Cleanliness generally means being clean and hygienic. Nursing care involves personal hygiene, removing dirt, and protecting the entire body, including skin, hair, and nails. Simultaneously, infection control entails ensuring that the surfaces of all objects, including human skin, are free of pathogenic microorganisms.

Regarding physical hygiene, hygiene concepts based on individual lifestyle habits and cultural background have a significant influence. Therefore, it may not necessarily match the medical standard set for cleanliness, and there are considerable individual differences in how it is practiced. There are various methods to maintain cleanliness, depending on the body part and purpose, such as bathing, showering, ablutions, cleaning the body, and brushing the teeth. In addition to removing dirt from the body, it is indispensable for physical, psychological, and social reasons, such as providing a refreshing feeling, promoting blood circulation, and maintaining lifestyle habits. Furthermore, maintaining such personal hygiene prevents pathogenic microorganisms from entering the body through the skin and mucous membranes. It is also important in protecting individuals from infection because it plays the role of a non-specific defense mechanism that prevents proliferation. Meanwhile, regarding infection control, the boundary between cleanliness and uncleanliness, which is used in a bacteriological and hygienic sense and constitutes opposing concepts, is more clearly indicated in environmental zoning and numerical standards.

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