What Is Considered Hygienic? Your Comprehensive Guide to Cleanliness and Health

September 22, 2025 •

3 min read

According to the CDC, proper hygiene is one of the most effective ways to protect against many illnesses. So, what exactly is considered hygienic, and how can you ensure your daily practices meet the highest standards for personal and community health?

Quick Summary

Good hygiene is the practice of maintaining cleanliness to prevent disease, encompassing regular personal care, sanitizing home surfaces, and practicing proper food and respiratory etiquette to minimize germ spread in daily life.

Key Points

Handwashing is essential: Regular handwashing with soap for 20 seconds is the single most effective way to prevent the spread of germs and infection.
Personal care routines are foundational: Daily practices like showering, oral care, and clean clothing are critical for managing body odor and preventing bacteria buildup.
Know when to clean and when to disinfect: Always clean surfaces first to remove dirt, then disinfect to kill remaining germs on high-touch surfaces.
Practice good respiratory etiquette: Covering coughs and sneezes into a tissue or your elbow helps contain airborne pathogens and prevents spreading illness.
Maintain a hygienic living space: Regularly clean and sanitize high-touch areas in your home, especially the kitchen and bathroom, to minimize the risk of infection.
Food safety is non-negotiable: Proper food hygiene, including handwashing and preventing cross-contamination, is vital for preventing foodborne illnesses.

The Core Principles of Hygiene

Hygiene refers to practices that reduce the spread of pathogens and maintain health, distinguishing it from general cleanliness which is the physical removal of dirt. Hygienic practices aim to remove or kill disease-causing microorganisms. This encompasses personal habits, home maintenance, and public etiquette.

Why Hygiene Is Crucial

Maintaining a hygienic lifestyle is crucial for public health, preventing the spread of infectious diseases and supporting overall well-being. Good hygiene also impacts social interactions and personal comfort.

Personal Hygiene: Taking Care of Your Body

Personal hygiene involves daily habits to keep your body clean and healthy, preventing germs from entering your body.

Daily Body Care

Regular bathing or showering: Washing with soap and water removes dead skin cells, sweat, and odor-causing bacteria. Daily washing focusing on areas like underarms and groin is typically sufficient.
Clothing hygiene: Regularly washing clothes, especially undergarments and socks, prevents the buildup of bacteria and sweat.
Oral hygiene: Brushing teeth twice daily and flossing daily helps prevent decay, gum disease, and bad breath, also potentially impacting systemic health.
Nail care: Keeping nails trimmed and clean prevents germ accumulation that can transfer to the mouth.

The Importance of Hand Hygiene

Handwashing is a critical hygienic practice for preventing infection spread. The CDC recommends a specific technique:

Wet hands with clean, running water, apply soap.
Lather hands thoroughly, including backs, between fingers, and under nails.
Scrub for at least 20 seconds.
Rinse well under running water.
Dry hands with a clean towel or air dry.

Home and Environmental Hygiene

Maintaining a hygienic living space is important for preventing germ transmission. Environmental hygiene involves cleaning and disinfecting surfaces.

Targeting High-Traffic Areas

Focus cleaning on areas likely to harbor germs, such as kitchen counters, doorknobs, bathroom surfaces, and electronics. Regular cleaning and sanitizing, especially after illness, is vital.

Laundry Practices

To ensure laundry is hygienic, particularly items in direct contact with the body, consider using hot water (above 60°C or 140°F) to kill germs, especially when someone is sick. Use suitable detergent and dry clothes thoroughly to prevent microbial growth.

Food and Respiratory Hygiene

Safe food handling and preventing germ spread through respiratory droplets are also critical areas of hygiene.

Safe Food Handling

Key practices include washing hands before, during, and after preparing food, cleaning surfaces and equipment, separating raw from cooked foods, and cooking food to the proper temperature.

Respiratory Etiquette

Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing, dispose of the tissue immediately, or use your elbow if a tissue isn't available. Wash hands immediately after coughing or sneezing.

Comparison: Cleaning vs. Disinfecting

Understanding the difference between cleaning and disinfecting is essential for effective home hygiene:


Feature	Cleaning	Disinfecting
Purpose	Removes dirt, grime, and some germs from surfaces.	Kills germs on surfaces after cleaning.
Effectiveness	Visibly cleans surfaces but does not kill all microorganisms.	Kills most bacteria and viruses, reducing infection risk.
Application	Use soap and water or a general household cleaner.	Use chemical disinfectants, like EPA-registered products.
Timing	Always perform cleaning before disinfecting.	Apply after cleaning to achieve a hygienic state.
Example	Wiping a kitchen counter with a soapy cloth.	Spraying a disinfectant on the cleaned counter.

The Role of Awareness and Education

Promoting good hygiene starts with individual awareness. Education on how pathogens spread, like through the fecal-oral route, helps people understand the importance of targeted hygiene, especially before eating or after using the restroom. Understanding the reasons behind these habits encourages consistent practice.

In summary, what is considered hygienic involves consistent personal care, environmental cleanliness, and mindful public health practices. These habits, from handwashing to cleaning surfaces, defend against illness and contribute to overall well-being, protecting both yourself and others.

For additional authoritative information on hygiene practices, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's section on Hygiene Basics.

Frequently Asked Questions

Hygienic personal care includes regular bathing or showering, frequent handwashing, brushing teeth twice a day, flossing daily, and keeping fingernails trimmed and clean. It also involves wearing clean clothes and managing respiratory etiquette.

You should wash your hands frequently throughout the day, especially before eating or preparing food, after using the toilet, after coughing or sneezing, and after touching surfaces in public places.

Hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol can be an effective alternative when soap and water are not available, but it is not as effective on visibly dirty or greasy hands. Proper handwashing is generally preferred.

Cleaning physically removes dirt and some germs, while sanitizing uses chemicals to kill remaining germs. For a surface to be truly hygienic, you should clean it first and then apply a sanitizer.

Food hygiene is critical for preventing foodborne illnesses. It involves practices like washing your hands before preparing food, using clean equipment, and cooking food to the proper temperature to kill harmful bacteria.

Good respiratory hygiene includes covering your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, or using your elbow if a tissue isn't available. You should also dispose of used tissues immediately and wash your hands afterwards.

While proper hygiene is beneficial, excessive cleaning can sometimes cause skin irritation or, according to the "hygiene hypothesis," might limit exposure to beneficial microbes in early childhood. However, standard hygienic practices like handwashing are widely proven to be safe and beneficial.