No one ever said that keeping the home clean was easy. However, it is definitely something that cannot be ignored either! A clean home is the key to having a healthy home. A little bit of organised and sustained effort on the part of every member of the family can go a long way in keeping your home clean and healthy.

Home cleaning

Shop for good quality cleaning supplies for your home such as scrubs, wash cloth, dusters, brooms, room fresheners, dish detergents, and liquid soap, detergents for clothes, and keep them well stocked at all times. It is a good practice to store all these cleaning items together in one place so that you can find them easily. However, keep in mind that such items should be kept away from children.

Let’s take a look at some of the areas of your home that need special care and attention.

Bedroom and living room

Find a place for everything and keep everything in place.

• Your bedroom should be spic and span with minimum clutter and confusion. This makes the cleaning job easier and minimises the chances of dust collection
• Sweep and mop the floors with a good, natural disinfectant mixed in water
• Use clean and washed pillow covers, bed sheets, blankets and bedcovers as this is where dust mites thrive
• Clean and wipe all electrical fittings like ceiling fans, lights, lamps etc., Remove cobwebs and follow a thorough dusting regime as often as possible
• Every once in a while, clear your wardrobe and cupboards. You will be surprised to find a lot of unwanted items that you would want to dispose off
• Clean and dust your shoe-rack from time to time
• Your living room should be vacuumed and tables wiped with a clean cloth.

Bathroom

The bathroom can become a haven for germs, if not cleaned properly. Maintaining bathroom hygiene and cleanliness is imperative to having a healthy home.

• Disinfect and clean the floor, commode and the seat of the commode daily. Choose only the best home products for your home.
• Keep the drains clean so that they don’t get clogged. Any clogging should be cleared quickly with the help of a plumber
• Clean the bath tubs regularly to avoid infection
• Use good quality brushes, brooms, mops etc., to clean the wash basin and bath tub
• Never use the toilet brush to clean the wash basin, or vice versa, as this increases the chances of infection
• Clean the bathroom window and keep the bathroom ventilated with the help of an exhaust fan. Bathroom fresheners are also a good idea
• Fix those leaking taps and seepages
• Throw away the trash daily.

Kitchen

Your kitchen is probably the most important part of the house that requires regular and thorough cleaning.

• Wipe the stove soon after you finish cooking. Also, wipe the counter tops, sink and work area regularly
• Sweep and mop the kitchen floor with a good disinfectant [phenyl] mixed in water. Such cleaning solutions are easily available in the market
• Clear clogged drains immediately and clean them properly as this is the area that is most susceptible to bacteria and germs
• Wash and change the kitchen cloth, wipes, and mops frequently
• Store your kitchen essentials and food items in air-tight containers to keep them fresh and safe from insects
• Make sure your kitchen is well-ventilated. Get the chimney and exhaust fan oiled and cleaned from time to time. Clear out all the grease
• If you spill something, make it a habit to mop immediately so as to minimise the chances of insect breeding
• Avoid clutter and keep your kitchen insect-free.

Carpets, rugs and upholstery

Guard all possible entry points that bring in dust, dirt, germs and bacteria.

• Place good quality, washable mats at entrances
• Train every member of your family to take off their shoes before entering the home as this helps in reducing germs, dirt, dust and pollutants from the house
• Carpets and rugs in your home deserve extra attention while cleaning as they tend to collect maximum dust and germs. Your carpet should be brushed everyday, rolled and picked up while the floors are being swept
• If you have pets, keep them clean by giving them a daily bath
• Curtains can be dry cleaned or washed at fixed intervals
• Your sofa and other furniture pieces may look clean but they may be hiding a lot of dust and dirt within the upholstery and carvings. Use a good vacuum cleaner with its special attachments to clean between the lines and under the sofas.

Your home is your special place and deserves all the love, care and attention that you can give it!

Don’t procrastinate

Each one of us tends to put off chores that we dislike for a later date. Don’t leave your house cleaning for tomorrow. If you see a cobweb on the ceiling, pick up your broom and remove it as soon as you notice it, or it will just get bigger. Weekdays might be busy for you, so plan your house cleaning schedule for the weekends.

Make it a family affair

The task of home cleaning should be shared by all members of the family, so that it doesn’t become a burden for any one person alone. Young kids can have fun while helping you with home cleaning. Assign simple tasks to them and keep them involved.

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Brush

• Take a good amount of paste on your brush.
• Use short, gentle strokes.
• Give proper attention to brush the gums, back teeth and teeth with fillings, crowns or other restoration.
• Start with cleaning your front upper teeth first. Clean the outer surface by tilting the brush against the gumline at a 45 degree angle and using sweeping and rolling motions.
• Now, move on to the outer surface of your front lower teeth, cleaning in the same way.
• Next, clean the inner surface of the upper teeth followed by inner surfaces of the lower teeth.
• Then move on the top of the back teeth—the chewing surfaces—using short back and forth strokes, followed by inside and outside of the back teeth. Here too, start with the upper teeth followed by the lower teeth.
• Rinse thoroughly. And gently brush your tongue to rid it of bacteria.

Floss

• Wind some floss—about 18 to 24 inches—around index fingers of each hand leaving some floss in between your fingers. You can also wind it around your middle fingers using index fingers to pinch the floss and direct the floss along upper teeth with your thumbs. Whichever way you opt for, ensure that you get a proper grip.
• Start by flossing your rear molars and move forward.
• Gently guide the floss using zig zag or sawing motion. Do not use force.
• Work the floss in a C-shape. Also take care to scrape the floss around your teeth.
• When flossing in-between teeth, go as far as possible [gently] until you meet resistance.
• When you have finished flossing one tooth, take a fresh part of floss for the next one.
• Rinse your mouth every now and then—maybe after flossing two or three teeth. This helps dislodge the tartar and you’ll also know if your gums are bleeding.

Rinse

• Rinse with an antiseptic mouthwash twice a day; it helps reduce 52 per cent more plaque and 21 per cent more gingivitis than brushing and flossing alone, according to a clinical study.
• Make it a habit to rinse before you go to bed. This is because when we sleep, our mouth is dry, allowing plaque and gingivitis germs to multiply. Rinsing before bed kills these germs keeping your mouth clean.
• To rinse properly, take the required amount of mouthwash [as specified by the manufacturer or your dentist] into your mouth.
• Then, close your lips and with teeth slightly apart, swish the mouthwash around with as much force as possible using tongue, lips, and sucking action of the cheeks.
• While you swish, move the liquid around to all sides of your mouth—the front and each side.
• Swish for at least 30 seconds to one minute [check the container for instructions] and throw out. Do not swallow the liquid.

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Tooth decay

Tooth decay occurs when the usually hard tissues [enamel] covering our teeth breakdown and form a hole or cavity. A cavity forms when the decayed tooth breaks through the surface of the enamel to the underlying layers of the tooth. In severe cases, this cavity can get so deep, it actually affects the blood vessels and nerves located nearby.

When this happens, you experience unbearable pain and swelling in the jaw area. Any cavity formed must be treated by a trained dentist at the earliest, lest it destroys the entire tooth.

Gum disease

This occurs when the tissues surrounding the teeth get inflamed resulting in very weak teeth or even tooth loss. This condition is caused by a bacterial infection and if left untreated, adversely damages the connective tissues and bone in your teeth.

Gingivitis

In gingivitis, the gum tissue [gingiva] of your mouth becomes severely inflamed. If gingivitis remains untreated, it can often lead to periodontal disease, and several other problems. The main symptoms include bleeding—either spontaneously or on provocation [like in brushing]—itchy gums, bad breath [halitosis], sores in the mouth and gum recession.

Plaque

Plaque is the sticky thin film composed of bacteria that collects on the surface of your teeth. And no matter how good your diet and lifestyle, it accumulates on the teeth.

Plaque forms as a result of regular intake of starchy and sugary foods.In fact, the amount of plaque formed is directly proportional to the amount of such foods eaten. Removing plaque is important as it leads to several dental problems including tooth decay, gum disease [gingivitis] and periodontitis [a severe form of gum disease] and eventual loss of teeth.

If plaque is not removed, it hardens to become tartar. Even if we get it removed, it forms again in no time. The only solution is to take proper care.

Tartar

Sometimes called calculus, tartar is plaque hardened into a yellow or brown deposit of minerals. The existing plaque further absorbs the calcium, phosphorus and other minerals from saliva forming tartar.

Due to its rough surface and crusty edge, teeth affected by tartar become ideal breeding ground for further plaque.

Now that you know how critical it is to take proper care of your precious pearls, make the most of it so that you can keep them healthy and real for as long as you live.

This was first published in the June 2010 issue of Complete Wellbeing.

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The way to use

Soaps are used to remove sweat, excess sebum, body toxins and skin contaminants as well as applied cosmetics. These have to be cleansed to keep the skin healthy. A systematic protocol can be followed to achieve thorough cleansing from head to toe. Let me tell you how:
Soap should not be directly applied to the skin. It should be mixed with water and the lather produced should be applied on the body. Extra care has to be taken while cleaning areas where perspiration is more.
Parts of the body exposed to friction like elbows and knee need special care. Scrubs should be used, followed by good moisturising agents.
Soaps and cleansers shouldn’t be used frequently on the face as they can make the skin dry and irritable.

It’s your choice

Here, we take a look at the various kinds of soaps available in the markets today and what makes them different:
Bar soaps: Bar soap is the oldest and most common type of soap. It lasts longer and has many advantages, the primary being, its ease of use. It has a pH of 9 – 10.
Usually, coconut oil is used in these soaps, because of its ability to produce more lather and cleanse the skin. The maximum recommended proportion of coconut oil in a soap is about 30 per cent. If excess is added, oil from the skin gets lost, leaving it dry and flaky.
Syndet soaps: These are a type of bar soaps, which have a skin-friendly pH of 5.5 – 7. These are composed of synthetic detergents and fillers containing less than 10 per cent of soap.
Moisturising soaps: In moisturising soaps, paraffin, lanolin and glycerine are added to give it a moisturising effect. The most commonly used moisturising soap is glycerine soap. These soaps are non-irritant and do not remove the natural moisture of the skin. After cleansing, they leave a thin moisturising film on the skin, keeping it soft and supple.
Antibacterial soaps: These soaps have an added antibacterial agent like triclosan or trichlocarbon. The pH is in the range of 9 – 10 and these are available in liquid or solid bar forms. Liquid soaps are commonly used in toilets and washrooms as they are less messy.
Antibacterial soaps have gained special importance recently. They form the first line of defence against micro- organisms and harmful agents. However, excessive use of these soaps can cause dryness and irritation of the skin. Most of the deodorant soaps contain antibacterial agents.
Anti-acne soaps: People with oily skin need special soaps to remove the excess of oil and prevent clogging of skin pores. Many soaps with antibacterial, exfoliating and comedolytic [that inhibit formation of blemishes] properties are now available. These contain additives like sulphur, resorsinol, alpha hydroxy acid, salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide.
Anti-acne soaps are used mainly on the face, chest and back where acne is more prevalent. It may be necessary to use such soaps twice a day. However, overuse can cause red flaky patches on the skin.
Herbal soaps: These contain gentle herbs and plants like chamomile, lavender, peppermint, spearmint, oatmeal and avocado. These soaps are ideal for sensitive skin, though some people may still develop allergic reactions.
Chamomile has a calming effect on the skin without over-drying. Lavender has some of the same properties and even promotes sound sleep.
Olive oil and shea butter can also be used in these soaps. Olive oil, known for its skin-regeneration and radiance properties, contains vitamins and antioxidants that keep free radicals that damage your skin at bay. Olive oil also has an anti-ageing effect on your skin.
Shea butter, also known as sheanut butter, contains vitamins and acts as a good moisturiser.
Aromatherapy soaps: These soaps contain essential oils, jojoba and sunflower oil, extracts of chamomile, jasmine and ylang-ylang. They are said to promote a sense of wellbeing and relaxation.
Lipid-free cleansers: These are liquid cleansers that clean without water. They contain glycerine, cetyl and stearyl alcohol as additives. They are to be applied on dry or slightly moisturised skin and rubbed to produce lather and are then wiped away. They leave behind a thin moisturising film. These cleansers can be used by people with a dry and sensitive skin.
Abrasive soap: Abrasive soap gently removes the dead layers of the skin and makes the skin feel softer. They contain pumice, coarse oatmeal, maize meal, groundnut kernels and dried herbs as the main additives. These are mechanical exfoliants and help in removing the stratum corneum or the upper dead skin layer. Medium-sized sugar and salt granules mixed with soap lather can also be used as additives. These granules gradually melt, which avoids excessive damage. The abrasive soaps should be used selectively and less frequently as excessive use can harm the skin.
Shower gels: Shower gels are similar to liquid soaps, but in a gel-based preparation and are used for cleaning the body while showering. Most shower gels contain petroleum products and do not contain any saponified oil. Many people prefer using a shower gel because it is easier to handle than bar soaps and does not leave any messy soap scum residue in the shower. All shower gels are pH balanced.

Take-home message

With a variety of soaps available, it is difficult to choose the right soap that suits your skin. Here’s some help:

• If you have acne or oil-prone skin, use anti-acne soap that will remove excess oil or sebum from your skin. This reduces the occurrence of blemishes and breakouts. Soaps with tea tree oil can also be used.
• If you are involved in outdoor activities and perspire a lot, use an antibacterial soap.
• If you have a dry skin, use moisturising soaps. It helps maintain skin elasticity and keeps it hydrated and smooth.
• For sensitive skin, don’t use regular soaps. Use lipid-free cleansers or herbal soaps after checking them for skin-sensitivity.
• To get rid of wrinkles or delay the skin-ageing process, use soaps with antioxidants [like olive oils] and vitamins.

This was first published in the June 2010 issue of Complete Wellbeing.

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This results in poor oral hygiene causing bad breath. Studies report that about 50 – 65 per cent of the working population suffer from bad breath.

The main villains

• If food remains in your mouth for a long time, it increases the chances of tooth decay. Rinsing your mouth immediately after eating is a good habit, especially if you have just eaten something sweet. This will prevent the formation of plaques.

Both, rinsing after meals and brushing teeth twice daily, are critical to keep tartar and plaque at bay. Use clinically-tested toothpaste that provides longer protection.

Research shows that even common conditions like acidity and indigestion cause bad breath.

• Other factors that adversely affect oral hygiene are smoking, chewing beetle nut and tobacco. These habits lead to bad breath, tooth decay, gum disease, damage to tooth enamel and eventually tooth loss.

Knights in shining armour

• Dentists say that poor oral hygiene is the main cause of gum disease and tooth decay. Hence, along with brushing your teeth twice a day, it is also important to clean your tongue regularly. This practice reduces bad breath and improves oral hygiene as a large number of bacteria reside in the rough corrugated surface of the tongue.
• After you eat a high-sugar snack, rinse your mouth with water, and then eat a small piece of cheese or chew some sugar-free gum. Cheese provides calcium to replace the lost minerals and helps to even up the bacterial balance in your mouth. Chewing gum also stimulates the flow of saliva. Opt to drink your soft drink with a straw. This will limit the amount of sugar that touches your teeth.
• Supplements, like vitamin C, help decrease the occurrence of dental cavities, bad breath and gum disease. Vitamin C is vital for the production of collagen—the main protein-building block for all living tissues—which, in turn, makes the tissues more resistant to bacterial penetration. Vitamin C also keeps oral tissues healthy. A deficiency of vitamin C causes gums to swell and bleed.
• The best drinks for teeth are plain water or milk. Drinking coffee or tea stains your teeth and dries your mouth. Caffeine inhibits your saliva’s ability to combat tooth decay. Acidic drinks like orange juice can also attack your teeth. To avoid damaging your teeth, brush your teeth within an hour after you consume any acidic food or drink.

A happy ending

Given below are some useful tips to keep your teeth healthy for as long as you want:

• Drink plenty of water.
• Eat a variety of healthy foods from all the five major food groups.
• Avoid high-sugar foods.
• Brush twice a day. Learn the correct way to brush from the dentist. Avoid aggressive brushing.
• Remember to floss everyday.
• Get your teeth checked and cleaned every six months.
• Rinse your mouth thoroughly after every meal.
• Get all existing dental problems—bleeding gums, missing teeth, cavities—treated immediately. Prolonging treatment can lead to further severe complications. Bad breath may be caused by existing oral diseases such as gum disease and Candida infection. In such a case, see your dentist as soon as possible.
• Have herbs, the natural antibiotics. Fresh parsley and aloe vera are effective in preventing bad breath. Chew fresh parsley whenever you can. It not only detoxifies your mouth, but it also contains abundant chlorophyll, which sweetens your breath. Furthermore, all this will increase the flow of saliva that helps avoid dry mouth. Make your own mouthwash: mix two teaspoons aloe vera juice with a tumbler of water.
• Eat crisp fruits and vegetables such as apple, celery, cucumber and carrot. Chewing them cleans the mouth naturally by removing plaque and food particles stuck between your teeth and gums.
• Chewing sugarless gum increases salivation. Saliva has anti-bacterial properties so the more saliva you have, the more you suppress the bacterial growth. Fennel seeds, cinnamon sticks, mastic gum and fresh parsley are some of the commonly found food items that help you salivate naturally.
• Stay away from foods that cause foul breath such as garlic, onions, meats, fish, and cheese.

This was first published in the January 2010 issue of Complete Wellbeing.

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1. It’s okay to eat natural sugar as it’s not bad for teeth.   Many foods have natural sugars in them and it is as bad for your teeth as processed sugar. If it stays, it too can cause decay. If a food is sweet, eat it in moderation. Further, rinse your mouth well after eating. Also remember to brush your teeth twice, and to floss.
2. Dental procedures must be avoided in pregnancy.   The only procedure that pregnant women should strictly avoid during pregnancy is exposure to X-rays. However, they can undergo professional dental cleaning and emergency dental procedures with their physician’s consent.
3. Anyways baby teeth are lost, so why brush them?Even though children lose their first set of teeth, they need to be taught to brush and floss for the simple reason that they need to acquire a healthy habit. Besides, if children don’t brush their teeth daily, they can get cavities, which hamper the development of permanent teeth. Cavities in children are treated using the same methods as adults—with fillings, root canals and crowns—which a child may not be able to take.
4. I don’t need to visit a dentist till I have toothache.If you regularly visit a dentist, you will never come to a stage where it pains. Finding and treating dental problems when they are small is a more comfortable and less expensive way to take care of your dental health. Waiting for treatment till you are in pain means harming your health and hurting your pocket.
5. Removing tartar or other built-up loosens teeth.When the tartar wedged between the teeth is removed, you suddenly see the gap that has always been there. Only, now it’s empty. That’s why your teeth feel light. However, the feeling passes in some time as you get used to your teeth minus the tartar. If you let the tartar and calculus stay, it will eventually result in gum disease. When gum disease gets severe, the bone holding the teeth in place gets eaten away. And this is what makes your teeth loose.
6. Dental treatments hurt a lot.This was true perhaps a decade ago; not today, thanks to the progress in medical technology. The newer materials, more advanced techniques, equipment and instruments have made most dental procedures virtually painless. And if the procedure is done by a skilled doctor, you won’t feel a thing. In fact, even root canal, one of the most dreaded procedures, doesn’t hurt any more and can be done in just one or two visits. Besides, potentially painful procedures are done under local anaesthesia, which numbs you to any sensation of pain.
7. Treating a decayed tooth ends all dental problems.A decayed tooth is often treated using dental fillings or a tooth replacement. However, these materials are man-made and often lack qualities of the natural tooth. So they might not hold and can fall off in some years.Moreover, even if they do hold and if you don’t maintain good oral hygiene, your tooth will start decaying again around the restorations used to treat the decayed tooth. That’s why after treating a decayed tooth, you need to take extra care by flossing and using inter- dental brushes. It also helps to visit your dentist every six months.
8. I don’t need a dentist for stains. My whitening toothpaste can do the job.Whitening toothpastes are only good for lightening stains that are on the surface—the ones caused by coffee/tea and other food. But it won’t brighten the inner structure of the tooth. For that you need professional procedures such as laser bleaching, whitening gels or strips. These procedures brighten your smile inside-out.
9. Extracting upper teeth affects vision.Teeth from a person’s upper palate are usually extracted when a person is in middle age. By the time most people reach that age, their eyesight has already weakened. And when the tooth is extracted, the swelling is seen on the cheek bones and sometimes near one’s eyes. That’s why people connect the two and feel that it affects vision.
10. Keeping a painkiller tablet next to an ailing tooth alleviates pain.This ‘treatment’ can backfire. Keeping a painkiller in your mouth can burn the soft tissues surrounding the area where you place it. They are oral medicines, meaning to be ingested and not kept in the mouth. Hence, you need to swallow them after eating something to get relief. If the pain is unbearable, it’s best to visit your dentist; never self-medicate.

This was first published in the February 2012 issue of Complete Wellbeing.

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The primary needs

Giving a bath

Babies can be given a bath almost every day, although this is not a must. In winter and for babies that don’t enjoy a bath, wiping with warm water and drying with a towel may be enough. During a bath, a child’s hair can be washed every day, with only water or by using a mild shampoo. The body can be cleaned with a mild soap. It is important to see that water does not enter the nose, mouth, eyes or ears of the baby.

Once the bath is over, it is mandatory to completely dry the baby using towels. Make sure to dry those areas, which are hidden inside creases—like the armpit or groin—in order to avoid infection or peeling of skin in these areas.

Keeping clothes clean

The baby’s clothes need to be washed daily in water containing an antibacterial and some mild detergent, either by hand or in the washing machine. They should be preferably dried in a machine or indoors, to avoid contamination with dust and pollen. Once dry, the clothes should be folded and kept inside the cupboard, free from contamination. Since the babies tend to dirty their clothes with their secretions, excretions and with every feed, a baby’s clothes might need to be changed 3 – 4 times a day.

Caring for the cord

After the umbilical cord has been cut and clamped, the area around the cord can be gently cleaned every day with alcohol or mild soap and water. The cord usually dries and falls off between 5 – 15 days. Once this happens, sprinkle the area with an antibiotic powder prescribed by the hospital till the umbilicus completely heals and dries.

Taking care of eyes, nose, ears

The eyes, nose, ears and tongue do not need any specific cleaning or applications. Contrary to what tradition says, scientifically, it is unsafe to instil any thing into the eyes, nose, and ears or on the tongue.

Keeping private areas clean

It is a common practice to squeeze the breasts of the baby, or to push back the foreskin on the penis of the baby. These actions can result in serious infections and should be strictly avoided.

Cutting nails and hair

The nails of a baby grow very fast and may need to be trimmed with a clipper or baby scissors, frequently, when the baby is asleep. Many mothers are told that one should not cut, but bite off the baby’s nails, but this is an unscientific practice. In certain communities, it is a practice to shave the head, soon after birth. This seems to be safe and does not cause any problems, although the baby can get hurt on the scalp and that may make him prone to infections, including some serious ones like tetanus.

The same holds true for ear piercing. It is safe to wait till the baby has received its triple injections to tonsure the head or pierce the baby’s ears. This helps prevent tetanus.

Handling the baby

Make sure that anybody who handles the baby washes his/her hands with a good antibacterial soap or hand wash. Also, people who come from outdoors should clean themselves before entering the room.

Cleaning feeding bottles and other accessories

Feeding bottles should be many in number and the same bottle should not be re-used for every feed. These should be sterilised in boiling water early in the morning and should be left in the vessel with water and a lid.

As and when a feed is needed, one bottle and nipple should be removed and used. This should be put away for wash after use. At the end of the day, all the bottles should be put away for sterilising. Toys too should be wiped frequently with soap and water and kept as clean as possible. Toys that contain lead, have sharp edges or moving parts that can come off can be dangerous and should be avoided.

General advice

In general, newborns have lower immunity than adults, and the practice of a whole lot of relatives and friends descending on the hospital or at home, is not a good one and should be postponed till the baby is at least a couple of months old. The baby can be kept in an air-conditioned room, or in a room where a fan is rotating, but should be kept away from the draught.

From the mother’s point of view, she should have a daily bath, attend to her wounds of delivery, and keep her breasts clean, by washing with soap and water frequently.

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The cleaners

• Soaps: Unlike in the television industry, in skin care, not all daily soaps are same. Normal bath soaps are prepared with 80 per cent animal fat and 20 per cent coconut/palm oil to form a fatty acid salt with detergent properties and have an alkaline pH of 9 to 10.Some soaps have added antibacterial chemicals like triclosan, which inhibits bacterial growth and has deodorant action. Moisturising soap bars with glycerine or paraffin are also available for people with dry skin.

  Tip: Clean your skin at least twice daily. And remember that soaps affect the pH levels in the skin and it generally takes the body around four hours to bring the raised pH back to normal.

• Liquid body wash: These are soap-free and leave behind a thin film, which holds moisture in the skin making it soft and supple. These are useful in old age, when the skin goes dry, and also for babies with atopic dermatitis or dry flaky skin.Tip: Use body wash if you have dry skin and if you travel frequently across different climatic conditions.
• Scrubs: These are mechanical exfoliants, which help control excess sebum [oil] production.Tip: Use scrubs twice a week if you have oily skin to clear the blackheads and dirt in the pores.
• Face washes: The facial skin is more delicate than the skin on the other parts of the body and needs tender cleansing, which the face washes offer. Hence, there are different types of face washes for different skin types. Acne face washes contain antibacterial agents or salicylic acid to cleanse the pores. Glycolic acid-containing face washes offer gentle exfoliation of dead skin and are good for acne-prone individuals. Moisturising face washes with aloe and glycerine are ideal for dry skin.

How to clean

Cleaning your skin throughly from top to bottom every day is the only way to keep infections at bay.

Hand care

As we touch surfaces and objects throughout the day, we accumulate germs on our hands. This puts us at a higher risk of infecting ourselves with these germs by touching our eyes, nose or mouth. Although it’s impossible to keep our hands germ-free, washing them frequently can help limit the transfer of bacteria, viruses and other microbes. So:

• Always wash your hands before preparing food, eating, treating wounds or giving medicine and wearing/removing contact lenses.
• Always wash your hands with an antibacterial and antiseptic soap/liquid after preparing food, especially raw meat or poultry, using the toilet, changing a diaper, touching an animal or animal toys, leashes or waste, blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing, handling garbage and of course, whenever they look dirty.
• Use liquid soap to wash hands frequently if you have dry/rough hands. Soaps may dry the skin more, leading to cracks and eczema on fingertips and palms.

Privates

Sweat and collected epithelial debris on the skin [includes normal flora of bacteria] may play truant and give rise to bacterial and fungal infections especially in soft moist areas of the body—underarms, groin, waistline, and webs of toes in the feet. If these areas are unclean, it can lead to boils, acne, ringworm or candidial infection, which produce itching and unsightly marks.

Excess hair on the body also contributes to increased sweating and body odour. Sweat along with dead bacteria emanates the dirty smell from our body folds.

Following rigorous and regular hygiene is imperative.

• Use antifungal powders in body folds after bath, especially in the crevices on the feet—between fingers.
• Keep the private parts—armpits, pubic area—shaved to discourage excessive sweating.
• Use deodarants in the body folds to keep the area smelling fresh.
• Scrub your feet well after coming in from outdoors to wash off all the dirt, grime and sweat.
• Change your socks every day. And clean your footwear regularly from inside-out.
• Change your undergarments if you’ve worn them for long to keep infections away from your privates.
• Clean your privates thoroughly every time you visit the bathroom and remember to wipe them dry.

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Pouring problems

The rainy season is notorious for bringing with it a host of viral, fungal and bacterial diseases that can range from simple cold and cough [flu] and stomach upsets, to major diseases like malaria, dengue, typhoid, gastroenteritis, food poisoning, cholera, jaundice, pneumonia and leptospirosis. Skin infections caused by bacteria and fungus due to the high moisture content of the air, too abound. While some of these diseases are spread by vectors like mosquitoes, others are either air-borne or spread by infected water and food.

Children tend to fall sick more often during monsoons compared to adults because of low levels of immunity. They also play outdoors and thus come in contact with a lot of contaminants. Babies, in the stage of teething, are prone to rotavirus diarrhoea—a disease that can turn serious. Often, children top the number of patients hospitalised during monsoons, mainly due to food poisonings and gastroenteritis.

Infinite infections

During monsoon, certain factors come together to cause an increase in the incidence of infections. One of the main factors is the high water content in the air. Most germs need high water content to thrive and grow. Stagnated water bodies are another characteristic of the season. Many insects like mosquitoes and flies need such bodies to lay their eggs and grow their young ones. The ultra-violet rays from the sun are capable of killing a lot of viruses and bacteria. But the heavy cloud cover prevents sunlight from effectively reaching the earth’s surface.

The ambient temperature during this season is conducive for the growth of germs—it is neither too hot nor too cold. All these together in addition to pooling of water, leaky walls and roofs, overflowing gutters, water logging and impure drinking water make the season an ideal time for infections. And the only protection against many of these problems, apart from vaccinations for some of the diseases, is a high degree of personal and environmental hygiene.

Hygienic habits

Apart from having a bath once or twice a day and washing hands with soap frequently, there are measures you need to take to prevent illness.

Drink pure water

One of the commonest sources of infection during the rainy seasons is water. Due to the heavy rainfall, the water that is supplied through our taps is often muddy and filled with germs. Do not consume tap water directly, at least during the rainy season, and preferably all year round. You can render drinking water safe by boiling, filtering, or by using commercially available ultraviolet or reverse osmosis purifiers. Or just stick to bottled mineral water. Just by doing this you will protect yourself against over 50 per cent of the diseases that are common during this time, like food poisoning, gastroenteritis, cholera, jaundice, typhoid and para-typhoid. Drinking clean water eliminates several worm infestations that occur through infected water. While some of these diseases are easy to cure, others like cholera and typhoid can lead to hospitalisation and in rare cases, can even be fatal.

Watch what you eat

Like water, food too can cause several infections. Here are five good food practices to follow this monsoon.

• Eat freshly cooked food —within a few hours of preparation.
• Do not consume foods kept in the refrigerator for long periods; it may cause vomiting or loose motions. Before consuming refrigerated food, check to see if it has started to decompose by observing changes in colour, smell, and taste. In case you have even a small doubt, discard the food.
• Keep eating out to a bare minimum; it carries the risk of infection. Completely refrain from eating and drinking juices at roadside stalls during the rains. Even if you are forced to eat outside, opt for foods, which are steaming hot or fried, as they are less likely to be contaminated.
• Avoid consuming uncooked food like salads.
• Ensure that fruits and sweets are fresh before consuming them, and discard leftovers.

Stay away from dirty water

In the last few years, incidence of Leptospirosis during monsoons has increased. This disease is caused by a bacterium. The germ is excreted by rats and other animals into the atmosphere and gets into the rain water from gutters, which overflow during rains. When a person with open wounds or cuts comes in contact with flood water, the germs enter the blood stream and attack the liver. The infected person comes down with high fever and jaundice, which, if not diagnosed early and treated, can be fatal. If you are forced to wade through logged waters, take preventive medicine. At the earliest sign of fever, get tested and mention to your doctor that you have walked through dirty water. Also, attend to all cuts and wounds, especially in the legs immediately.

Keep mosquitoes away

Mosquito-borne diseases like malaria, dengue and chikangunya have assumed epidemic proportions in the last few years. The rampant water stagnation and pooling during the monsoons provide ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes. As far as possible, water should not be allowed to stagnate. All water sources like wells, tanks, construction reservoirs, underground sumps and overhead tanks should be covered. Gutters and drainage systems should be of the closed type, something for your local authorities to do. In residential buildings, as a preventive measure, get the underground and overhead tanks cleaned, both before and after the monsoons. Use mosquito repellents and covered clothing [especially for children] to minimise mosquitoe bites. Visit a doctor at the earliest sign of fever, and if necessary, get tested for malaria and dengue.

Protect your skin

Keeping yourself dry at all times is important, as the chances of contracting infective skin diseases are high during this time. In case you get wet in the rain, shift to warm dry clothing as soon as possible. Keep an extra set of clothes at your workplace if required but don’t spend your day in wet clothes. Have bath daily and frequently wash your face and hands; it helps get rid of the excessive oiliness that occurs in the monsoon.

Washing hands frequently also prevents other infections and is an important hygiene habit.

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Hygiene measures

Hepatitis A is a viral liver disease that can cause mild to severe illness. It is spread by faecal-oral transmission when a person ingests food or drink contaminated by an infected person’s stool. The disease is closely associated with poor sanitation and a lack of personal hygiene habits such as hand-washing.

Food hygiene

• Take precautions especially if you are travelling in rural or underdeveloped areas with poor sanitation.
• Avoid consuming untreated tap water including ice cubes. When outside, have canned or bottled drinks. You can also boil water if there is doubt regarding canned waters.
• Avoid eating uncooked fruits and vegetables, especially ones that cannot be peeled. Foods with thick skins might be safe once peeled. Clean all foods thoroughly.
• Order meat and seafood well-done. Avoid having raw clams, oysters, mussels and other shellfish.
• Avoid having mayonnaise, cheese, yogurt and other creamy products.
• Avoid fishing or eating fish from potentially polluted waters.
• Avoid having food bought from street vendors.

Personal hygiene

• Always wash hands after using the toilet and before eating or handling food. Wash hands with warm, running water and a mild, preferably liquid, soap. Toilets must be kept clean.
• Rub hands together vigorously until a soapy lather appears and continue for at least 15 seconds ensuring all surfaces of the hands are covered. Dry hands with a hand dryer or clean towel [preferably paper].
• Discard disposable towels in a bin. Bins with foot-pedal operated lids are preferable.
• Avoid sharing with anyone razors, toothbrushes or other implements, which could become contaminated with blood.
• Minor cuts, open or weeping skin lesions and abrasions should be covered with waterproof or other suitable dressings.
• Nappies and sanitary towels must be burnt in an incinerator or securely bagged and sealed and disposed of according to local guidance.

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