Washing
Washing is a method of cleaning, usually with water and soap or detergent. Regularly washing and then rinsing both body and clothing is an essential part of good hygiene and health.[1][2][3]
Often people use soaps and detergents to assist in the emulsification of oils and dirt particles so they can be washed away. The soap can be applied directly, or with the aid of a washcloth or assisted with sponges or similar cleaning tools.
In social contexts, washing refers to the act of bathing, or washing different parts of the body, such as hands, hair, or faces. Excessive washing may damage the hair, causing dandruff, or cause rough skin/skin lesions.[4][5] Some washing of the body is done ritually in religions like Christianity and Judiasm, as an act of purification.
Washing can also refer to washing objects. For example, washing of clothing or other cloth items, like bedsheets, or washing dishes or cookwear. Keeping objects clean, especially if they interact with food or the skin, can help with sanitation. Other kinds of washing focus on maintaining cleanliness and durability of objects that get dirty, such washing one's car, by lathering the exterior with car soap, or washing tools used in a dirty process.
Washing bodies
People wash themselves, or bathe periodically for religious ritual or therapeutic purposes[6] or as a recreational activity.
In Europe, some people use a bidet to wash their external genitalia and the anal region after using the toilet, instead of using toilet paper.[7] The bidet is common in predominantly Catholic countries where water is considered essential for anal cleansing.[8]
More frequent is washing of just the hands, e.g. before and after preparing food and eating, after using the toilet, after handling something dirty, etc. Hand washing is important in reducing the spread of germs.[9][10] Also common is washing the face, which is done after waking up, or to keep oneself cool during the day. Brushing one's teeth is also essential for hygiene and is a part of washing.
Ritual purification through washing includes acts like Maundy , a christian ritual involving washing of the feet, or ceremonial washing in Judaism.
Bathing
Hand washing
Hair washing
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Hair washing is the cosmetic act of keeping hair clean by washing it. To remove sebum from hair, some apply a surfactant, usually shampoo (sometimes soap) to their hair and lather the surfactant with water. The surfactant is rinsed out with water along with the dirt that it bonds to.
Furthermore, there are dry shampoos; powders that remove sebum from hair by soaking it up prior to being combed out. People often use dry shampoo if they would like to postpone their hair wash or simply to save time.[11]
Hair wash and dry shampoo keep the hair healthy, add volume to the hair, remove dirt and odors, and remove oils from the scalp.Face washing
Face washing, also known as facial cleanliness or face cleansing, is a form of washing in order remove dirt, germs, oil, debris, and any unwanted materials on the face, possibly with the use of soap or cleansing agent and water. These dirt or unwanted substances from cosmetic products and the environment are hardly soluble in water. The addition of face cleansing products in daily face washing can help effectively eliminate undesirable materials by breaking them down into smaller particles.
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Washing items
Dishwashing
Clothes washing
Washing cars
See also
- Cleaning agent
- Cleanliness
- Hygiene
- Hygiene in Christianity
- Laundry symbols, washing machine
- Sanitation
References
- ^ Bockmühl, Dirk P.; Schages, Jan; Rehberg, Laura (2019). "Laundry and textile hygiene in healthcare and beyond". Microbial Cell. 6 (7): 299–306. doi:10.15698/mic2019.07.682. ISSN 2311-2638. PMC 6600116. PMID 31294042.
- ^ Moyer, Melinda Wenner (2023-10-23). "Do You Really Need to Shower Every Day?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-04-22.
- ^ Hadaway, Alexis (2020-01-02). "Handwashing: Clean Hands Save Lives". Journal of Consumer Health on the Internet. 24 (1): 43–49. doi:10.1080/15398285.2019.1710981. ISSN 1539-8285.
- ^ Ettinger, Jill (2018-10-22). "You Probably Wash Your Hair Way Too Much (Really!)". Organic Authority. Retrieved 2024-04-22.
- ^ Petersen, Eiko E. (2005-12-07). Infections in Obstetrics and Gynecology: Textbook and Atlas. Thieme. pp. 6–13. ISBN 978-3-13-161511-4.
- ^ Shove, Elizabeth (2004). Comfort, Cleanliness and Convenience The Social Organization of Normality (New Technologies/New Cultures). New York: Berg. ISBN 978-1-85973-630-2.
- ^ "Eco-Friendly Cleaning Cloth and Toilet Papers". SimplyNatural. 2020-06-18. Retrieved 2020-07-01.
- ^ E. Clark, Mary (2006). Contemporary Biology: Concepts and Implications. University of Michigan Press. p. 613. ISBN 9780721625973.
Douching is commonly practiced in Catholic countries. The bidet ... is still commonly found in France and other Catholic countries.
- ^ "Show Me the Science - Why Wash Your Hands? | Handwashing | CDC". www.cdc.gov. May 4, 2023.
- ^ Thomas Osborne, M.D. "Clean hands are key to preventing illness". Archived from the original on 2007-07-01.
- ^ "Smelly Scalp? These 7 Products Will Give Your Hair The Freshest Long-Lasting Fragrance". iDiva. 2022-09-05. Retrieved 2022-09-14.