Personal Hygiene Products

The COVID pandemic has shined a spotlight on the importance of personal hygiene in terms of not transmitting disease, but personal hygiene has always been important to health. Examples include hand-washing after using the toilet, brushing teeth, and more. True, some hygiene is really about aesthetics, such as minimizing body odor, but neglecting this can have social impacts such as loneliness and isolation. It’s also true that some health or medical conditions can interfere with good hygiene.

Here’s some info on why and how to stay clean and healthy via personal hygiene. We have plenty of personal hygiene products for sale at ITC Medical Supplies. Please visit our two stores in San Francisco, California and we’ll help you find what you need.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend washing the hands at these times:

• before: eating food 
• before and after: 
  • caring for someone who is vomiting or has diarrhea 
  • treating a cut or wound 
• before, during, and after: preparing food 
• after 
  • going to the bathroom 
  • changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has used the toilet 
  • blowing the nose, coughing, or sneezing 
  • touching garbage or dirty surfaces or objects 
  • handling pets or pet-related items, such as food

A good dental hygiene routine helps prevent issues such as gum disease and tooth decay, as well as bad breath. The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends brushing your teeth for two minutes at least twice daily and flossing daily. Use an ADA-accepted fluoride toothpaste and replace your toothbrush every 3–4 months.

We have several million sweat glands on our skin. While sweat smells fine, bacteria break down human sweat, which causes body odor. Bathing or showering keeps that bacteria in check and washes away dead skin cells and excess oil while helping prevent skin irritation.

There are many potential obstacles to good hygiene, including lack of access to clean water, poverty, mobility issues, chronic pain, and mental health issues. For example, people with dementia, psychotic disorders, severe depression, or drug or alcohol use disorder may struggle to keep up a hygiene routine.

In terms of pain or mobility issues, some people may not be able to safely enter or exit the shower, or they may have mobility or pain issues that interfere with things like turning the water on and off or brushing teeth effectively.

Some of these issues are complex, systemic issues. However, for more concrete obstacles such as mobility challenges, please talk to our staff at ITC Medical Supplies in San Francisco, California. We have a broad array of personal hygiene products, including tools like long-handled brushes and sponges, and products like waterless, no-rinse cleansers and dry shampoo. We also have products like cleansing wipes, denture containers, and more.