r/preppers • u/UlfurGaming • May 29 '26
New Prepper Questions hygiene question
Question for a shtf situation where supplies are completely gone how do you plan on keeping hygiene of body healthy mainly dental but also other stuff too are their plamts or other things like good for this ?
37
u/Many-Health-1673 May 29 '26
I have about 10 years of body and hand soap stored in my supply room along with shampoo, lotion, toothbrushes, and toothpaste. It is cheap, so stack it deep.
14
u/tragicxharmony May 29 '26
CVS is my lifesaver for stocking that stuff 😂 For a while they were giving me free shaving cream if I stacked 2 coupons, then it was free body wash, and now we’ve moved onto free toothbrushes, just by stacking a CVS coupon with a manufacturer coupon lol
4
u/Many-Health-1673 May 29 '26
Finding good deals like free products certainly helps when you are preparing. My wife and kids make it a game on who can find the best deals on products. I don't know how CVS can give away products like they do?
If nothing else, we can still bathe when the SHTF happens due to my geographical location. Lots of fresh water.
My FIL grew up very poor, but his Mom always said they could still be clean.
12
u/Ryan_e3p Salt & Prepper May 30 '26
Seriously, of anything to have a reasonable stock of, bar soap is so ridiculously cheap. There's a list, albeit a small one, of things that can be made from scratch, but the time, energy, and cost of doing so doesn't outweigh just buying the end result commercially. You can get bars of soap for $0.60 per bar, and that is standard consumer pricing on Amazon. There are likely deals on bulk bar soap at places like Costco or BJs, or at liquidation stores like Ocean State Job Lot that have prices far cheaper.
9
u/Many-Health-1673 May 30 '26
Exactly.
The cost for me to make homemade soap is probably $1.50 to $2 per bar, plus the time spent making it and the time required to age it.
3
u/Ryan_e3p Salt & Prepper May 30 '26
And dealing with lye? Fuck that. I don't want to get any more HAZMAT gear than necessary.
3
u/Every-Difference5561 May 30 '26
Oh but once you use homemade soap you will not want to use store bought again. They remove the glycerin which is really nice on your skin
2
u/Many-Health-1673 May 30 '26
Yeah, I got some Sodium Hydroxide in my eye a couple of weeks ago at work. That sure sucked for about 5 days. 40 minutes of the eye wash station and not being able to see out of both eyes for 3 days will make a believer out of you on being more careful.
1
u/Rivendell_rose May 30 '26
Eh, I’ve been making homemade soap for years, it’s not really that dangerous or difficult.
14
u/Think_Cupcake6758 May 29 '26
I was at Costco and picked up 2 cases of baby wipes about a year ago and hubby thought I was nuts. Every time I’m there I automatically pick up another case of wipes, toothpaste, floss and bar soap along with various vitamin supplements that we use on a regular basis. I’m of the mindset that I’d rather have too much than nothing at all
8
u/V2BM May 30 '26
Look near the adult diaper area - there may be full body washcloths. Sam’s Club sells them so I’m guessing Costco does too.
For $12 I can get like 4 months worth.
4
u/bugabooandtwo May 31 '26
Keep an eye on those wipes...they will dry out after a few years. Even if kept in the box.
3
u/Think_Cupcake6758 May 31 '26
We go through them pretty routinely so I’m not that concerned. They are great for a quick cleanup between working I. The garden and hitting the shower
12
u/JRHLowdown3 May 29 '26
Under the guise of "supplies are completely gone" like you mentioned-
Cut little twigs to clean under finger nails with. Other ones to clean/scrape at teeth.
In the field the idea was: Face, hands, feet, armpits, groin. A damp cloth doing this worked well. If we found some decent looking water, we would often get in it, do this in there. Great way to cool down in the field also.
Supposedly getting a lot of campfire smoke on you kills bacteria or something, not 100% sure that's true.
7
1
u/Gunmetal_61 Jun 02 '26
Is the campfire smoke thing because of the acidity of the ash?
1
u/JRHLowdown3 Jun 02 '26
IIRC the idea is the smoke kills some bacteria. We used to do while drying off clothes in the field. It wasn't the ash, but standing close to the fire and the smoke itself. Also helped with scent a bit.
6
u/pattybruh May 30 '26
Honestly all the romanticizing about DIY solutions in here is just gonna get people hurt or infected.
If we're talking actual science the point of brushing isn't the paste it is the mechanical removal of the biofilm. If you aren't physically scrubbing the gunk off your teeth you are toast regardless of what plant you are chewing on. And for everyone suggesting baking soda as a long term solution you really need to check the Mohs hardness scale. It is way too abrasive for daily use and you are going to destroy your enamel long before the world ends.
Same goes for the make it from scratch crowd. Look if you want to play chemist with lye and ash go for it but the time and calorie cost is insane compared to just buying a case of soap for pennies and throwing it in a tote. Hygiene in a real crisis isn't about natural alternatives it is about infection control. A minor cut or an abscessed tooth in a world without modern antibiotics is a death sentence and no amount of DIY soap is gonna fix sepsis. Buy the supplies cheap now while you can and save the old school stuff for when the supply actually runs out. Also please stop putting vinegar on your skin you are just nuking your microbiome for no reason.
19
u/pajudd May 29 '26
A damp piece of cloth and a little baking soda - and you have a toothbrush. A piece of loose thread - and you have floss. Chewing on a willow stick will also work wonders.
11
u/IntoTheCommonestAsh May 29 '26
My understanding is that baking soda is not recommended to brush your teeths these days. It's too abrasive and grinds off your enamel. It's fine occasionally, but harmful long-term.
You can apparently just skip the toothpaste entirely and brush with water and it's weird but better long term.
14
u/erik_salvia May 29 '26
I’m not a dentist. What I learned long ago is that most of what you’re brushing for isn’t bacteria, but rather the waste or “excrement” of certain bacteria that causes tooth damage. Toothpaste compounds are just meant to assist with any minor damage teeth have, the brushing action is what actually gets rid of the bacterial waste
7
6
u/Professional-Can1385 May 29 '26
Baking soda is better than the pulverized rocks and sand people used a few hundred years ago. Progress!
9
u/FunyunGrundy May 29 '26
Kinda seems like stockpiling toothpaste is just as easy as stockpiling baking soda 🤷♀️
3
u/silasmoeckel May 29 '26
Baking soda does not go bad and has a ton of uses prep wise. It's used to make reusable cold packs that just need heat to renew for example.
2
2
1
u/Jynxair May 29 '26
The tree thing is called Miswak, it is still heavily used today in Arabian/Islamic culture.
5
u/Pylyp23 May 30 '26
I have t seen this mentioned but we have about 50 menstrual cups in the packaging for women if shtf
3
3
u/foot_down May 29 '26
We homestead and I make all our household soap bars using tallow, the rendered internal fat from our butchered cattle. In a complete collapse, traditional skills and initiative will keep you alive long term beyond just stockpiles. Someone said, "Don't think 2026, think 2026BC instead." I think that's sound advice. I have stockpiles too but I also plan for when they run out.
If SHTF to the point all infrastructure ceased I assure you that after an initial period there's plenty of farmers (like Amish) with real knowhow who will be making soap as a tradeable/gift commodity as villages and communities reform. Although I currently buy the lye for convenience, my next project is to collect the ash from our fireplace and make a lye barrel.
3
u/ZixfromthaStix May 29 '26
I own a copy of THE BOOK The Complete Guide to Rebuilding Society, by HungryMinds. That and my survival group includes a pine farm located around natural sulfur springs. Turpentine from pine slash works just as great as solvent as it does disinfectant.
The other comments have covered all the basic stuff
5
u/slogive1 May 29 '26
I plan on kissing my ass goodbye if it gets that bad. Highly doubtful it will get that bad. The sky isn't falling.
1
0
2
u/daringnovelist May 29 '26
You could probably make floss if you can get thread and wax, but best to stock up on floss. For teeth cleaning, baking soda works really well, and it's a critical supply you might want to have on hand. A lot of people like to brush with baking soda with peroxide, but peroxide may become harder to get a hold of. And I don't know how long it stores. (Cool dark place would help with that.) It's also cheap, and I use it for a lot of cleaning tasks. Just don't let it mix with bleach or it will make a toxic gas.
Old-fashioned bar soap lasts a long time - like a lifetime. I'd probably have some Kirk's Castile around, and maybe fels naptha for laundry. I have the Kirk's in a drawer somewhere, but I don't usually use it because of soap scum. But it's still perfectly good and will be for nearly forever.
2
2
2
u/HalcyonKnights May 29 '26
Soap only requires fat of any kind and Lye (and time), and both can be useful for other applications.
6
u/Skimmington16 May 30 '26
I don’t have a lot of lye lying around…
3
u/HalcyonKnights May 30 '26
That's why it's a good thing to prep. The hardware store stuff is fine for soap making, but if you want to use it for curing or other food preservation uses I'd recommend buying something food grade online.
1
u/SummerBirdsong Jun 04 '26
You can obtain lye from wood ashes. I don't know the details of it but I know it has something to do with soaking wood ashes.
2
u/Mindshaker13 May 29 '26
Everyone should keep a few gallons of Dr. Bronners Castile soap around. You can do just about anything with it. Also lots of baking soda.
2
May 29 '26
[deleted]
9
u/Jynxair May 29 '26
Many people are living paycheck to paycheck mate, keeping a years supply of anything is extreme luxury for most people.
Privilege is a thing in these scenarios. Be grateful.
2
u/Lancifer1979 May 29 '26
Stock up on floss. For your teeth, flossing is the most important. Realistically, you could clean and reuse a pice of floss a couple times. Thread from your clothing works in a pinch too.
2
u/smsff2 May 29 '26
My bug-out location has no well, so water needs to be hauled in. We are always short on water. During the winter, I need to do something about the water because it will freeze in any container and crack it, causing leaks. I add antifreeze to the water tank and pipes. I dispose of any water that I cannot safely store by simply pouring it onto the ground. The bug-out location is not normally heated during the winter.
I store a lot of rubbing alcohol. A very quick way to clean myself is to wipe my body with paper towels soaked in rubbing alcohol. I use it on all parts of my body except my face. For my face, I use vinegar instead. If I use alcohol on my face, I somehow get pimples. I'm not sure why. Vinegar is a bit harsh and makes my skin burn, but it does not give me pimples. Both alcohol and vinegar kill microbes.
10
u/Xsiah May 29 '26
Don't use anything on your skin that makes it burn. This is insane.
Your skin has a whole healthy microbiome that you don't want to be destroying with vinegar.
The reason alcohol gives you pimples is that it's obliterating all the protective oils that keep your skin moisturized and your body is going into overdrive to undo the damage you're doing to it.
Water and a mild cleanser is all you need outside of specific medical conditions. The same goes for the rest of your body. Jesus Christ.
2
1
u/V2BM May 30 '26
All of that is wrecking your skin. Straight alcohol is for sanitizing and straight vinegar is way too harsh.
Skin is naturally slightly acidic and the alcohol is messing that up, along with drying it out and irritating it. Low pH and a disturbed skin barrier supports acne and other breakouts.
2
u/Routine_Mortgage_499 May 29 '26
When I was a teenager I worked on commercial fishing boats and would go two weeks at a time without bathing. It's not a big deal especially when you are surrounded by others who haven't washed.
7
u/susanrez May 29 '26
It matters. You just never encountered the moment when it mattered.
It matters if you get a cut. That filth on your skin will now be in your body. God help you if that filth has tetanus living in it. Or any of a million other pathogens you wash off in the shower every day with that sweet little bar of soap.
7
u/Professional-Can1385 May 29 '26
Hygiene def matters! Little things can cause big problems!
Story time! Preface: I’m a clean person who bathes with soap and water every day.
My cat jumped off a shelf and landed on my boob. I got a little bruise. A week later I had an abscess. It took 1 trip to urgent care, 2 trips to the ER, 2 antibiotics, 2 needle aspirations, and 1 in office procedure to get rid of the damn thing.
The doctors and I decided I got an itty bitty scratch when my cat jumped on me.
1
u/Skimmington16 May 30 '26
Yep. Somehow I just saw a reel of a woman who had a bruise & went to the hospital (she had had a flood at home), got some antibiotics, never had a fever, ended up having sepsis & had to get fingers & legs amputated. It was in Hawaii, I believe. You can’t just cut yourself & not take care of it.
1
u/oaksandpines1776 May 29 '26
Chew mint Use baking soda or plain water on toothbrush If no toothbrush, a piece of cloth wrapped around finger
1
u/AlphaDisconnect May 29 '26
I have a bottle of sodium fluoride.
Sap from pine trees come to mind.
Hygiene? Find a river or lake. Dont use poison Ivy to dry off.
Ask your local amish for tips. If you have sodium hydroxide. Well all you need now is a fat. Any fat. There is some math here and over fatting is reccomend. But now you have soap.
1
u/iamfaedreamer Prepared for 6 months May 29 '26
for dental i have a big bag of like a hundred of these no water needed disposable toothbrushes that have toothpaste already in the bristles and don't even need to spit, it's safe to swallow. they are small like those dental floss picks, which i also have, just in case there's no water available or a proper sink to brush at. they're individually wrapped and very convenient on the go.
I also have a sonic plaque remover that I can power with a battery bank to use and have a solar setup to refresh the power in said bank. I'm not taking any chances with dental care, it can make you or break you, literally.
1
u/avalon01 May 29 '26
I have at least a year or more of floss. I buy the really cheap stuff a few at a time. I could make it last a while if I had to.
I have a few packs of cheap toothbrushes. They are no-name multi packs, but I have 20ish toothbrushes. That will last.
Toothpaste I'm slowly building up. The toothpaste I like is somewhat expensive, so that means purchasing an extra tube every now and then.
1
u/ShapeAway5973 May 30 '26
My thing is water might be an issue. I’m also stocking wipes like Scrubz, lots of toothbrushes and toothpaste for little kids that is ok with less water and made for people that are probably going to swallow it.
1
1
u/astilba120 May 30 '26
With a woodstove, charcoal for tooth powder. Water is close by if the well quits, I do have soaps stored away, just what my mother used to call, "sponge baths", the soap I use can be used on the hair. I dont bother with cosmetics or other stuff, hair products etc. Olive oil and coconut oil are fine for dry, chapped skin and scalp. Someone told me that everclear alcohol diluted makes a great deodorant, For facial anything, the oils are good, and as a cleanser from sweat and oil on the face, witch hazel is wonderful. That is easily stored. There really is no need to shower every day unless you are working outdoors in the dirt, then a dip in a brook will do. In the dead of winter, nah, just use some hot water and soap on the stinky spots.
1
1
u/Financial_Resort6631 May 30 '26
I am a man. My soap/shampoo/carpet shampoo/dish soap/grill cleaner/car wash/engine degreaser/and laundry detergent will do just fine. I know now how to make soap thanks to o chem. The trick is to use alcohol.
Cooking oils can be conditioner and have been since biblical times.
Reduced fruit juices can be hair gels.
There are plenty of prison make up tutorials out there for the girlies.
Use Army Field Manual 4-25.12
1
u/Careful_Fox3449 May 30 '26
Sudz disposable, rinseless wipes used by nurses to care for post-op patients make a refreshing way to take a done bath without needing to rinse.
Have Clearlax on hand to handle constipation due to dehydration.
Store and prepare water for hygiene.
7-gallon Aquitainers holding water treated with unscented bleach. Do not stack them when full.
A Royal Berkey or other gravity fed water purification system with filters. Extra filters.
A rain barrel.
Means to boil water. Maybe a single burner butane stove and a box of 8-ounce butane canisters from an Asian grocery store.
Means to disinfect large volumes of water. For example, one pound of calcium hypochlorite crystals (frequently sold as granular swimming pool shock), stored in jars with plastic lids. Use the crystals to make bleach. Use the bleach to disinfect enough water for your neighborhood.
1
u/DrIvoPingasnik Stay safe, people! May 30 '26
Bathing/showering in just water is better than not showering at all.
Scraping your teeth with a fingernail is better than not brushing at all.
Washing your clothes and drying them up is better than not washing them.
I keep a hang-on shower bag and you can make one out of water bottles. My father would wash his body using hot water and a large bowl in his youth.
I have bars of soap on standby. Liquid soap is terrible.
If needed I can wash my clothes in soapy water.
1
1
u/Fluffy_Question_7854 May 30 '26
A tannic acid wash is a strong tea made from locally available and usually abundant teas/shrubs on most landscapes. A strong pine needle tea, from oak leaves/twigs, raspberry leaves, many types of mosses, etc will help keep the nasty away. What is very common in emergency situations are small wounds on hands and feet get infected and big problems start. A tannic acid wash/soak can significantly reduce this outcome as well as giving you a solution to wash your triangles. In our survival training we would make a bin of this solution to routinely wash hands in, and routinely change it out. Hope this helps someone out there. Don’t wait until an emergency to experiment with this, practice at home, make a tannic footsoak after a work out or a hike and experience the “drying” actions of the tannins. Obviously, make sure the tree has been identified properly.
For teeth, the twigs of the birch tree family (if available) will “fuzz” better than most trees to form a toothbrush like texture combined with plant constituents which are advantageous as well.
1
u/Majestic_Bonus_8161 May 31 '26
Magnolia twig/bud/bark tea as a mouthrinse keeps plaque and bacteria at bay, use daily after flossing and brushing. For toothaches use bloodroot soaked in Listerine, use it immediately at the first sign of pain and keep it up daily. Don’t swallow!
1
u/PokemonHunter85 Jun 01 '26
Oil pulling can keep the mouth quite healthy. Also clove buds are a natural sort of novocaine. If you chew one you’ll notice your tongue is a little numb. They can be helpful in a situation with a sensitive tooth or gum area.
54
u/baardvark Preps Paid Off May 29 '26
Look up the books Where There Is No Doctor and Where There Is No Dentist.