Soap Supply: Bar Soap & Liquid Soap For Hygiene

Having enough soap supply for emergency preparedness can not be expressed enough.  Keeping our hands bodies clean for hygiene purposes will keep the diseases and infections away that can easily take place when not used.  Many types of diseases such as renal failure or staph infections can happen if not keeping hands & body cleaned.

After an emergency, it might be difficult to find running water but it is still important to wash your hands to avoid illness and diseases.  Having a good soap supply will help keep prevent this as well as alcohol hand gel.  It is best to wash your hands with soap and water but, when water isn’t available, you can use alcohol hand gels made for cleaning hands. Below are some tips for washing your hands with soap and water or with alcohol hand gel.  Also some good guidelines in keeping hygiene to a high level during times of emergencies.

Washing Your Hands

Wash your hands with liquid soap, bar soap, or alcohol hand gel after these events:

1. Before eating food.
2. After handling uncooked foods, particularly raw meat, poultry, or fish.*
3. After going to the bathroom.
4. After changing a diaper or cleaning up a child who has gone to the bathroom.
5. Before and after tending to someone who is sick.
6. Before and after treating a cut or wound.
7. After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
8. After handling an animal or animal waste.
9. After handling garbage.

* Food handlers should wash hands with soap and water before beginning work, and before returning to work from any toilet visit or break. Alcohol hand gel should not be substituted in food handlers.

Cleaning the Living Area

Keeping surfaces and items clean helps to reduce the spread of infections.  Having household soap supply would be a good idea.

• Clean surfaces with a household soaps when visibly dirty and on a regular schedule:
  • Kitchens and bathrooms should be cleaned daily and as necessary.
  • Living areas should be cleaned at least weekly and more often if necessary.
  • Bed frames, mattresses and pillows should be cleaned/laundered between occupants.
  • Other furniture should be cleaned weekly and as needed.
  • Spills should be cleaned up immediately
     
• Sanitize (i.e., reduce microbial contamination to safer levels) high-risk surfaces using a household disinfectant (e.g., a product with a label stating that it is a sanitizer.  Have a supply of this handy.) or a mixture of 1 teaspoon of household bleach in 1 quart of clean water (mixed fresh daily).   High-risk surfaces include:
  • Food preparation surfaces.
  • Surfaces used for diaper changing.
  • Surfaces soiled with body fluid (e.g., vomitus, blood, feces)

Laundry Kept Washed

• Garments heavily soiled with stool should be handled carefully, wearing gloves, and placed in a plastic bag for disposal.   If stool can easily be removed using toilet paper, the garment may be laundered as described below.

• Wash clothing in a washing machine if there is electricity by using normal temperature settings and laundry detergent.

• Household bleach can be used in the rinse water at normal concentrations

• Dry clothes in a dryer, if possible.

• There is no need to disinfect the tubs of washers or tumblers of dryers if cycles are run until they are completed. If no electricity, than it would be best to disinfect what you use.

• Make sure donated clothing is washed before distribution.

Garbage

• Waste disposal should be carefully disposed properly especially medical waste such as syringes and needles. A heavy plastic laundry detergent bottle with a lid may be used if official sharps containers are not available.

• Use trash receptacles lined with plastic bags that can be securely tied shut.

• Trash bags should not be overfilled.

• Place trash in an area separated from the living spaces, preferably in trash bins.

Use of appropriate infection prevention measures by all individuals and evacuees can reduce the spread of infectious diseases.

• Staff and residents should wash their hands with soap and water frequently.
• Children should be assisted in washing their hands with soap and water frequently.
• A good soap supply should be positioned throughout the living area, especially where food is being served and toilet facilities.
• Encourage good personal hygiene practices including the following:
  • Cover your cough with tissues, disposing tissues in the trash, or with your hands.   Wash your hands with soap or use alcohol hand gel after coughing. If possible, a good supply of tissues should be provided in the living areas.
  • Follow good hygienic practices during food preparation.
  • Do not share eating utensils or drinking containers.
  • Do not share personal care items such as combs, razors, toothbrushes, or towels with any one else.
     
• If water is available, the place should be adequate to allow to bathe at least twice weekly.
   
• Laundry facilities should be available to allow appropriate laundering of clothes and bed linens if there is electricity.  If not, than by hand. Procure yourself a hand washer board or a hand washer machine.

There are many types of soap to have for your soap supply.  There is many different brands in your bar soap such as Dove soap, Ivory soap, Basis soap and  Dial soap.  You can also get in these brands in liquid soap.  There are many other soap brands that are just as good.  If you have the time and zeal you can make you own homemade soap. A good suggestion would to have enough bar soap or liquid soap to last a couple of years.  Not that you would be in a situation that long, but more for the fact that there will be many people who will need use of it.  The more soap supply the better.  You can also buy bulk liquid soap, as many large companies do for use.  They can come in many different sizes of containers and can be bought online.  When purchasing liquid soap for your soap supply make sure you get soap dispensers with them.  Other wise its hard to use when needed.