35 Essential Personal Hygiene Products You Need to Stock
We don’t often think about personal hygiene products as being necessary prep items, particularly in emergencies. However, after a disaster hits, they’ll become a necessity. Not only do you need to stock up on toilet paper and hand sanitizer, but you should also consider other items.
I’m very concerned about the recent IT worldwide glitch; some airlines, hospitals, banking systems, and others were affected. What happens if our valuable truck drivers are stopped from delivering? Whatever you have in your house right now is all you’ll have until the deliveries can be resumed. It may be a road glitch or an IT glitch, who knows, but I want these items if I need them.
35 Essential Personal Hygiene Products You Need to Stock
Why Hygiene Products Should Be a Part of Your Preps
Most people think of food and water when considering preps, but other things are just as important. Hygiene products may not seem like a priority, but they can be essential for keeping your family healthy in an emergency. Hygiene products are critical for maintaining your health and well-being in everyday life and during a crisis.
Here are just a few reasons why you should make sure to include hygiene products in your preps:
- Hygiene products can help to prevent illness and disease. Keeping your hands clean and your body free of bacteria can reduce your risk of getting sick. This is especially important during a crisis when medical care may be limited.
- Hygiene products can help you to feel better. There’s nothing like a hot shower to make you feel human again after a long day. Even during an emergency, keeping yourself clean can help you maintain your mental and physical health and build morale.
- Hygiene products can be used as barter items. In an emergency, soap, toothpaste, and other hygiene products will be highly coveted. If you have extra supplies, you may be able to trade them for other goods and services you need that aren’t readily available.
So, remember to add hygiene products to your list of must-have items; they could mean the difference between staying healthy and happy and struggling through the situation.
35 Personal Hygiene Products You Need to Stock
If you’re like most people, you probably think of personal hygiene products as a necessary evil. Nobody enjoys using many of them, but they’re a fact of life. However, you may not think some personal hygiene products are more essential than others. Here are the critical Personal Hygiene Products You Need to Stock:
Toiletries
Toiletries include items to keep yourself clean and smelling fresh. You may not have access to quality running water to shower in an emergency. It’s important to stock up on these items so you can take advantage of the limited available water:
- Soap
- Shampoo & Conditioner
- Deodorant
- Toothpaste
- Toothbrushes
- Lotion
- Denture Cream
- Denture Cleaner
- Camp Shower
- Dude Wipes
Toileting Supplies
Toileting supplies are needed to keep you clean and comfortable in the bathroom. In an emergency, you may not have access to the water necessary to flush the toilet, so it’s essential to stock up on items:
- Feminine hygiene products
- Toilet paper or a Bidet or Bidet Bottles
- Diapers
- Baby wipes
- Off-grid toilet bucket
Cleaning supplies
Cleaning supplies are essential for keeping your living space clean and sanitary. Again, in an emergency, you may not have access to quality running water, so it’s essential to stock up on the following items:
- Bleach
- Trash bags
- Buckets
- Mops
- Sponges
- Cleaners
Laundry Supplies
Laundry supplies are essential for keeping your clothes clean. In an emergency, you may not have access to all these items, so it’s essential to stock up on items like:
Medical Supplies
In addition to keeping yourself clean, you need to be able to keep wounds clean with or without running water. Here are some hygiene items you need in your first aid kit:
- Band-aids
- Gauze
- Antiseptic wipes and Lysol disinfectant spray
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Cotton balls
- Hand sanitizer
- Epsom salt
Other Personal Care Items
Some other items you may want to consider stocking include:
- Barber comb & scissors
- Hair brushes and hair ties
- Chap-stick
- Lime oil (removes grease, sap & soot)
- Razors
- Water for cleaning and sanitizing
- Chia Seeds, Metamucil, or Imodium
What Hygiene Products Are Most Important?
While it’s important to have all of the items on this list, some are more essential than others. Toiletries and toileting supplies are the most important, followed by cleaning and laundry. Medical supplies and other personal care items are also necessary, but you may be able to get by temporarily without them if required.
No matter what, it’s important to have some form of these hygiene products in your emergency preparedness kit. By being prepared, you can help to keep yourself and your family healthy during a crisis.
From my experience, you can never have enough emergency water supplies! Having water allows you to bolster the benefits of many of the items I’ve listed, and can make others less critical. I have written numerous posts about why we need water, how to properly treat and store water, and how to make the most beneficial use of the water we have.
How Much To Stock
How much you need to stock will depend on the size of your family and how long you anticipate being in an emergency. A good rule of thumb is to have a three-day supply for each family member. However, it’s always better to err on the side of caution and have more than you think you’ll need.
When stocking up on personal hygiene products, it’s better to be safe than sorry. By having a supply of these items, you can help ensure that you and your family can maintain good hygiene during an emergency.
How to Store and Organize Hygiene Products
Now that you know what items to stock, you must know how to store them. Here are some tips:
- Store items in a cool, dry place.
- Use airtight containers whenever possible.
- Label all containers with the contents and expiration date(s).
- Rotate through your supplies so that nothing expires.
- Keep a list of all the items you need to stock so you can replenish your supplies as needed.
How to Barter Hygiene Products
Hygiene is often one of the first things to perform in an emergency. Clean water can be scarce, and there’s no way to keep yourself clean when you’re constantly moving. So, how do you maintain some semblance of hygiene when the world has gone into chaos? The answer is simple: barter or trade.
Hygiene products are some of the most valuable commodities in an emergency, so if you have them, you can trade them for just about anything else you need. Here are a few tips for bartering hygiene products in an emergency:
How to Barter
First, always have a stash of hygiene products readily available. If you have to evacuate, you won’t have time to look for them on your way out, so it’s essential to have them in a handy location at all times.
Second, be willing to trade other valuable items for hygiene products. In an emergency, people are often more interested in necessities like food and shelter than in luxury items. So, if you have something someone else wants, don’t be afraid to trade it for something you need.
Finally, remember that hygiene products are only valuable if used correctly. In an emergency, there might not be time for showers or baths, but you can still clean yourself and your clothes with soap and water. And, even if you can’t brush your teeth, you can still use mouthwash to keep your mouth as clean as possible.
Final Word
Hygiene is essential to survival, so it’s critical to plan how to maintain your hygiene in an emergency. By stocking up on supplies and knowing how to barter, you can ensure you and your family can stay clean and healthy amid chaos. May God Bless this world, Linda
I would add to that list bidet bottles. You will eventually run out of tp.
Hi Janet, good one, I will add it right now. Thank you, Linda
Denture cream
Hi Matt, good one, adding it right now! Linda
Great list, Linda,
If you had a star rating like with the recipes, I would give you five+ on this one because I am sure some have not thought about all of these items. And, a shout out to Janet and Matt as well for those additions for those who need those two items.
We have all categories well covered for probably a year. And, that includes our daughter and SIL in case they have to evacuate to our place. May have to ration a few things if they do, but we will make do. I’m almost back among the living from our four day absence. LOL!
Hi Harry, thank you, my sweet friend! I’m glad you’re back home safe and sound. Sometimes we have to see lists time and time again, to remind all of us including myself to keep stocking. Life is good when we have our own provisions and will not have to depend on anyone including the government for food or water. Mark and I just saw some people lined up to get water after a disaster on TV. I will not be in that line ever, I pray unless my house is toppled over. LOL! Linda
I just got 2 bidet bottles a couple of months ago. I also try to keep a stock of TP on hand, as well as all the other supplies you mentioned. Since I have a problem with inconvenience, I keep those supplies on hand. Having CKD isn’t fun at all.
We just ordered 16 bars of Zote laundry soap, and 6 bars of Castile soap. We also have quite a few bars of Dial soap, as well as bath wash. We usually order several bottles of shampoo from either Walmart or Amazon. Larry only uses Prell and I use first one and another. I always use conditioner, too. I’m trying to stock up as much as I can before SHTF. And I feel it will.
I’m wondering how you store your boxes Mac and Cheese? Right now ours are in a plastic box. I know the powdered cheese doesn’t last a really long time.
Linda, thank you so much for the list you make for us, and all the information that you share with us. You are a God sent to many of us.
HI Deborah, thank you for your kind words, my sweet friend. I do not buy boxes or plastic containers of mac and cheese for long-term storage. Long-term to me is 15-25 years. I do have #10 cans of freeze-dried cheeses and instant milk. Those Kraft Mac & Cheese are only good for a year or so. But one year is good if that’s what is in my pantry. I don’t have Mac & Cheese right now as I’m still living with my daughter until our house gets built. Great idea on the Zote laundry soap and castile soap! Thanks for the reminder about the bidet bottles, I am going to order some today. I just picked up 200 pounds of Kingsford charcoal briquettes from Sam’s Club. I ordered my 5-gallon blue buckets with Gamma Lids today. All will go to the storage unit until who knows when. Thanks again for your kind words, Linda
Deborah, I buy shells, rotini, elbows alone and get cheese sauce in can or jar…separately… we don’t eat enough of the boxes of mac and cheese to keep a 12 box pack from going bad…. this way hubs can have it as he wants it… since he uses cheese in several recipes. I can’t use it..
HI Denise, why didn’t I think of this??? LOL! Great idea for mac and cheese!! Linda
On all the items listed above we are set for 9-12 months some even a little longer. I may be still working on food and water, but, thanks to Linda and everyone else on this blog, and the pandemic which let me focus on online shopping, our storage closets are good.
The only additional I would make is Lysol disinfectant spray.
Hi Chris, yay for being prepared!! Good job! I should add that Lysol, I have so many from the pandemic still in the cupboard! Adding it now! Linda
I would add nailcare kit, with extra emery boards, tweezers, nail strengthener.,magnifying mirror, and a magnifying glass… these are invaluable in removing foreign objects,preventing nail bed injury,Also add: sanding block- for foot care .
If you need denture cream you also need a denture cleanser., anbesol oral gel. (+denture brushes,Mouthwash)… get plenty fizzy tablets they can be used to clean the commode too.
Vinegar- helps remove the burn from sunburn, and odor from clothes/softening as well.
HI Denise, thank you, these are awesome! Linda
Linda,
I would add denture cleaner to Matt’s Denture Cream. And a note for Deb on storing boxes of Mac and Cheese. I store mine by dumping a box into a mason jar along with the cheese packet and vacuum sealing it with my Dicorain Electric Mason Jar vacuum sealer. Though, you could just throw in some O2 absorbers. In the absence of oxygen it lasts for years.
HI Ray, I just bought that vacuum sealer you recommended, thank for the reminder! I will go add those right now, thank you! Linda
Thank you so much for your recommendation of the Dicorain Electric Mason Jar vacuum sealer. I do not have a vacuum sealer but do use mason jars a lot. The first time you mentioned it, I ordered it. Very pleased with how it works and that it stores in a small space.
Hi Carol, oh I’m glad you like it, Ray has great ideas. I ordered one too! Linda
There is a product targeting men but is for everyone called Dude Wipes. They are baby wipes targeting men who don’t want to smell like a baby behind even a clean one.
They also have different types like Shay butter and such that can assist with any issues that might be going on from diet, sickness or heat.
Many stores sell than like Walmart and local grocery as well as Amazon etc.
Mint Chill is my go to
Hi Matt, oh my gosh, I saw those Dude Wipes! I love it, great idea. I will look for the Shay Butter ones, great comment! Thank you, Linda
When I go to the dentist, they almost always send me home with a small tube of toothpaste, dental floss and a toothbrush! I use an electric toothbrush at home so I don’t really need them for general usage but I store them away in my preps. I figure that if the power is down, I have toothbrushes. And, I always have extras for travel, guests, my grandkids (invariably, they forget to bring theirs from home), to give away and my latest, donate to a food pantry at a local church.
I am sure, in an emergency or long term power outage, my biggest hygiene need is to care for my teeth. If my teeth aren’t clean, it wouldn’t matter if I was clean anywhere else!! Of course, I do want most of the other things on the list!!
As for laundry soap, I am totally sold on the laundry sheets. They are easy to store (take up very little space) and do a good job of cleaning the clothes. There are a number on the market but I only look for the ones made in the USA or Canada. I don’t use fabric softener at all, so I likely wouldn’t feel the need to store them.
One tip that I have: if you use it every day or so, store it!! And, store as much of it as you can.
Hi Leanne, as soon as I get settled in I’m going to get some of those laundry sheets! I use an electric toothbrush as well, but i save them just like you for visitors!! LOL! Great tips! Linda
May I add supplies for constipation and diarrhea? Supply shortages may result in changes in diet. Some people are very sensitive to a change in diet this way. Like going from fresh vegetables and fruit to canned. Or coffee and water being rationed. Decreases the fiber and and natural stimulus in the diet. So add a fiber medication as well.(I keep plenty of chia seeds on hand. They can be mixed into anything and fairly tasteless, so no bad taste. They work for both constipation and diarrhea as they draw water to the bowels and absorb overly loose stools.They are much cheaper than Metamucil or Miralax. Generic colace may be useful. To use gauze for wounds either tape or roller bandages are necessary. Antibiotic cream or ointment will help prevent infection.
HI MaryAnn, great ideas, I am going to add them to my list, thank you!! Good ones! Linda