Chapter: 11. Cleanliness, Health And Hygiene
Cleanliness, Health and Hygiene
Our surroundings are everything around us, including roads, buildings, plants, parks, animals, soil, air, and water. Keeping ourselves and our surroundings neat and clean is very important.
Chapter Objectives
This chapter will help you to:
Learn how to maintain personal cleanliness. Understand why it is important to look after your body. Know how to improve your surroundings. Learn about the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. PERSONAL CLEANLINESS
Being clean and tidy makes a person liked by everyone. Personal cleanliness is the first step towards keeping our surroundings clean. There are countless germs around us that can make us sick. To protect ourselves from germs, we must stay clean.
Hygiene refers to all the activities we do to keep ourselves clean and healthy. Health and hygiene work together, so developing good habits is crucial for staying healthy.
Hand Washing
Washing hands properly is very important.
Hands should be cleaned with soap before and after meals. Always wash your hands with soap after using the toilet. Wash your hands after playing. Think About It: Why is it important to wash our hands after playing with pets? Pets carry germs that can transfer to our hands.
Oral Hygiene
Oral hygiene means keeping your mouth and teeth clean.
Brush your teeth twice a day: once in the morning and again before going to bed at night. Massage your gums after brushing your teeth. Rinse your mouth well every time after eating or drinking anything. Change your toothbrush every three months. Visit a dentist (tooth doctor) every six months for a check-up. Bathing
Bathing daily keeps us fresh and smelling good. It also helps us stay fit and healthy.
Apply soap or bodywash to your body while bathing.
INFO-HUB: Smelly Feet
Have you heard of ‘smelly feet’? This happens when germs on the feet mix with sweat. Children who wear shoes all day without socks can accumulate more dirt on their feet. Germs thrive on dirty and smelly feet. Always keep your feet clean!
Hair Care
Taking care of your hair is also part of personal cleanliness.
Wash your hair regularly with a good shampoo or soap. Massage your scalp with oil at least three times a week. This helps prevent dandruff and hair fall. Regular oiling can improve the texture of your hair. Comb your hair regularly to keep it neat and untangled. Nails
Clean and short nails are important for hygiene.
Trim your nails every week. Keep nails short and clean. Never bite your nails, as nails and nail beds can harbor germs.
Clothes
Wearing clean and washed clothes every day is essential. Dirty clothes can carry germs that may cause skin problems or infections.
LOOKING AFTER OUR BODY
Our body needs proper care to stay healthy and grow.
Food for Health
We need food to live, stay healthy, and grow. Different types of food provide different benefits:
Body-building foods (e.g., milk, eggs, nuts) make our bones and muscles strong. Energy-giving foods (e.g., rice, jaggery, potato) provide us with energy to work, play, and do other activities. Protective foods (e.g., fruits, vegetables, nuts) help our body fight diseases.
Body-building foods
Energy-giving foods
Protective foods Healthy Eating Habits:
Wash your hands and mouth before and after every meal. Eat slowly and chew your food well. Do not speak while eating, as it can cause choking. Eat fresh food; stale food can make you sick. Eat all types of food in the right quantities for a balanced diet. Do not eat uncovered food sold by hawkers, as it might have germs. Drink plenty of water daily. Drink at least two glasses of milk daily. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables daily to stay strong and protected from illnesses. Exercise and Rest
Exercise and proper rest are vital for a healthy body.
Exercise: Activities like yoga and aerobics make us strong and fit. Outdoor activities such as cycling and swimming also help us stay fit.
Yoga
Playing outdoor games Yoga Poses: Yoga involves various poses like Camel pose, Cow pose, Lion pose, and Frog pose, which are beneficial for body strength and flexibility. Rest: After work and play, rest is important. A good sleep of about eight hours at night is necessary. When we wake up after proper rest, we feel fresh and energetic. It’s good to get up early in the morning.
CLEANLINESS IN THE SURROUNDINGS
Maintaining cleanliness in our surroundings is the most important way to prevent diseases. Cleanliness of our house and external surroundings is necessary.
Causes of Unhealthy Surroundings
Things that are no longer useful or wanted and are thrown away are called garbage.
Garbage thrown in our house and surroundings (like roadsides, playgrounds, rivers, lakes, ponds) makes them unclean. This dirties the air and water. Inhaling dirty air and drinking dirty water can make us sick. Other actions that make our environment dirty and unpleasant include: Spitting on roads and walls. Littering in public places. Use of plastic bags and materials. INFO-HUB: Plastic Pollution
Plastic pollution is a serious environmental issue. It is estimated to kill up to one million sea creatures annually.
Ways to Keep the Surroundings Clean
We should all contribute to keeping our surroundings neat and clean.
Stop using plastic bags. Instead, use environment-friendly bags like paper or jute bags. Always throw garbage in dustbins. Do not allow water to collect in your surroundings. Stagnant water is where insects reproduce, and these insects can bite you and make you fall ill. Do not spit on roads or walls. This is a bad and unhealthy habit. Grow more plants to make your surroundings green, beautiful, and the air fresh. SWACHH BHARAT ABHIYAN
Cleanliness is key to a healthy life and lifestyle. The Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (SBA), or Clean India Initiative, is a nationwide campaign by the Government of India.
Mission: To clean Indian cities and villages. Launch Date: October 2, 2014. Launched By: Honourable Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi. Launch Location: Rajghat, New Delhi. Significance: It is considered India’s largest-ever cleanliness drive. INFO-HUB: Swachh Bharat Abhiyan Tagline
The tagline for Swachh Bharat Abhiyan is “Ek kadam swachhata ki ore,” which means “One step towards cleanliness.”
Note: Various campaign ambassadors help make the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan successful by promoting its message.
Key Terms
Here are some important terms from this chapter:
Surroundings: Everything around us (roads, buildings, plants, parks, animals, soil, air, and water). Hygiene: All the activities that we do to keep ourselves clean and healthy. Garbage: Things that are no longer useful or wanted and are thrown away.
Chapter Summary: Cleanliness, Health and Hygiene
This chapter emphasized the importance of maintaining cleanliness, both personally and in our surroundings, for a healthy life.
Personal Cleanliness and Hygiene
Handwashing: Essential before and after meals, after playing, and after using the toilet. Oral Hygiene: Brush teeth twice daily, massage gums, rinse mouth after eating, change toothbrush every three months, and visit the dentist every six months. Bathing: Take a bath daily for freshness, good smell, and health. Hair Care: Wash hair regularly, oil scalp to prevent dandruff and hair fall, and comb daily. Nails: Trim nails weekly, keep them short and clean, and avoid biting them to prevent germ spread. Clothes: Wear clean and washed clothes daily to avoid germs and skin problems. Staying Healthy
Eat fresh and healthy food, including body-building, energy-giving, and protective foods. Wash hands and mouth before and after meals. Chew food well and eat slowly; avoid speaking while eating. Do not eat stale or uncovered food. Drink plenty of water and milk daily, and eat lots of fruits and vegetables. Exercise: Engage in regular physical activities like yoga, aerobics, cycling, or swimming to stay strong and fit. Rest: Get about eight hours of good sleep at night to feel fresh and energetic the next day. Wake up early in the morning. Clean Surroundings
Garbage Disposal: Always throw garbage only in dustbins. Eco-Friendly Habits: Use environment-friendly bags (paper or jute) instead of plastic bags. Prevent Stagnant Water: Do not let water collect in your surroundings, as it becomes a breeding ground for insects that can cause illness. Civic Responsibility: Do not spit on roads or walls. Green Environment: Grow more plants to make your surroundings green, beautiful, and the air fresh. Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (SBA): A major initiative by the Government of India launched on October 2, 2014, to clean Indian cities and villages, symbolizing a “step towards cleanliness.” Note: Using tools like nail clippers for nails, combs for hair, and brooms for sweeping are common practices for maintaining cleanliness. Storing water in safe, clean bottles is also important. Understanding the ‘5 Rs of waste management’ (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Recover, Refuse) is beneficial for environmental literacy.
Self Study
Hand washing steps
Oral hygiene
Body-building foods
Energy-giving foods
Protective foods
