Use This Personal Hygiene Checklist for Healthier Living

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat’s Basic Personal Hygiene?Checklist for AdultsChecklist for ChildrenHow to Personalize Personal HygieneReasons for Personal Hygiene DifferencesIndividual, Family, and Community Impact

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

What’s Basic Personal Hygiene?

Checklist for Adults

Checklist for Children

How to Personalize Personal Hygiene

Reasons for Personal Hygiene Differences

Individual, Family, and Community Impact

Personal hygiene is a set of practices you follow to stay clean and look your best. These habits include daily routines such as washing your hands, brushing your teeth, and showering. By maintaining personal hygiene, you also help stop the spread of germs and ensure a healthier environment for yourself and others.

Basic personal hygiene is essential for looking your best and maintaining your overall health and well-being. It includes daily habits like showering, washing your face and hands, and wearing clean clothes to prevent the buildup of dirt, oil, germs, or irritants that could cause health problems.Oral hygiene habitslike brushing and flossing your teeth help prevent dental issues and are also part of personal hygiene.

Here’s an example of a personal hygiene checklist for adults:

The following hygiene practices can help you avoid getting or spreading illness.

How to Properly Use Hand Sanitizer

Checklists for children depend on their age and independence level. It’s important to encourage them to ask for help from adults or older siblings when learning these habits. Sometimes, using charts or rewards like stickers can help while they are learning. Here’s an example checklist for kids:

Here are some important hygiene practices when caring for an infant:

Personal hygiene routines vary based on individual needs. For example, you might consider:

Here are some tips for creating and maintaining a personal hygiene routine:

Cleaning Genitals (Private Parts)Cleaning your genitals varies based on your anatomy, as follows:People with a penis: Clean around thepenisand scrotum with warm water daily and after sexual intercourse. If uncircumcised, gently pull back the foreskin to clean underneath and gently push it back after.People with a vagina: Use warm water to clean the vulva (the outside of thevagina) daily and after sexual intercourse. Avoid using soaps in this area to maintain its natural balance. Always clean from front to back to prevent infections.

Cleaning Genitals (Private Parts)

Cleaning your genitals varies based on your anatomy, as follows:People with a penis: Clean around thepenisand scrotum with warm water daily and after sexual intercourse. If uncircumcised, gently pull back the foreskin to clean underneath and gently push it back after.People with a vagina: Use warm water to clean the vulva (the outside of thevagina) daily and after sexual intercourse. Avoid using soaps in this area to maintain its natural balance. Always clean from front to back to prevent infections.

Cleaning your genitals varies based on your anatomy, as follows:

People who menstruate or experience childbirth should also consider:

Pubic Hair in Men and Women: What’s Normal?

Body Odor Despite Personal Hygiene

If you experiencebody odordespite good personal hygiene, it could be due to:

If you have body odor despite good hygiene, consider the following:

Sometimes, people may not follow hygiene routines for the following reasons.

9 Tips for Hygiene and Grooming Issues in Dementia

Personal Importance of Hygiene

A lack of personal hygiene can lead to things like:

However, regular hygiene practices can:

Family Importance of Hygiene

Families help shape personal hygiene habits, especially during childhood. If a family struggles with access to basic necessities, keeping up with hygiene can get challenging. This can lead to illness and social problems for kids. However, when a family prioritizes hygiene, it creates a healthier home, helps prevent sickness, and reduces missed school or work days.

Community Importance of Hygiene

When everyone practices proper hygiene, the health of the entire community improves. This is especially important in busy places like day cares, schools, workplaces, and public spaces. Frequently cleaning surfaces and practicing basic hygiene leads to less spread of illnesses (e.g., stomach problems, colds,flu) and a more robust economy due to fewer sick days.

Summary

11 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About hygiene.American Dental Association.Flossing.Mogilnicka I, Bogucki P, Ufnal M.Microbiota and malodor—etiology and management.Int J Mol Sci. 2020;21(8):2886. doi:10.3390/ijms21082886Kang SY, Um JY, Chung BY, et al.Moisturizer in patients with inflammatory skin diseases.Medicina (Kaunas). 2022;58(7):888. doi:10.3390/medicina58070888American Academy of Pediatrics.Care for an uncircumcised penis: what parents need to know.American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG).Is it safe to douche during pregnancy?American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG).Your changing body: puberty in girls.Merck Manual.Postpartum care.Ramos-Morcillo AJ, Moreno-Martínez FJ, Susarte AMH, et al.Social determinants of health, the family, and children’s personal hygiene: a comparative study.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019;16(23):4713. doi:10.3390/ijerph16234713Ghassemi EY, Thorseth AH, Le Roch K, et al.Mapping the association between mental health and people’s perceived and actual ability to practice hygiene-related behaviours in humanitarian and pandemic crises: A scoping review.PLoS One. 2023;18(12):e0286494. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0286494Minda GH, Tola HH, Amhare AF, et al.Personal hygiene practice and associated factors among elementary school students in Fiche Town, Oromia, Ethiopia.BMC Infect Dis.2024;24:781. doi:10.1186/s12879-024-09665-7.

11 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About hygiene.American Dental Association.Flossing.Mogilnicka I, Bogucki P, Ufnal M.Microbiota and malodor—etiology and management.Int J Mol Sci. 2020;21(8):2886. doi:10.3390/ijms21082886Kang SY, Um JY, Chung BY, et al.Moisturizer in patients with inflammatory skin diseases.Medicina (Kaunas). 2022;58(7):888. doi:10.3390/medicina58070888American Academy of Pediatrics.Care for an uncircumcised penis: what parents need to know.American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG).Is it safe to douche during pregnancy?American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG).Your changing body: puberty in girls.Merck Manual.Postpartum care.Ramos-Morcillo AJ, Moreno-Martínez FJ, Susarte AMH, et al.Social determinants of health, the family, and children’s personal hygiene: a comparative study.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019;16(23):4713. doi:10.3390/ijerph16234713Ghassemi EY, Thorseth AH, Le Roch K, et al.Mapping the association between mental health and people’s perceived and actual ability to practice hygiene-related behaviours in humanitarian and pandemic crises: A scoping review.PLoS One. 2023;18(12):e0286494. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0286494Minda GH, Tola HH, Amhare AF, et al.Personal hygiene practice and associated factors among elementary school students in Fiche Town, Oromia, Ethiopia.BMC Infect Dis.2024;24:781. doi:10.1186/s12879-024-09665-7.

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About hygiene.American Dental Association.Flossing.Mogilnicka I, Bogucki P, Ufnal M.Microbiota and malodor—etiology and management.Int J Mol Sci. 2020;21(8):2886. doi:10.3390/ijms21082886Kang SY, Um JY, Chung BY, et al.Moisturizer in patients with inflammatory skin diseases.Medicina (Kaunas). 2022;58(7):888. doi:10.3390/medicina58070888American Academy of Pediatrics.Care for an uncircumcised penis: what parents need to know.American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG).Is it safe to douche during pregnancy?American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG).Your changing body: puberty in girls.Merck Manual.Postpartum care.Ramos-Morcillo AJ, Moreno-Martínez FJ, Susarte AMH, et al.Social determinants of health, the family, and children’s personal hygiene: a comparative study.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019;16(23):4713. doi:10.3390/ijerph16234713Ghassemi EY, Thorseth AH, Le Roch K, et al.Mapping the association between mental health and people’s perceived and actual ability to practice hygiene-related behaviours in humanitarian and pandemic crises: A scoping review.PLoS One. 2023;18(12):e0286494. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0286494Minda GH, Tola HH, Amhare AF, et al.Personal hygiene practice and associated factors among elementary school students in Fiche Town, Oromia, Ethiopia.BMC Infect Dis.2024;24:781. doi:10.1186/s12879-024-09665-7.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About hygiene.

American Dental Association.Flossing.

Mogilnicka I, Bogucki P, Ufnal M.Microbiota and malodor—etiology and management.Int J Mol Sci. 2020;21(8):2886. doi:10.3390/ijms21082886

Kang SY, Um JY, Chung BY, et al.Moisturizer in patients with inflammatory skin diseases.Medicina (Kaunas). 2022;58(7):888. doi:10.3390/medicina58070888

American Academy of Pediatrics.Care for an uncircumcised penis: what parents need to know.

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG).Is it safe to douche during pregnancy?

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG).Your changing body: puberty in girls.

Merck Manual.Postpartum care.

Ramos-Morcillo AJ, Moreno-Martínez FJ, Susarte AMH, et al.Social determinants of health, the family, and children’s personal hygiene: a comparative study.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019;16(23):4713. doi:10.3390/ijerph16234713

Ghassemi EY, Thorseth AH, Le Roch K, et al.Mapping the association between mental health and people’s perceived and actual ability to practice hygiene-related behaviours in humanitarian and pandemic crises: A scoping review.PLoS One. 2023;18(12):e0286494. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0286494

Minda GH, Tola HH, Amhare AF, et al.Personal hygiene practice and associated factors among elementary school students in Fiche Town, Oromia, Ethiopia.BMC Infect Dis.2024;24:781. doi:10.1186/s12879-024-09665-7.

Meet Our Medical Expert Board

Share Feedback

Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit

Was this page helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit

What is your feedback?