Family Sanitation - Washing Laundry and Bedding

You will learn how keeping clothing and bedding clean will help maintain the health of your family. You will also learn how to properly wash your laundry and bedding.

 

Objective:

Families will stay healthier by keeping clothing and bedding clean and sanitized.

Lesson Preparation

Before the lesson find:

1. Materials to demonstrate washing clothes: dirty clothes, water, soap, bleach, and basin.

2. Examples of cloth that does and does not wear and wash well.

3. Any kinds of homemade washing machine including tubs and washboard.

4. A small dirty cloth and a clean cloth

Concepts to be Taught:

Click on the magnifying glass of any image for enlargement.

1. Clean and sanitize laundry to keep family healthier.

2. Follow proper practices for doing laundry.

3. Look for ways to make laundry easier.

4. Keep bedding clean and organize sleeping area to keep family healthy.

Introduction:

Everyone likes the feel of clean clothing next to their body. Pass a dirty cloth to someone in the family and ask them to put it on their arm. Ask: How does that feel? Would you rather have that cloth or this one that is newly washed and clean? We like the feel of clean rather than dirty next to our skin. There are also additional reasons for having clean laundry.

Concept #1:

Clean and sanitize laundry to keep family healthier.

Tell the story of the Gomez family: The Gomez family decided they did not want to wash clothes very often. If was a long way down to the water to wash the clothes, it took a lot of time from the store they ran to wash clothes. The family learned to live with dirty clothes, and they did not look very good but they didn't care. One thing they did notice was that they all kept getting the same illnesses, such as colds, eye infections, and diarrhea. How could these be related to the family not doing their laundry?

We can spread disease in our home if the following are not kept clean:

Figure #1

Figure #2

Figure #3

-underclothes, diapers, and cloths uses for toilet paper (figure #1)

-dishcloths and dishtowels can contain germs from the food that is being prepared

-clothing and bedding, especially belonging to a person who is sick (figure #2)

-personal towels for bathing and hand washing (figure #3)

Learning Activity #1:

Have family members repeat back places where germs could be found in cloth in the home.

Concept #2:

Follow proper practices for doing laundry.

Figure #4

Figure #5

Figure #6

Figure #7

1. Laundry needs to be washed in water and sanitizing solution or rinsed in clean water and dried in direct sun.

2. Sort out items that are particularly dirty and soak them in soapy water for an hour. Wring out the water before adding them to the other clothes to be washed (figure #4).

3. Wash clothing in a clean tub, using clean clear water (figure #5). Use enough soap so you still have some suds left after you are done. Start washing with light colored clothes. You can use the same water to wash darker and dirtier clothes later. To get clothes clean, you must move them around to create friction. You can do this with your hand, a paddle, rubbing cloth on a washboard, or by using a washing machine.

4. Rinse laundry well. It may take two tubs of water to take out all the soap and dirt (figure #6). Some items may need to be rinsed in sanitizing solution (4-6% sodium hypochlorite bleach in one liter of water) to kill germs. These items include: towels, washcloths, sheets and bedding, underclothes, and items used by a sick person. The bleach may change the color of dark fabric.

5. Dry items in bright sunlight on a clothesline, or rope (figure #7). (Direct sunlight helps to kill germs but may also fade colors. Clothes may be turned inside out to protect the colors.) If clothing is put on the ground or on bushes, it may get dirty again.

Learning Activity #2:

Practice washing some cloth items following the proper procedures.

Concept #3:

Look for ways to make laundry easier.

Doing laundry can be made easier using the right supplies and equipment and by using appropriate fabrics. Some suggestions are:

Figure #8

1. Do wash close to a water source. Piped water is good or other clean water. Also important is a place to dry the clothes, such as a line, rope or rack that is close.

2. Buy or make clothes that are easy to wash and will wear well. Generally, natural fabrics like cotton, linen and wool, will last a long time as well as some man-made fabrics such as polyester and nylon. Some other fabrics may look bright and colorful when they are new but are soon faded with washing and wear out easily.

3. Make or buy some equipment to help you save energy and agitate clothes well (figure #8). This may be a washboard made from old broomsticks or a plunger variety (in supplementary materials). Your local health agency may also have some ideas.

Concept #4:

Keep bedding clean and organize family sleeping areas to keep family healthy.

People can spread germs and illness to one another by sleeping in crowded places together, and sharing bedding. Family members will be healthier if they can sleep in separate areas such as mats, hammocks, or sleeping platforms.

Figure #9

Sleeping places need to be clean, free from insects and sanitized (figure #9). Movable bedding can be taken out in the sunshine and aired out. Washable bedding can be washed in a sanitizing solution of 1 teaspoon of 4-6% sodium hypochlorite bleach in one liter of water. Wool fabric can be washed in cold water and dried in the sun.

Learning Activity #4:

Take a piece of fabric with some dirt on it and rub it against another to show how dirt and germs can spread from one person to another while they are sleeping. Have family evaluate their sleeping situations to see what they need to do to improve.

Family Activity:

Discuss as a family how to make washing a better and easier experience, for example, which family members can help, can any supplies be made of planned for to make it easier.

List of figures for lesson 6.5

(Click on the numbered links below to view and print full-sized figures)

1. Some fabrics can carry germs such as baby diapers, and dish towels,

2. Also, bedding used by a person who is sick,

3. Personal wash and bath towels.

4. To prevent spreading germs, sanitize clothing and washed items by using bleach or hanging them in the sun.

5. Start by soaking dirty items for one hour before the rest of the wash.

6. Wash clothes in a clean tub with clean water. Rinse wash well. It works well to use two tubs of water.

7. Dry on a line or on a rack.

8. A handmade washing machine may be a plunger, a wash board, or another idea.

9. Wash bedding often and air out unwashable bedding in the sun.

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