21.9 Personal hygiene with little water

• Sponge bath: use a basin of warm water and soap; wash from cleanest to dirtiest: face, neck, arms, armpits, torso, feet, and last the groin and buttocks. Use a separate cloth for the private area.
• Wet wipes for armpits, groin, and feet when water is very scarce. Do not flush them even if they say "flushable": they go in the trash bag.
• Priority in hot weather: skin folds. With sweat and no bathing, chafing, heat rash, and fungus appear. Dry them well and change underwear and socks daily if you can.
• Do not bathe in floodwater, sewage, or contaminated streams (CDC). If tap water is not safe to drink, some advisories allow it for bathing, but do not swallow it or let it get in your eyes; follow your water utility's instructions.
• Wounds: keep them clean, washed with clean water and soap, and covered with a waterproof bandage. If there is redness, swelling, or pus, get medical care (chapter 7).

Feminine hygiene

• Keep a reserve of pads and tampons for at least 2 cycles for every person who uses them; in a long emergency the store may not have them.
• Tampons: follow the label and change them every 4 to 8 hours, never more than 8, because of the risk of toxic shock syndrome (FDA). Use the lowest absorbency you need.

• Menstrual cup: it saves on trash, but it requires clean water to wash it and clean hands. If water is scarce or questionable, switch to disposable pads.
• Disposal: wrap used pads and tampons in paper and put them in a heavy black bag, along with the waste from the bucket toilet (Oregon State University).
• Unscented intimate wipes and clean cotton underwear help prevent infections in hot weather.

Dental health

• Brush with safe, boiled, or bottled water, never with untreated water (CDC). One cup is enough: wet the brush, brush, and rinse with a sip.
• Keep brushing twice a day and flossing. A toothache with no dentist available is a serious emergency.
• If there is no water to rinse, spit out the toothpaste and do not rinse.
• Put these in your kit: spare toothbrushes, toothpaste, floss, and your dentist's contact information.