The Wisdom In Washing

The Wisdom in Washing

The Bible has a lot to say about cleansing, be it the body, a household item, or the soul. There is always more to learn and understand. Today, I wanted to focus on physical hygiene. Do you see the wisdom in washing?

Nowadays, nearly everyone understands at least a little bit about the concept of germs; the idea that there are harmful living organisms on surfaces that need to be washed off of oneself, others, items, etc., in order to prevent the spread of disease, spoilage, etc. Germs, hygiene, etc., weren’t always so well-understood. Take a look again at the Bible. Do you see all of the care that God has put there in caring for us as children? See how the instructions were for our benefit, even down to how to dispose of our waste, keep our water, food, and house clean, keep disease from spreading, and how one should become clean?

The Bible does mention the use of soap and water, which every person needs, but are you using them effectively? What one person learned and now takes for granted, another may have no clue about. It has been my experience that we are ignorant of what we don’t know.

Here is a checklist of cleaning practices that you may consider for yourself and others that might help you. There are four prime ingredients for making good laundry detergent. We will use that as our guide here to consider, and then add on to it.

1. Time: Are you taking long enough to really get yourself or that thing clean? I am learning a new habit of reciting the hand washing blessing/prayer (from the Siddur) as I wash my hands to make sure I’m spending enough time washing.

2. Temperature: The energy involved in heating up the water for washing is a necessity. Any observant homemaker will note that certain items (be they dirt or cleansing ingredients) do not dissolve or do their job well unless the water is hot. Also, heat helps to cleanse. I think about how many verses refer to refiner’s fire, purging with fire, and cleansing items through fire (items that can endure the fire).

3. Chemistry: Just water isn’t enough to really cleanse. Sometimes soap is needed, or washing soda, or borax. Sometimes bleach or hydrogen peroxide. Use the cleansing articles that are best suited for the job. For example, borax whitens, but would be bad to use for dark clothes. Certain oils require soap to be removed. Also, some soap may not be best to use on your body. Either your skin is sensitive to a certain ingredient, or the soap dries out your skin, or perhaps the soap isn’t properly cured (too much unreacted lye). Vinegar makes a great cleanser for hair (dissolves shampoo and calcium (hard water) build-up, critter killer), and makes streak-free mirrors.Make your jobs easier on yourself by considering what cleansing article(s) are best to use and where. Another note on chemistry: Be wise and circumspect in the use of cleansing articles and herbs for controlling/cleansing from parasite, bacteria, and pest problems. Obvious or invisible, pests can be deterred/controlled with proper use of cleansing articles. Don’t just think of the regular soaps as cleansing either! Get creative with your herbs and other household items. Tip: Many bugs don’t like thyme or mint.

4. Agitation: Yes, good ol’ elbow grease. Sometimes it takes scrubbing to really get the job done. That washer doesn’t actually scrub the spots away, but moves the clothes around. The same goes for a dishwasher (Hermit IS the dishwasher in the Hermitage). Are you scrubbing yourself too? We need scrubbing, not just good hot water and soap. Dead skin, dirt, oil, and bacteria doesn’t just blow away in the wind or come off in the rain! Some people I know have grown up without being taught what a washcloth is for. You don’t have to buy those fancy scrubbies; a washcloth will do.

I cannot stress enough the importance of scrubbing. There was a person who thought that standing in the shower and letting water run down was enough to get clean. I’m not sure if they used soap, but there wasn’t any scrubbing going on for sure. This happened for a long time, with all sorts of unclean things building up and growing, mostly unseen. Then this person got a puncture wound in their skin, in their leg. It was a very small wound, but bacteria are much smaller. That person almost died from the wound quickly going septic; they almost lost their leg in a fight to survive. All of this because they didn’t wash properly.

Additional points to consider:

• Feet: Proper foot care is essential, because, if you let problems grow in your feet (pun intended), you can cause your very steps to become painful and labored. Are you using the same pair of socks everyday? Stop that!! Are you using the same pair of shoes/slippers? Your footwear should be able to dry out on the inside before you put them on again (otherwise they are a perpetual wet jungle of uncleanness). Now to your feet themselves: Are you scrubbing off your callouses? Some people’s feet grow more callous than others, but regardless, it’s still dead skin. Underneath the dead skin is the source of the funky smell: bacteria. Soak your feet to get them soft, then scrub away. Scrub them while showering (scrub with something harder than a washcloth; get tools). Don’t neglect your nails either. Fungus can affect them too, as well as in-grown nails. Keep your nails healthy and trimmed. You would take care of your livestock’s feet, especially if they pulled burdens, so why not yourself too? Walgreens sells excellent tools for foot care, including ointment for the nails and tinactin for the feet (the active ingredient you need is tolnaftate). You can use some home remedies like vinegar lemon juice spray or hydrogen peroxide, which help the feet, but don’t neglect the other essential steps of your foot care.

• P.S. On Feet: If you suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, and your feet flare up red and hurting, I recommend dark cherries or cherry juice. Himmit has benefited greatly from this.

• Other: Because we always have the “other” category, don’t we? : ) Consider other parts of your hygiene: your skincare, hair, nails, shaving, etc. What are you doing now? What’s working? What isn’t working? What can you do to improve it, or perhaps what is a better time to slip in that task?

“But Hermit!”, you might be saying, “I don’t have time for this!!” Who does? The list will always be there. Your health is important. Think of how much less you could do if your feet were messed up. Think of how much time you save in choosing the right cleansing ingredients! I want you to see the wisdom that God has placed in HIS Word, even about washing. Start small in practice and study, and you will see improvement both in your routine and in your understanding of God’s Word. When I say “small”, I mean very small, like the Atomic Habits talks/books that are out there. The Atomic Habits concept emphasizes the fact that many repetitions of very small things are more successful at building habits than one large quality attempt. I personally don’t have time to file all of my nails at once. But I can file 1 fingernail on each hand right before bed. It’s just a minute or two. I don’t have time to pre-treat a whole load of clothes, but I can scrub a few in between chores and start the cycle earlier, letting it soak in the hot soapy water. I can use vinegar to clean a spot on the wall in a moment instead of scrubbing unsuccessfully with soap and water. Make small changes, put a washcloth in your shower, place the nail file next to your pajamas, lay out one shirt for a pre-washing scrub/soak...little things. Good habits lead to more good habits. Don’t strain to see the end of the race and give up over the long distance in between. Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.

The physical shows us a glimpse of the spiritual. Look harder. They aren’t just rules. They are glimpses of the care and character of God, as well as hints at how we are to approach HIM, and how HE truly makes us clean. The next time you are cleaning, showering, Pesach cleaning, or resting on Shabbat, take a moment to consider how God’s Word should affect every aspect of your life, reminding you of your relationship with God. What things did you notice? What did you realize that you could change? What did you learn about God and your relationship with HIM?