Washing

Bathing is the immersion of the body, wholly or partially, usually in water, but often in another medium such as hot air. It is most commonly practised as part of personal cleansing, and less frequently for relaxation or as a leisure activity. Cleansing the body may be solely a component of personal hygiene, but is also a spiritual part of some religious rituals. Bathing is also sometimes used medically or therapeutically, as in hydrotherapy, ice baths, or the mud bath.

People bathe in water at temperatures ranging from very cold to very hot, or in appropriately heated air, according to custom or purpose.

Where indoor heated water is available, people bathe more or less daily, at comfortable temperatures, in a private bathtub or shower. Communal bathing, such as that in hammams, sauna, banya, Victorian Turkish baths, and sentō, fulfils the same purpose, in addition to its often having a social function.

Ritual religious bathing is sometimes referred to as immersion. This can be required after sexual intercourse or menstruation (Islam and Judaism), or as baptism (Christianity).

By analogy, the term "bathing" is also applied to relaxing activities in which the participant "bathes" in the rays of the sun (sunbathing) or in outdoor bodies of water, such as in sea bathing or wild swimming.

Although there is sometimes overlap, as in sea bathing, most bathing is usually treated as distinct from more active recreations like swimming.

Hand washing (or handwashing), also called hand hygiene, is the process of cleaning the hands with soap or handwash and water to eliminate bacteria, viruses, dirt, microorganisms, and other potentially harmful substances. Drying of the washed hands is part of the process as wet and moist hands are more easily recontaminated.^[11][12] If soap and water are unavailable, hand sanitizer that is at least 60% (v/v) alcohol in water can be used as long as hands are not visibly excessively dirty or greasy.^[13][14] Hand hygiene is central to preventing the spread of infectious diseases in home and everyday life settings.^[15] Meta-analyses have shown that regular hand washing in community settings can significantly reduce respiratory and gastrointestinal infection.^[16]

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends washing hands for at least 20 seconds before and after certain activities.^[17][18] These include the five critical times during the day where washing hands with soap is important to reduce fecal-oral transmission of disease: after using the toilet (for urination, defecation, menstrual hygiene), after cleaning a child's bottom (changing diapers), before feeding a child, before eating and before/after preparing food or handling raw meat, fish, or poultry.^[19]

When neither hand washing nor using hand sanitizer is possible, hands can be cleaned with uncontaminated ash and clean water, although the benefits and risks are uncertain for reducing the spread of viral or bacterial infections.^[20] However, frequent hand washing can lead to skin damage due to drying of the skin.^[21] Moisturizing lotion is often recommended to keep the hands from drying out; dry skin can lead to skin damage which can increase the risk for the transmission of infection.^[22]

Hair washing is the cosmetic act of keeping hair clean by washing it. To remove sebum from hair, people apply a surfactant, usually shampoo (sometimes soap) to wet hair and lather. The surfactant and the dirt that has bonded to it are then rinsed out with water.

There are also dry shampoos: powders that help remove sebum from hair by absorbing it prior to being combed out. People may use dry shampoo to postpone their hair wash or to save time.^[23]

Hair washing and dry shampoo are both used with the intention of keeping the hair healthy, adding volume to the hair, removing dirt and odors, and removing oils from the scalp.

Face washing, also known as facial cleanliness or face cleansing, is a form of washing in order to remove dirt, germs, oil, debris, and any unwanted materials on the face, possibly with the use of soap or cleansing agent and water. These dirt or unwanted substances from cosmetic products and the environment are hardly soluble in water. The addition of face cleansing products in daily face washing can help effectively eliminate undesirable materials by breaking them down into smaller particles.

The practice of face washing originates from ancient times and possesses cultural significance. Its purpose then experiences changes and adaptations to societal developments. In humans, 4 main skin types were identified by Helena Rubinstein in the 1900s, and a variety of face washing products started to arise respective to the needs of each skin type. A person's skincare routine can employ different face washing products and techniques according to their needs. When face washing is not done well, or with unsuitable products used, possible risks can arise and affect the condition of the skin instead. Appropriate techniques can be applied to minimise any harm brought to the facial skin during face washing.

Dishwashing, washing the dishes, doing the dishes, or (in Great Britain) washing up, is the process of cleaning cooking utensils, dishes, cutlery and other food-soiled items to promote hygiene and health by preventing foodborne illness.^[24] This is either achieved by hand in a sink or tub using dishwashing detergent, or by using a dishwasher, and may take place in a kitchen, utility room, scullery or elsewhere.

Laundry is the washing of clothing and other textiles,^[25] and, more broadly, their drying and ironing as well. Laundry has been part of history since humans began to wear clothes, so the methods by which different cultures have dealt with this universal human need are of interest to several branches of scholarship.

Laundry work has traditionally been highly gendered, with the responsibility in most cultures falling to women (formerly known as laundresses or washerwomen). The Industrial Revolution gradually led to mechanized solutions to laundry work, notably the washing machine and later the tumble dryer. Laundry, like cooking and child care, is still done both at home and by commercial establishments outside the home.^[26]

The word "laundry" may refer to the clothing itself, or to the place where the cleaning happens. An individual home may have a laundry room; a utility room includes, but is not restricted to, the function of washing clothes. An apartment building or student hall of residence may have a shared laundry facility such as a tvättstuga. A stand-alone business is referred to as a self-service laundry (launderette in British English or laundromat in North American English).

A car wash,^[27] or auto wash, is a facility used to clean the exterior,^[28] and in some cases the interior, of cars. Car washes can be self-service, full-service (with attendants who wash the vehicle), or fully automated (possibly connected to a filling station). Car washes may also be events where people pay to have their cars washed by volunteers, often using less specialized equipment, as a fundraiser.^[29]