The Era of Personal Hygiene
The Impact of Cleanliness
Personal hygiene blossomed around 1915. The proportion of urban homes served by "safe" water distribution systems increased. Soap manufacture jumped dramatically, bathrooms and laundries were constructed and people were encouraged to wash frequently, both their bodies and their clothes. Washing brought the concentrations of microorganisms below a dangerous level. Boiling and detergent 
uses revolutionised laundering.
Today, we have improved hygiene with a large safety factor built in. Overall, the effects are impressive: Life expectancy has increased nearly 40% while infant mortality rates show a 60% decline from 1950 to 1995.
Simple personal hygiene caused the silent victory of public health in the pre-disinfectant era and contributed significantly to reducing disease incidence.
uses revolutionised laundering. Today, we have improved hygiene with a large safety factor built in. Overall, the effects are impressive: Life expectancy has increased nearly 40% while infant mortality rates show a 60% decline from 1950 to 1995.
Simple personal hygiene caused the silent victory of public health in the pre-disinfectant era and contributed significantly to reducing disease incidence.
The Age of Personal Hygiene
A recent analysis of historical data by Professor V. W. Greene, University of Minnesota in the United States, suggests that the dramatic decrease in global infant mortality, from 179 of 1,000 in 1850 to 50 of 1,000 in 1940, can be attributed to a temporal association between disease incidence and personal hygiene status. Analysis of a common factor - cleanliness level as reflected by soap utilisation - remains a consistent health determinator.
Data from 120 countries show that when soap is used for personal cleanliness and laundering, the graded consumption increase from <2 kg/capita to >8 kg/capita is closely related to a decrease in infant mortality.
Then came the age of disinfectants. Together with soap, these have had a lasting effect on us.
These data indicate an evidence of synergy and provide a rationale for combining disinfectants with cleaners to help achieve and maintain hygienic living conditions. However, a disinfectant isn't necessarily an aggressive "bomb" (e.g., the classical harsh hospital grade disinfectants such as phenols) with an alarmingly low human and environmental safety profile, especially if it is meant for household use where the microbial load is lower than that of a hospital.
Data from 120 countries show that when soap is used for personal cleanliness and laundering, the graded consumption increase from <2 kg/capita to >8 kg/capita is closely related to a decrease in infant mortality.
Then came the age of disinfectants. Together with soap, these have had a lasting effect on us.
These data indicate an evidence of synergy and provide a rationale for combining disinfectants with cleaners to help achieve and maintain hygienic living conditions. However, a disinfectant isn't necessarily an aggressive "bomb" (e.g., the classical harsh hospital grade disinfectants such as phenols) with an alarmingly low human and environmental safety profile, especially if it is meant for household use where the microbial load is lower than that of a hospital.
Related Scientific Publication:
Greene, V.W. Personal Hygiene and Life Expectancy Improvements Since 1850: Historic and Epidemiologic Associations. American Journal of Infection Control. 29 (4), p. 203.