# Hygiene questions



## Sybil6 (Jan 28, 2013)

I know smelling nice won't be top priority after SHTF but having head-lice and skin sores due to lack of personal hygiene is the last thing we need. Not to mention infection would be much more likely too. And then there's the subject of feminine hygiene, and with a majority of our group being female, this is quite a dilemma. Any suggestions on how to keep at least mildly clean after SHTF besides "prep, prep, prep"?


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## BillS (May 30, 2011)

You don't need a lot of water to wash up every day. Use a wet washcloth to wipe yourself down. Or stock up on wet wipes. Very short hair might be necessary if you don't have a lot of extra water. I plan on having my wife cut my hair off the day it hits the fan.

We have about a gallon of water per person per day. That should be more than enough to save up some water for personal hygiene and also to wash some of our clothes each week.


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## gabbyj310 (Oct 22, 2012)

Homemade deodorant: ( mix put in spray bottle)
1/2 cup distilled water
1/4 cup witch hazel extract
1 Tablespoon aloe vera extract
1 teaspoon liquid gylcrin 
15 drop rosemary ess oil


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## OldCootHillbilly (Jul 9, 2010)

Learn ta make soap. It really ain't all that hard. Fat, lye (ya can make it from wood ash) an water. 

As fer lice, ya can use tea tree oil fer that (a item ya should have on hand anywho).

We have a pair a good hand powered clippers, an I thin short hair gonna be real popular (mines already real short now!).

Bathin water can come from dishwater, let it set till clear, then reboil the water ya poor off.

A daily mob down will help keep ya healthy.

They make them mineral stones fer a body deoderant, ain't never tried one, but I been planin on gettin one ta see ifin it works er not.

A good reference fer these situations would be the Army's shavin an bathin in the field.

We got a perty good stock a homemade soap an store bought stuff. Whenever I find a good sale on it I'll by some extra bars an store em away with our other supplies.

As fer yall women folk, somethem gonna have ta answer yalls question on that en.


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## lovetogrow (Jan 25, 2011)

Sybil6 - For menses I suggest considering a menstrual cup - here's a link that lays out some info:

https://www.mayoclinic.com/health/menstrual-cup/AN01770


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## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

One of things I bought for my preps (because I got an insanely good deal) is antibacterial moist towelettes and moisturizing hand sanitizer. Both can be used for other things but could also be very helpful in maintaining hygiene.


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## camo2460 (Feb 10, 2013)

For the guys a whore bath is all that is needed, military folks know what that is. For women folk, what did indian women do? Clean Spagnum moss, cattail down or other absorbent material. bathing in a lake pond or stream is also a possibility. you would be surprised at how clean you can get with a hand full of sand.


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## lovetogrow (Jan 25, 2011)

camo2460 said:


> ... For women folk, what did indian women do? Clean Spagnum moss, cattail down or other absorbent material. bathing in a lake pond or stream is also a possibility. you would be surprised at how clean you can get with a hand full of sand.


If push comes to shove for certain camo - cattail down or moss wrapped in cotton would serve a woman well enough.


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

Baby wipes work great, a few is enough for bare minimum hygiene if that's all that you can do.
Otherwise I see no reason a solar shower of some sort isn't doable, even just the collapsible plastic bags, the water can be heated other ways if sun isn't shining.
In general though, I plan to do a lot of laundry like I do now:dunno: Clean cloths and a basin of water is more than adequate for hygeine purposes though it doesn't always give that "squeaky clean" feeling people are so used to.
I almost use no paper products these days, even for mechanical work (though I keep those rags separate).
Paper towels, kleenex, toilet paper, feminine hygiene products can all be replaced with washable, reusable cloth. Most didn't exist a few hundred years ago.

There have been countless studies showing lack of hygiene isn't responsible for headlice, showering (unless you use tea tree oil or similar) doesn't do squat to headlice. If it worries you, keep your hair tied up and use a nit comb.


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

I have to agree with the menstrual cup (DivaCup, MoonCup, Keeper are the BIG brands). Also think about cloth menstrual pads for those not comfortable with inserting a cup inside themselves. 

OH! Have the ladies in your group that are interested in the cup start using it NOW! It is not the most comfortable thing to use if you are stressed out. Plus there are 2 sizes of the cups. If one of the ladies in your group does not have kids and gets the smaller cup and waits til SHTF to try it out AND now has kids it will leak badly and be a waste of money.

I have cloth pads in both my BOB, Roo's "Big Girl" BOB and our preps.


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## Bobbb (Jan 7, 2012)

You guys bathe?


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## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

While I was on my boat I could get three showers from my five gallon solar shower. With the fifteen gallons set aside for showers and a shower every three days I could go up to a month without cutting in to my forty gallon drinking water storage. While I used my desalinator on a regular basis to make sure it continued to work I never needed to use it for shower water. 

I am a strong proponent of cisterns. If you have a BOL a cistern and/or a well would be a vital addition. Especially at your home a way to collect rain water would be valuable for drinking and sanitation.


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## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

Bobbb said:


> You guys bathe?


It helps. Try it next time you are looking for a date.:wave:


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## Bobbb (Jan 7, 2012)

Caribou said:


> It helps. Try it next time you are looking for a date.:wave:


I found it helped if I grabbed a ceder or fir branch and vigorously scrubbed myself because that way I got the bonus of smelling all piney without having to pay for a fragrant deodorant.


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## Bobbb (Jan 7, 2012)

A different approach one can take is to use a Strigil:

A strigil was a small, curved, metal tool used in ancient Greece and Rome to scrape dirt and sweat from the body before effective soaps became available. First perfumed oil was applied to the skin, and then it would be scraped off, along with the dirt. For wealthier people, this process was often done by slaves. Strigils were often used in Roman baths and were made in different sizes for different areas of the body.​


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## Jim1590 (Jul 11, 2012)

Umm that does not look comfy


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## *Andi (Nov 8, 2009)

Sybil6 said:


> I know smelling nice won't be top priority after SHTF but having head-lice and skin sores due to lack of personal hygiene is the last thing we need. Not to mention infection would be much more likely too. And then there's the subject of feminine hygiene, and with a majority of our group being female, this is quite a dilemma. Any suggestions on how to keep at least mildly clean after SHTF besides "prep, prep, prep"?


Hummm ...

What would Laura Ingalls Wilder do ... River, creek or spring ... Dance in the rain ...


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## Outpost (Nov 26, 2012)

camo2460 said:


> For the guys a whore bath is all that is needed, military folks know what that is. For women folk, what did indian women do? Clean Spagnum moss, cattail down or other absorbent material. bathing in a lake pond or stream is also a possibility. you would be surprised at how clean you can get with a hand full of sand.


*THAT'S* for sure!

That *SAND* trick is one that nobody believes when I tell them!

...but...

Bottom sand/mud from relatively clean waters actually contains a fair amount of decomposing vegetation and therefore, some plant-fats. Providing it's not coming from a rank nasty swamp, that sand and soil your talking about will not only clean via the abrasives, but the oils and fats and natural enzymes still present are pretty easy on the skin! ...and it actually works for washing dishes, clothes, and other stuff!

...and it *won't* make you smell like a tarts' kerchief......


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## Sybil6 (Jan 28, 2013)

Thanks guys, a lot of this was really helpful!


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## tsrwivey (Dec 31, 2010)

I have no intentions of going without certain modern conveniences and certain sanitary products are definitely on that list. . The cheap vitamin E cream is a great soap substitute & won't hurt a thing if it doesn't get rinsed off.


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## Roslyn (Feb 20, 2012)

I'm a soap maker, and I understand the process of making my own lye, I have not made the leap to actually make it yet.

I have a recipe for 100% lard soap and I have made it, but it does smell like last nights pork dinner. But in a pinch it's bubbles and clean!!

You have to remember that the simple act of washing hands changed the world and human mortality. Clothes were boiled to kill germs that killed people.

It's not just about keeping clean and sweet smelling, it's about stopping the spread of harmful bacteria.


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## Geek999 (Jul 9, 2013)

Depending on how long you want to be prepared for, stocking up is an alternative. If you're trying to prep for TEOTWAWKI then some of the alternatives would be necessary. However, a year's worth of soap, toothpaste, TP, etc. Is cheaper to acquire and stores better than food.

Each of my family's BOBs has a toilet kit and a couple rolls of toilet paper. Those supplies will outlast the food in the BOB. The bathroom in the house has more than a month's worth of products we normally use before we need to even think about longer term supplies.


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## ContinualHarvest (Feb 19, 2012)

Soap really doesn't expire if stored properly. Stock up while you can. Also, people just smelled a bit stronger in the old days. They brushed their hair to remove dirt and anything else in there. They brushed down woolen clothing too. 
Smoke baths are an option. Many native populations used sweat lodges and smoke baths to clean up. Also, they are tons of natural cleaners. Lemons, mints and other plants have been used to clean for a long long time.


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## readytogo (Apr 6, 2013)

*Survival and Hygiene*

They go together well, I keep many essential things at home to make my life easier just in case but I never hit the outdoors without http://www.norinse.com/ and http://www.pplmotorhomes.com/parts/rv-cleaners/83-1817.htm, not necessarily this brands but is the idea that counts
this products work in their intended purposes and will make life pleasant all around


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

We have a septic system here and our water is gravity fed from further up the mountain. Namely the waterfalls up there. The town as dammed the creek that runs behind the house to make a deep/larger pool that feeds the gravity system. If SHTF I'm sure many people here would un-dam the creek so they could have water closer to home (including us). There are a few backwoods families up here that bath in the creek down the mountain from us. And I'm sure even more will start if the need arose.

As far as the "potty" I keep telling K we need to keep some wood so an outhouse can be built when the septic system fails. I have a box of flannel reusable "t.p." I serged the edges on and there are plenty of pine cones.


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## Sybil6 (Jan 28, 2013)

That's my point. I'm prepping for a virus that could go pandemic or epidemic. Sweet smelling and citrus shampoo isn't my goal, but a lot of this has put in perspective ways of stay hygienic enough not to get sick. I do know how to make goat milk soap and with the right add-ins you can make it smell okay. But I lack a goat.... Haha.


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## Meerkat (May 31, 2011)

Save old magazines and newspapers for the outhouse. And don't forget to lime the outhouse now and then if you can store some lime for that, it keeps down flies.

We try to store lots of alcohol ,baking soda too and peroxide. Of course right now we are almost out of both.

We had an outhouse when I was a kid it was there when mama bought the house and land. And when the lights went out and the house burned down it came in handy.


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## Salekdarling (Aug 15, 2010)

*Andi said:


> Hummm ...
> 
> What would Laura Ingalls Wilder do ... River, creek or spring ... Dance in the rain ...


Running amok in the rain makes me itchy. God, just thinking about it makes me itchy.  :gaah:


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

Salekdarling said:


> Running amok in the rain makes me itchy. God, just thinking about it makes me itchy.  :gaah:


We had thunder storms and rain from Friday through yesterday. I spent as much time as I could outside in the rain- until the lightening started...


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## PrepN4Good (Dec 23, 2011)

A couple thoughts...

First, that "stirgil" thing just makes me want to hurl, & I'm very disappointed with the mods, that they haven't given us the little smilie with the guy making a "sick" face. 

Second, I have several packs of cheap wash cloths from Wally World to use as re-useable TP. They come something like 15 for $4 in different colors (so, a different color for each family member).

Third, & this may sound a little strange, but who cares. We bought a 3 gal sprayer (that you would normally fill with pesticides, herbicides, etc) that was on sale at TSC. I figure, assuming we had clean water, we could make us a little shower. We could use it in the house, & it doesn't require a heavy- duty bar or branch like you would need to hang up a solar shower. 

My 3 cents.


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