Keeping Clean

     It is imperative that we keep clean.  Clean is the first step to health.  Clean is the first aid in first aid.  This is not a new concept.  I was reading a book on distilling that was written before the Revolutionary War and clean took up two chapters!  Clean utensils guarantee clean results.  

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     A lot of people think they are clean or that they keep clean when in fact, not so much.  I have heard four different seniors from three families and three different cultural backgrounds remark that since they do not "work up a sweat" they don't need to bathe everyday and a wash cloth is enough.  REALLY?  I am here to testify, it is NOT enough.  Their white t-shirts are not white and those stains do NOT come out!  They are often ill to the point of being hospitalized!  They do not keep clean.

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     Now, I understand if you have no source of heat and you are snowed in, it is silly to expose the entire body to a rinse, but, still!  Use soap on the damp cloth for crying out loud!  And, I mean soap!  Anti-bacterial gels are gels, they are sticky and you still need to rinse and dry thoroughly.  If you need an anti- bacterial agent, alcohol is the key ingredient in hand sanitizers, cut out the sticky stuff and use alcohol.

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     Beside the solar camp shower shown here from Wal Mart, also available at camp and sporting goods stores, there are other products available for your prep storage.  This is an instant hot shower.  So, even without electricity or an unlimited supply of running water, you can have a hot shower.

     Clean your body.  Follow the instructions on any shampoo bottle.  Lather rinse, repeat.  Dry thoroughly with a clean towel.  

CLEAN EVERYTHING!

     Boiling water kills germs.  It sanitizes better than slopping chemicals around on surfaces.  I like using steam cleaners whenever I can, but in a SHTF world, I will be the one boiling clothes, cooking pots, pans and utensils as if I were going to do surgery.  

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     I have extra large pots for boiling clothes and large items.  I have large pots for boiling sauce pots, cooking utensils, canning and preserving jars and things of average size.  It might be a good idea to stock in some pots the size of turkey fryer pots.  They won't take up extra space if you use them as vessels to store other items.  Pack a large pot with washing soda for cleaning clothes.  Now, you have the vessel and the wash powder to last for months in one place.  I am looking for one of these fabric wringers for my wash pot.  

     Clean clothes, clean body, cooking with clean utensils, this is the way to a clean healthy life.  Whether the stuff hits the fan or not, cleanliness is imperative.  Keeping clean is a preventative measure and a treatment for common ailments.