View source for Washing

{{Short description|Method of cleaning}}
{{other uses}}
[[File:Woman washing hands.jpg|right|thumb|A woman washes her hands with soap and water.]]
'''Washing''' is a method of [[cleaning]], usually with [[water]] and [[soap]] or [[detergent]]. Regularly washing and then rinsing both body and clothing is an essential part of good [[hygiene]] and health.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Bockmühl |first1=Dirk P. |last2=Schages |first2=Jan |last3=Rehberg |first3=Laura |title=Laundry and textile hygiene in healthcare and beyond |journal=Microbial Cell |date=2019 |volume=6 |issue=7 |pages=299–306 |doi=10.15698/mic2019.07.682 |issn=2311-2638 |pmc=6600116 |pmid=31294042}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Moyer |first=Melinda Wenner |date=2023-10-23 |title=Do You Really Need to Shower Every Day? |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/23/well/live/shower-every-day.html |access-date=2024-04-22 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Hadaway |first=Alexis |date=2020-01-02 |title=Handwashing: Clean Hands Save Lives |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15398285.2019.1710981 |journal=Journal of Consumer Health on the Internet |language=en |volume=24 |issue=1 |pages=43–49 |doi=10.1080/15398285.2019.1710981 |issn=1539-8285|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

Often people use soaps and detergents to assist in the [[emulsification]] of oils and dirt particles so they can be washed away. The soap can be applied directly, or with the aid of a [[Towel|washcloth]] or assisted with [[Sponge (tool)|sponges]] or similar [[List of cleaning tools|cleaning tools]].

In social contexts, washing refers to the act of [[bathing]], or washing different parts of the body, such as [[Hand washing|hands]], [[Hair washing|hair]], or [[Face washing|faces]]. Excessive washing may damage the hair, causing dandruff, or cause rough skin/skin lesions.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ettinger |first=Jill |date=2018-10-22 |title=You Probably Wash Your Hair Way Too Much (Really!) |url=https://www.organicauthority.com/energetic-health/you-wash-your-hair-too-much |access-date=2024-04-22 |website=Organic Authority |language=en-us}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Petersen |first=Eiko E. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1yKh_AT0UZwC&pg=SA6-PA13 |title=Infections in Obstetrics and Gynecology: Textbook and Atlas |date=2005-12-07 |publisher=Thieme |isbn=978-3-13-161511-4 |pages=6–13 |language=en}}</ref> Some washing of the body is done ritually in religions like Christianity and Judaism, as an [[Ritual purification|act of purification]].

Washing can also refer to washing objects. For example, [[laundry|washing of clothing]] or other cloth items, like bedsheets, or [[Dishwashing|washing dishes or cookware]]. Keeping objects clean, especially if they interact with food or the skin, can help with sanitation. Other kinds of washing focus on maintaining cleanliness and durability of objects that get dirty, such [[Car wash|washing one's car]] like car wash parts by lathering the exterior with car soap, or washing tools used in a dirty process.

== Washing bodies ==
People wash themselves, or [[bathing|bathe]] periodically for [[Ritual purification|religious ritual]] or therapeutic purposes<ref>{{Cite book |last=Shove |first=Elizabeth |title=Comfort, Cleanliness and Convenience The Social Organization of Normality (New Technologies/New Cultures) |publisher=Berg |year=2004 |isbn=978-1-85973-630-2 |location=New York}}</ref> or as a recreational activity.

In [[Europe]], some people use a [[bidet]] to wash their external genitalia and the [[Anal hygiene|anal region]] after using the [[toilet]], instead of using [[toilet paper]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-06-18 |title=Eco-Friendly Cleaning Cloth and Toilet Papers |url=https://www.buysimplynatural.com/go-green-with-eco-friendly-cleaning-cloth/ |access-date=2020-07-01 |website=SimplyNatural |language=en-US |archive-date=2021-12-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211219155933/https://www.buysimplynatural.com/go-green-with-eco-friendly-cleaning-cloth/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> The [[bidet]] is common in predominantly [[Catholic countries]] where water is considered essential for [[anal cleansing]].<ref>{{cite book |last=E. Clark |first=Mary |title=Contemporary Biology: Concepts and Implications |publisher=University of Michigan Press |year=2006 |isbn=9780721625973 |page=613 |quote=Douching is commonly practiced in Catholic countries. The bidet ... is still commonly found in France and other Catholic countries.}}</ref>

More frequent is washing of just the [[hand]]s, e.g. before and after preparing food and eating, after using the toilet, after handling something dirty, etc. [[Hand washing]] is important in reducing the spread of [[Pathogen|germ]]s.<ref>{{Cite web |date=May 4, 2023 |title=Show Me the Science - Why Wash Your Hands? &#124; Handwashing &#124; CDC |url=https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/why-handwashing.html |website=www.cdc.gov}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Thomas Osborne, M.D. |title=Clean hands are key to preventing illness |url=http://www.raiterclinic.com/health%20articles/cleanhands.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070701082831/http://www.raiterclinic.com/health%20articles/cleanhands.html |archive-date=2007-07-01}}</ref> Also common is [[Face washing|washing the face]], which is done after waking up, or to keep oneself cool during the day. [[Tooth brushing|Brushing one's teeth]] is also essential for hygiene and is a part of washing.

[[Ritual purification]] through washing includes acts like [[Maundy (foot washing)|Maundy]], a Christian ritual involving washing of the feet, or [[Ritual washing in Judaism|ceremonial washing in Judaism.]] 

=== Bathing ===
{{Excerpt|bathing}}

=== Hand washing ===
{{Excerpt|hand washing}}

=== Hair washing ===
{{Excerpt|Hair washing}}

=== Face washing ===
{{Excerpt|Face washing}}

== Washing items ==

=== Dishwashing ===
{{Excerpt|washing dishes}}

=== Clothes washing ===
{{Excerpt|Clothes washing}}

=== Washing cars ===
{{Excerpt|car washing}}

== See also ==
{{Wiktionary|washing}}
*[[Cleaning agent]]
* [[Cleanliness]]
* [[Hygiene]]
* [[Hygiene in Christianity]]
* [[Laundry symbol]]s, [[washing machine]]
* [[Sanitation]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{Authority control}}
[[Category:Hygiene]]
[[Category:Cleaning methods]]