Personal hygiene in the workplace

CEBU, Philippines — The issue of personal hygiene may seem like common sense. Everyone presumably wants to be physically clean. It gives a fresh, comfortable feeling – and, yes, it boosts one’s self-confidence too.

The only possible excuse perhaps for not being particular about personal hygiene is if one lives alone in a cave. But, even then, it must be a gross feeling to be covered in dirt and grimes. Lack of personal hygiene becomes a problem when one spends a good deal of time with other people… at work.

Excuses, like being short on time in the morning or having simply forgotten, won’t do. People who go to work without being well-groomed or performing basic hygiene routines often find themselves in embarrassing situations in front of colleagues and clients. Personal hygiene is serious matter; it communicates how one regards oneself.

And personal hygiene isn’t simply putting on some scent. In fact, scents are a delicate matter. Too much of it or using the wrong type can do exactly the opposite of what it’s supposed to do.

However, knowing the right scent and the exact amount to use is not innate skill with everyone. It can be rather complex in the workplace, for there’s no one scent that pleases all nostrils. Fortunately, there are basic steps that can surely help to make one’s personal hygiene come together well at work.

Melinda Gaines, at https://bizfluent.com, shares helpful tips for always maintaining one’s personal hygiene in the company of workmates:

Avoid wearing too much perfume or cologne. Though it may smell nice to you, it may irritate the allergies of people working near you. To ensure you do not offend, spritz a bit of your preferred fragrance in front of you and then walk through it, as opposed to putting it directly onto your skin.

Keep hair clean. Regularly wash and cut your hair to keep a neat appearance. If you have facial hair, you can save money by maintaining it yourself at home with a set of quality clippers. If your company's “personal hygiene in the workplace” policy has hair-specific rules, follow them.

Care for your dental health. Maintaining a healthy, clean mouth is part of maintaining personal hygiene at work. Visit the dentist at least once a year – twice a year is optimal. Though you may brush and even floss your teeth daily, your dentist will be able to diagnose and correct any oral health issues you have. Such issues can lead to bad breath, and some can cause serious health problems.

Bathe or shower regularly. Bathe every day before work, or every night before you go to sleep. Bathing will not only cleanse your skin and keep it looking more healthy and attractive, but it will also help cleanse your body of odors. Simply smearing on perfume or aftershave does not help cover up body odor, and can in fact exaggerate it.

Use deodorant daily. Wear deodorant or antiperspirant daily if you tend to sweat. Some people can actually get away with not wearing deodorant, but most people, especially those who have heavy-duty jobs or work in warm environments, benefit greatly from it. If you are ever in doubt about whether deodorant is necessary for you to maintain personal hygiene at work, use deodorant. One of the most useful personal hygiene tips to follow in the workplace is: it is better to use deodorant when you don't need it than to not use deodorant when you do need it.

Keep your hands clean. Keep hand sanitizer and facial tissues near your work desk. If you do not work at a desk, put travel sizes of these items in your pocket. Sanitizer and tissues will come in handy when you're ill and can also prevent the spread of germs resulting from touching dirty items, such as money and computer keyboards.

Keep your hands neat. Trim your nails regularly, especially if you work in the food service industry. Health regulations have prescribed nail length for food employees and many companies include fingernail regulations in their workplace hygiene policy. But even if you're not under such rules, trimmed nails will allow you to keep your hands much cleaner, and prevent the spread of germs to the food you handle or take.

Practice restroom hygiene. Wash your hands thoroughly after each restroom visit. To prevent contaminating your hands again on the way out of the restroom, open the door with a paper towel and dispose of it at your work station or a nearby trashcan.

Those tips certainly do not cover everything that can be done in maintaining personal hygiene in the workplace. But those can be very helpful, no doubt.