Keeping clean when severe - a thread for tips

[hotblack]

The talk of showers reminded me I’d been thinking of sharing tips for keeping clean when you are unable to. It took me a long time to adapt, experiment snd learn, when at my best I manage to keep clean well, when less good it’s harder.

I thought it would be useful for us to share approaches and products which help. We must sll have different preferences but a lot of shared knowledge.

To start simple, wipes have been essential. I don’t try to clean myself, that never worked, rather I’ve integrated wiping most of my arms, torso and legs throughout the day into a routine. A very simple minimal wipe, regularly done, seems to do the job.

After trying various brands I found these work well and a single wipe can be used, folded and reused for a different part of the body later. So I probably use 2 a day. A box lasts most of the year.

Reynard REYNARD Skin Care Wipes

Amazon.co.uk

There are some parts of the body, for both men and women, which require more care, for this I use saline wipes. Salt water is great stuff! I also keep old water bottles and get people to make up saline water for me, and have disposable cups. I use this for, to put it as delicately as possible, rinsing things in.

I found these work well
Lewis-Plast Premium Saline Sterile First Aid Alcohol Free Wipes

Amazon.co.uk

Or have used these in the past
Eureka Direct Alcohol Free Sterile Saline Cleansing Wipes

Alcohol Free Sterile Saline Cleansing Wipes

Alcohol Free Sterile Saline Cleansing Wipes

www.eurekadirect.co.uk

What tips do you have?

 

[Yann04]

No rinse soap
Those sort of spray bottle things you can put water inside and spray yourself with water
shaving my head
A tub to dip my feet in sometimes even if its while laying down in bed
Same thing for my head even if its just while laying on floor
the good ol’ washcloth

And most importantly: acceptance that apart from avoiding skin infections and other health complications, it doesn’t matter how often I wash myself and the wash yourself everyday hyperclean thing isnt a human default but a rather recent cultural phenomenon.

 

[hotblack]

A tub to dip my feet in sometimes even if its while laying down in bed

Yeah, my feet are grim atm. But when I am up to lying on the sofabed I use the bin from an old paper shredder, partially filled with water, with one of these in the bottom

Amazon.co.uk

and soak my feet in it and wiggle my toes a bit. Someone brings me this and after soaking helps dry my feet and takes the waste away. Works well!
I used to use a normal basin, but this paper shredder bin is taller so better. Quite narrow but my legs are so skinny these days it’s fine.

 

[Utsikt]

I learned all of this from other people.

I just try to avoid infections and sores. The other people around me care more about the hygiene, I don’t have the luxury of being bothered by that. I try to think that most things are fixable if I get better, so how I look/smell now doesn’t matter.

A washcloth with lots and lots of water is my go to.

When in very good shape - sitting on a stool in the shower with the right temp water (to not overheat) only takes about five minutes total. When done, put on bathrobe and lay straight down in bed covered with towels. Put on clothes a few hours later.

I haven’t been able to make wipes work yet, maybe I need some that are more heavy duty.

Getting my head and beard shaved with clippers. A vacuum on low power with a brush attachment takes care of most of the hair. A wet towel gets rid of the rest.

The skin under my feet just dies eventually but piles up in a stiff layer (not like callouses). If you let it soak, it can be scrubbed off when it starts to look wrinkly from the water. The skin beneath looks and feels completely healthy.

Getting bedsheets etc. changed every week helps as well.

 

[Dude]

I really miss showering – it’s been more than two years now.
I have a caregiver who comes once a week, and to prevent a crash I need to take lorazepam a few hours in advance.
I can only wash my hair every three weeks. I use a small inflatable basin for that, an idea I picked up from Physics Girl.
Amazon UK

 

[Creekside]

rather I’ve integrated wiping most of my arms, torso and legs throughout the day into a routine

If the complaint is the exertional cost of hygiene, why are you doing it so often? I live without plumbing, or even a heated space where I could splash water, so I just use a washcloth (without excess soap, and not antibiotic soap). I clean myself every 2-4 weeks (before going to town). I don't feel that I'm a hygiene disaster, or even less clean than when I did have frequent showers. In fact, I notice fewer instances of stinky armpits or feet than when I did frequent washing. Once the human body reaches a stable microbiome, it doesn't get significantly stinky. It's the disrupted microbiome, failing to metabolize all the stinky compounds, that causes BO.

I also swap my clothes at the same time I bathe. At the end of 3 weeks, my clothes do not stink; not like they did after been worn only a couple of times back in my showering days. Ring around the collar is more significant, but that washes out with a bit of effort.

In summer, when I can bathe outside (with plenty of sun-warmed water I can splash around) I wash more frequently and more thoroughly, but I don't feel or smell significantly cleaner. If I do sweaty work, I'll strip, wash, and wash those clothes immediately, since it's convenient (and dries quickly). I hate doing laundry (by hand, in buckets) when it's below -20C.

If hygiene is physically costly, I suggest trying a longer time span between cleanings. Expect to go through a stinky period while your microbiome adjusts, but then you should return to what should be considered a healthy human body smell. I don't know what the optimum time frames are, but a simple cleaning every 3 weeks works for me.

 

[Trish]

If the complaint is the exertional cost of hygiene, why are you doing it so often? I live without plumbing, or even a heated space where I could splash water, so I just use a washcloth (without excess soap, and not antibiotic soap). I clean myself every 2-4 weeks (before going to town).

From your description you are much less severely afffected, so are able to not only wash your whole body in one go, but also go in to town. It seems unhelpful to criticise what someone much more severely affected finds works for them.

 

[Yann04]

Sometimes I dream of those sensory deprivation chambers where you soak in water.

On a related note I’ve been thinking of realistic (?) QOL increases I’d wish for in the next couple years, and one I’ve thought is the idea of taking a bath going from “overwhelming exertion” to “restful”.

 

[bobbler]

OK I'll plonk this here even though it is tangential somewhat as it is probably only tackling the armpit BO smell rather than 'clean' (? I don't know on the smell being caused by bacteria whether any deodorant does anything more than stop the smell?), and I know the issues with sensitivities

but I genuinely find the Sure 72hr deodorant does last a lot longer that the ones that aren't 72hr which is a big help in avoiding getting that 'can smell myself' from that area now it is longer between showers