Hygiene is a set of practices performed for the preservation of 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".
Maintaining personal hygiene is necessary for many reasons: personal, social, health, psychological or simply as a way of life. Keeping a good standard of hygiene helps to prevent the development and spread of infections, illnesses and bad odours.
Personal hygiene is all about taking care of oneself and may include the following:
- Keeping hands, body and hair clean.
- Avoiding bad habits
- Wearing clean clothing
- Wearing clean protective outer clothing and head gear if applicable.
- Regular hand washing.