Body care

Keeping clean and fresh

Washing your hands, bathing and wearing clean clothes keep germs away and help you feel fresh. Here is how to build easy everyday habits.

4 minutes·For 8 to 10

Why we wash

Germs are tiny living things that are too small to see. Some of them can make us ill.

Washing with soap and water removes germs and dirt from our skin. It is one of the best ways to stay healthy.

Handwashing the right way

Wash your hands before eating, after using the toilet, after playing outside and after touching animals.

Wet your hands, rub them with soap on the fronts, backs, between the fingers and under the nails, then rinse and dry. Rubbing for about the time it takes to sing a short song works well.

If there is no soap and water, wash as soon as you can.

Bathing and clean clothes

A bath every day, especially in hot weather or after sport, keeps your skin clean and fresh.

Wash your whole body, including your private parts, armpits and feet. For private parts, gentle washing with water and mild soap on the outside is enough.

Wear clean underwear and socks every day. Fresh clothes help you feel good.

Hair, nails and toilet habits

Keep nails short and clean, because germs love to hide under them.

Wash and comb your hair regularly. If your head feels itchy, tell a grown-up because it could be lice, which are easy to treat.

After using the toilet, wipe or wash from front to back, then wash your hands.

Key points

Soap and water wash germs away.
Wash hands before eating and after using the toilet.
Bathe every day and wear clean underwear and socks.
Keep nails short and clean.

Myth or fact?

Myth

If your hands look clean, they are clean.

Fact

Germs are too small to see. Hands that look clean can still carry germs, so wash with soap.

Myth

Bathing when you have a cold makes it worse.

Fact

A bath does not make a cold worse. Staying clean and warm can help you feel better.

When to get help

If your skin is itchy, sore or has a rash that does not go away, tell a grown-up.
If your private parts feel itchy or sore, tell a parent or trusted adult. A doctor can check and help.

Get help now

Check what you know

1.When should you wash your hands?

2.How should you wipe or wash after using the toilet?

3.Why keep your nails short?

Based on guidance from WHO, UNICEF, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (RKSK). Awaiting review by Puberty Lab's clinical advisory board. General education, not medical advice for any one person.