Homelessness and personal hygiene

‘Take care of your body. It’s the only place where you have to live.’

The importance of personal hygiene has been taught to us from a very young age. Cleanliness is next to Godliness. But are the homeless able to maintain personal hygiene and cleanliness? It is difficult for the homeless to take care of their health when they have no stable living conditions.

The homeless have limited access to self-care and personal hygiene, including necessities like clean showers, laundry and handwashing. Because of the difficulty to access these services, there is an increased risk of infectious diseases amongst them such as lung diseases, including bronchitis, pneumonia, malnutrition, wounds and skin infections. Heavy drinking, injection drug use, and sleeping outdoors are factors that can lead to reduced hygiene practices.

A study conducted in Boston showed that 72% of the homeless reported taking daily showers, over 60% washed hands with hand soap 5 or more times a day, 89% used hand sanitizer in the past week, 86% used a laundromat or laundry machine to wash clothing and 14% used a sink to wash clothing. These numbers are quite alarming.

It is currently difficult to access hygiene facilities due to closures because of the COVID-19 pandemic. There is a lack of access to feminine hygiene products for when a woman gets her period, which can make it difficult for her especially if she has heavy bleeding. Theft and sexual assault can happen in public showers, making it more unsafe and more problematic to take showers. Some avoid water consumption to avoid using restrooms, however, that can lead to the urinary tract and bladder infections.

We can contribute to reducing this problem by donating hygiene products to shelters including shampoo, soap, shaving supplies, tampons, feminine pads, toothpaste, toothbrush, and body wash. Deodorant and floss. For Covid-19 measures, the most important items required by the shelters are hand sanitizers and face masks.

Think of a world where you do not have enough facilities to keep your own body clean and hygienic. The homeless experience this daily. The lack of access to personal hygiene equipment contributes to increased rates of illness and decreased self-esteem and dignity. We should try to donate everyday healthcare products to homeless shelters for a boost in health and a plummet in illness rates and mental issues.

Works cited

1. De Bode, Lisa. “Hygiene and Heartache: Homeless Women’s Daily Struggle to Keep Clean.” Aljazeera America, 13 Jan. 2013, america.aljazeera.com/articles/2015/1/13/-scared-to-walk-thestreet.html.

2. Gibson, Dan. “What Help Is Available for People Who Are Experiencing Homelessness?” Regeneration, 13 July 2021, regenbrampton.com/what-help-is-available-for-people-who-are-experiencing-homelessness/.

3. Leibler, Jessica, et al. “Personal Hygiene Practices among Urban Homeless Persons in Boston, MA.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, vol. 14, no. 8, 18 Aug. 2017, p. 928, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5580630/.

4. Lingan, John. “What Do People Experiencing Homelessness Need Most besides Shelter?” The Right to Shower, 2018, www.therighttoshower.com/make-difference/what-do-people-experiencing-homelessness-need-most-besides-shelter.

5. Morrison, Lyndsay. ““Our Way of Giving Back”: Students Create Hygiene Kits for Youth Experiencing Homelessness.” CTV News, 2 Feb. 2021, toronto.ctvnews.ca/our-way-of-giving-back-students-create-hygiene-kits-for-youth-experiencing-homelessness-1.5293025.

6. Valente, Owen, et al. Final Research Report Homelessness and Hygiene Project (CSI). 2021.

Researcher: Lindsay Zhong (Researcher from Power to the Youth Toronto)

Editor: Theerta Aravind (Editor + Researcher from Power to the Youth Toronto)

Date published: June 6th 2022