STAYING CLEAN WITHOUT PLUMBING
Personal hygiene is a low-priority in the immediate days after a natural disaster, or when you’re stuck out in the woods with a broken down vehicle, but, long term, this can become an issue! Ever wonder how you’d stay clean & presentable if you found yourself living through the Zombie Apocalypse – hopefully at The Kingdom or some nice little fortified town like Alexandria? ​
HAND WASHING

As all health care providers know, hand washing and attention to cleanliness was one of the MOST IMPORTANT advances in medical care in the 19th century. It seems like common sense, now, but washing one’s hands before delivering a baby or doing a surgery was once considered UNNECESSARY. Pretty gross, I know! Once healthcare providers started simply washing their hands before doing these things, death rates from childbirth and surgery went WAY down. We can all appreciate the more basic benefits in our lives, too, like decreasing the risk of getting colds, pink eye, stomach flu and other nasty bugs, just by washing our hands.
 
But how can you keep your hands clean when there’s no running water?
  • Use non-potable water: Water is better than nothing, even if it’s not treated. Rub your hands for at least 15 seconds while washing them, if possible. Using soap (dish soap, bar soap, either way) is EVEN better.
  • The highest priority times for hand-washing are (1) after toileting and (2) before eating.
  • Use alcohol gel: This stuff is amazing and kills 99.9% of bacteria and viruses
  • Use baby wipes: They can clean a baby’s but, so they’ll do a pretty good job on your hands
 SKIN CARE
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  • This is important to decrease risk of itchy skin, rashes and infections.
  • The best way to avoid these things is to wash the body, preferably with a bar of soap, at least twice per week.
  • Bathe in a lake or stream, using a bar of soap to clean up, at least 200 feet from your water source!
  • Sponge bathe if water is in short supply (wipe down with soapy washcloth, then wipe down with wet, non-soapy cloth.)
 
HAIR CARE
  • Wash at least once per week! Use a lake or stream, or dunk your head in bucket or bowl to wet, apply shampoo and massage into scalp, then dunk to rinse (several times).
  • Dry shampoo can be applied between washings -- spray onto root area, let sit for 2 minutes, then massage into roots and scalp. 
  • Applying baby powder to your roots can also decrease greasy hair - use it like dry shampoo.
 
BODY ODORS

Face it – deodorant and antiperspirant are luxuries, and you DON’T need them. When my daughter was packing for her Outward Bound trip she was specifically instructed NOT to bring deodorant. There’s just no point – every ounce in your pack in that back country counts. If you have some deoderant, feel free to use it. But it will not prolong your survival! Once we all smell like B.O. we’ll get used to it. 
Photo courtesy of CushySpa.com
DENTAL CARE

If you're not going to be able to see a dentist/get a tooth cleaning for a while, dental hygiene is critical. Bad teeth used to kill people, but that's before we knew how important daily dental care was. Cleaning one's teeth twice per day AND flossing (if possible) is recommended for all of us, especially if our next dental cleaning is uncertain.
  • Stock up on tooth paste and tooth brushes when they're on sale.
  • When/if the tooth paste runs out you can dip your toothbrush in baking soda. Addng a drop of peppermint oil and/or Stevia can make it more palatable and refreshing.
  • You can also brush your teeth with coconut oil or with sea salt.
  • If you lose or forget your tooth brush you can use a paper towel or a wash cloth. 
  • In a pinch, chew on a green twig until it frays, then use that to clean your teeth.
  • There aren't many alternatives for dental floss. So if you run out, be SURE to keep brushing!

<--Click here to download a PDF list of recommended personal hygiene supplies.

    Do you have some Hygiene ideas? Please share them!