Cleanliness refers to the art of keeping our body, mind, house, work area and our surroundings clean. We can divide cleanliness into various types such as cleaning clothes, cleaning streets, clean surroundings, clean homes and personal cleanliness. We should make cleanliness our habit because cleaning of our body is important for good physical and mental health. Cleanliness of our surroundings and environment is essential for social and intellectual health. We should never compromise with cleanliness. Parents and teachers must encourage children to adopt the habit of cleanliness and make this a part of our lives. 

Cleanliness is not other’s responsibility. It is our own responsibility. It is very important to have a healthy living so basic cleanliness is significant in life. It is as essential as we need food, water and clothes to live. Absence of cleanliness leads to various types of diseases, illness and breeding places for flies, mosquitoes and cockroaches. 

Basic cleanliness starts from our own personal cleanliness and hygiene. To start with, we must wash hands regularly. Washing hands keeps germs and bacteria away. So, it is very important to wash hands before eating a meal. When we come back home from outside, the first thing we should do is wash hands to clean all dirt and germs. Every day we should take a bath and wear clean clothes. Clothes should be washed daily. After using the toilet, we must always wash hands with soap. We must cut or trim nails regularly. Cutting nails is essential for personal hygiene. If we don’t cut or trim nails regularly, then there is a high possibility for the dirt and germs to enter our body. In addition, brushing and flossing twice daily are also important for oral hygiene.

We must keep our homes clean all time. We should ensure that dusting, sweeping and mopping are done daily. Instead of littering our house with papers and wrappers, we must inculcate the habit of throwing them in wastebaskets. We should clean our bathrooms daily.  Our kitchen, where food is being cooked and stored should be cleaned and hygiene must be maintained. We must cover food all times so that flies and other insects don’t get into them. Utensils should be covered while cooking. After cooking and eating, dishes, spoons, glasses and other vessels should be thoroughly cleaned with hot water and soap. We should wash raw vegetables and fruits before consuming. We must eat fresh and hygienic food and avoid eating outside. If we leave food items out for a long time then there could be a growth of bacteria and viruses so refrigeration or other ways of storing food items is important. The source of drinking water should be proper. Drinking water should be either boiled or filtered through modern UV technology. Pest control and sanitization should be done periodically at homes to keep away cockroaches and flies. 

We must realize that keeping our surroundings and environment clean is as important as keeping our homes clean. It is the responsibility of every individual to keep the public places clean. One important way to keep the public places clean is to stop littering roads and streets. People should be educated not to spit and urinate in public. Proper toilets should be built in public places to avoid this. Proper sanitization of the drain pipes should be done. Everyone is responsible for the country’s environment. Cleaning the environment plays an important role in the development of a country. Cleaning our surroundings encourages people to do better work because it helps to reduce stress and focus well on work. It also provides employment to many people and thus reduces poverty.