Cleanliness Isn't Free!!!

For many people, hygiene is one thing we don’t compromise on. As in, not having money will never be a reason to be dirty. Sadly, many people are in this category. You could be on the bus and you won’t be able to breathe properly because the person sitting beside you is oozing a terrible odor. You could have that one street in your neighborhood that you avoid because to walk through it, you’d have to hold your breath, and many times, the smell sticks even to your clothes.

Being clean is a choice, and for many people, it’s not really one; it’s more like a way of life. This is simply because they can’t function otherwise. My mom can’t cook in a dirty kitchen. If there are dirty dishes in the sink or the floor is unclean, she won’t be able to focus on the food she is cooking until that issue is taken care of. I, on the other hand, handle it differently. I’d be very uncomfortable if the floor of my kitchen is unswept, but having dirty dishes in the sink has never stopped me from cooking.

The truth is, hygiene is a personal and collective endeavor. The clothes you wear and the life you lead will let people know if you value hygiene. There are people whom you’d go to and you’d want to throw up. People who throw all manner of things in their sink. Imagine people throwing food in their sinks and leaving it there to rot. Then, the whole kitchen would be stinking. What about those who seemed to be scared of mopping their floors? I hate wet floors with everything in my being. So much so that I have rags in every room in my home, so that even the tiniest drop of water will be wiped off at once.

Personal cleanliness is cheap. Soap is cheap. Water is basically free. If you can’t take the time to wash your own clothes or utensils, then how can you have the time to actually do work that will make you money? Being clean has nothing to do with the money you make, but the more money you get, the broader your choices get. You can then choose to hire maids, buy washing machines… but if you were never clean to begin with, getting rich won’t make you any cleaner. You just might get better at covering it.

But then, like I said, cleanliness can also be a collective endeavor, because in this case, money can play a key role. You could be the cleanest person in the world, but if you live with dirty neighbors, you’ll be frustrated to the fringes of your sanity. Have you ever lived with a dirty roommate before? Or had dirty neighbors?

I’ve never really understood people who claim to be clean but perform dirty acts. You keep your home clean, but then throw trash out through your windows onto the compound floor. Or you throw dirty water right on the road, causing it to smell. What about people who live in high-rise buildings, throwing trash from that height down to the ground? Or those who simply chuck their trash over the fence?

When you live with neighbors who don’t value cleanliness, it will get to a point where you’ll start wondering if you’re simply doing too much. People will refuse to pay to hire someone to clean the compound; they’ll insist on cleaning it themselves. But when it’s their turn, they’ll either not do it or do a rubbish job of it. It’s so crazy!

When you’re in such an environment, having money is paramount because for you to have peace, you’d need to leave. Having money will give you the power to move to a better neighborhood, where people are more inclined to be cleaner. If not, you’ll be forced to remain there and live with the dirty neighbors.

So yeah, personal cleanliness is free of charge, it’s just sad that many people prefer not to utilize it. But then, collective cleanliness isn’t free of charge at all. If you don’t like one place, you pack out and go somewhere else. No stress.