwashing detergent or by using a dishwasher and may take place in a kitchen, utility room, scullery or elsewhere.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Car wash</span> Facility used to clean the exterior of motor vehicles

A car wash, or auto wash, is a facility used to clean the exterior, and in some cases the interior, of cars. Car washes can be self-service, full-service, or fully automated. Car washes may also be events where people pay to have their cars washed by volunteers, often using less specialized equipment, as a fundraiser.

A fabric softener or fabric conditioner is a conditioner that is applied to laundry after it has been washed in a washing machine. A similar, more dilute preparation meant to be applied to dry fabric is known as a wrinkle releaser.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dishwashing liquid</span> Detergent used for cleaning dishes

Dishwashing liquid, or dishwashing soap, dish detergent, and dish soap is a detergent assisting in dishwashing. Dishwashing detergents for dishwashers come in various forms like cartridges, gels, liquids, pacs, powder, and tablets.It is usually a highly-foamy mixture of surfactants with low skin irritation that consumers primarily use for washing glasses, plates, cutleries, and cooking utensils. In addition to its primary use, dishwashing liquid also has various informal applications, like creating bubbles, clothes washing and cleaning birds from oil spills.

Purity is an essential aspect of Islam. It is the opposite of najāsa, the state of being ritually impure. It is achieved by first removing physical impurities from the body, and then removing ritual impurity through wudu (usually) or ghusl.

Anal hygiene or anal cleansing refers to the practices that are performed on a person's anus to maintain hygiene, usually in the aftermath of defecation. Post-defecation cleansing is rarely discussed academically, partly due to the social taboo surrounding it. The scientific objective of post-defecation cleansing is to prevent exposure to pathogens. The process of post-defecation cleansing involves either washing the anus and inner part of the buttocks with water. Water-based cleansing typically involves either the use of running water from a handheld vessel and a hand for washing or the use of pressurized water through a jet device, such as a bidet. In either method, subsequent hand sanitization is essential to achieve the ultimate objectives of post-defecation cleansing.

Personal care products are consumer products which are applied on various external parts of the body such as skin, hair, nails, lips, external genital and anal areas, as well as teeth and mucous membrane of the oral cavity, in order to make them clean, protect them from harmful germs and keep them in good condition. They promote personal hygiene and overall health, well-being and appearance of those body parts. Toiletries form a narrower category of personal care products which are used for basic hygiene and cleanliness as a part of a daily routine. Cosmetic products, in contrast, are used for personal grooming and beautification. Pharmaceutical products are not considered personal care products.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bidet shower</span> Hand-held triggered nozzle

A bidet shower—also known as a handheld bidet, commode shower, toilet shower, health faucet, bum shower, jet spray, Hand ShowerMuslim shower, shatafa or bum gun—is a hand-held triggered nozzle that is placed near the toilet and delivers a spray of water used for anal cleansing and cleaning of the genitals after using the toilet for defecation and urination, popularised by Arab nations where the bidet shower is a common bathroom accessory. The device is similar to that of a kitchen sink sprayer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tabo (hygiene)</span> Traditional cleaning tool in the Philippines, Indonesia, Cambodia, East Timor, Malaysia, and Brunei

The tabò is the traditional hygiene tool primarily for cleansing, bathing, and cleaning the floor of the bathroom in the Philippines, Indonesia, East Timor, Malaysia, Vietnam and Brunei. Tabò is the Filipino name, while gayung and cebok are the equivalent terms used in Indonesia, Brunei, Malaysia, and East Timor. Its Vietnamese name is thau tắm or chậu nước. The tabò could most commonly be found in the provinces though it is also widely used in the cities. The word may be related to the word cebok in neighboring Indonesia and Malaysia, which describes the process of cleansing oneself using a tabò in a mandi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Washboard (laundry)</span> Tool for hand-washing textiles

A washboard is a tool designed for hand washing clothing. With mechanized cleaning of clothing becoming more common by the end of the 20th century, the washboard has become better known for its secondary use as a musical instrument.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hygiene in Christianity</span> Regulations regarding cleanliness in Christianity

In some denominations of Christianity, there are a number of regulations involving cleanliness before prayer, observing days of ritual purification, as well as those concerning diet and apparel. The Bible has many rituals of purification in areas ranging from the mundane private rituals of personal hygiene and toilet etiquette to the complex public rituals of social etiquette.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fabric treatment</span>

Fabric treatments are processes that make fabric softer, or water resistant, or enhance dye penetration after they are woven. Fabric treatments get applied when the textile itself cannot add other properties. Treatments include, scrim, foam lamination, fabric protector or stain repellent, anti microbial and flame retardant.

References

  1. Bockmühl, Dirk P.; Schages, Jan; Rehberg, Laura (2019). "Laundry and textile hygiene in healthcare and beyond". Microbial Cell. 6 (7): 299–306. doi:10.15698/mic2019.07.682. ISSN   2311-2638. PMC   6600116 . PMID   31294042.
  2. Moyer, Melinda Wenner (2023-10-23). "Do You Really Need to Shower Every Day?". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2024-04-22.
  3. Hadaway, Alexis (2020-01-02). "Handwashing: Clean Hands Save Lives". Journal of Consumer Health on the Internet. 24 (1): 43–49. doi:10.1080/15398285.2019.1710981. ISSN   1539-8285.
  4. Shove, Elizabeth (2004). Comfort, Cleanliness and Convenience The Social Organization of Normality (New Technologies/New Cultures). New York: Berg. ISBN   978-1-85973-630-2.
  5. "Eco-Friendly Cleaning Cloth and Toilet Papers". SimplyNatural. 2020-06-18. Retrieved 2020-07-01.
  6. E. Clark, Mary (2006). Contemporary Biology: Concepts and Implications. University of Michigan Press. p. 613. ISBN   9780721625973. Douching is commonly practiced in Catholic countries. The bidet ... is still commonly found in France and other Catholic countries.
  7. "Show Me the Science - Why Wash Your Hands? | Handwashing | CDC". www.cdc.gov. May 4, 2023.
  8. Thomas Osborne, M.D. "Clean hands are key to preventing illness". Archived from the original on 2007-07-01.
  9. Ettinger, Jill (2018-10-22). "You Probably Wash Your Hair Way Too Much (Really!)". Organic Authority. Retrieved 2024-04-22.
  10. Petersen, Eiko E. (2005-12-07). Infections in Obstetrics and Gynecology: Textbook and Atlas. Thieme. pp. 6–13. ISBN   978-3-13-161511-4.