The hygiene poverty trap: how the coronavirus pandemic pinpoints our right to be clean

TW: Mentions of poverty and mental health.

Soap. Toilet roll. Washing powder. Hygiene poverty causes many of these everyday items to disappear from our households. In light of the coronavirus, these are also just a handful of the products which have disappeared from shelves.

It is not difficult to see why.

The pandemic has shone a spotlight on the importance of global hygiene.  Good hygiene not only reduces your chances of becoming ill, but it can be a great source of comfort in times of immense stress and turmoil. Naturally, when rumours of an impending lockdown began to spread, thousands of UK residents stockpiled hygiene products in bulk.  This lead to unprecedented gaps in our supermarket shelves.

But what about those who were already struggling to buy hygiene essentials, even before the crisis? How were they coping with the situation?

It may be hard to believe, on a surface level, that poverty of any kind exists in the UK.  However,  over 14 million people in the UK are actively living in some form of poverty.  This number accounts for one-fifth of our population.

Hygiene poverty is not the epidemic we hear about.  It is hidden, taboo, and comes in many shapes and forms.  From young girls rinsing and ‘recycling’ tampons to parents scooping waste from nappies, thousands of vulnerable mxn and womxn across the country are suffering in silence.  Many struggle to reach out for support, meaning people make a heartbreaking decision between feeding their families, or keeping clean.

It has been soberingly prevalent for several years, even before the coronavirus pandemic. I know from personal experience what it is like to sweep hygiene poverty under the carpet. There was a time when, aged eight, I often wandered into PE lessons with the same, smelly kit from months before.  The reason was simple: my parents simply could not afford a washing machine.

That was not my first brush with hygiene poverty. It happened again when, aged 14-years-old, someone in my family lost their job.  This meant meaning that for a good couple of weeks, I had no choice but to wash my hair with washing up liquid.

At the time, the hygiene poverty trap I was in felt like a means to an end.  It was what I needed to do to get by, and fortunately for me, neither of these situations lasted forever. Still, the stigma surrounding hygiene poverty has been hampering prospects for mxn, womxn and children across the UK for many years.  In my home borough on the Wirral, 1 in 5 families regularly crosses hygiene essentials from their shopping lists.

There’s little doubt in my mind the coronavirus pandemic has made the UK public more prone to hygiene poverty. Last month alone, In Kind Direct received a 120% increase demand for surplus or donated hygiene products. We do not know the precise number of families experiencing hygiene poverty as a result of the coronavirus in the UK.  Not just yet.

However, back in 2017, In Kind Direct’s Impact Report suggested a staggering 37% of the nation have either foregone or cut down on essential hygiene or grooming materials.  This is just to keep finances afloat.   If that statistic serves as a precursor, then it is safe to assume the number has spiked throughout the crisis.

Marking the spike in hygiene poverty in the UK is crucial. After all, hygiene is one of our most rudimentary social qualifiers.  When an individual’s hygiene drops for whatever reason, their likelihood of accessing public services, completing their education and accessing health support decreases.

For example, if a person were to attend a job interview with unkempt hair, their chances of getting that job – no matter their capabilities – are reduced.  People suffering hygiene poverty are frequently isolated, and this cycle of shame and humiliation exacerbates the problem, leaving people feeling humiliated and ashamed for reasons beyond their control.

The cost of proper hygiene can burn a hole in anyone’s pocket.  However, the cost of grooming products can deal a hefty blow to people on reduced incomes. Prior to the pandemic, the average family in the UK forks out £44.30 per month just to keep clean.  Because the cost of anti-allergic products is high, individuals experiencing hygiene poverty are restricted in terms of administering necessary self-care.

Now that a considerable number of the UK’s workforce is on a furloughed wage, the demand for hygiene produces has stagnated. In the days before the lockdown, the items which disappeared from our shelves suddenly made a frequent appearance on online markets.  There, packs of toilet roll and hand sanitiser often sold at extortionate prices.

Finally, the correlation between hygiene poverty and mental health cannot be underestimated.  There are concerns the modern lack of access to hygiene products will lead to long term mental health issues.  Hygiene is also an aid for several conditions, and simple things such as having a bath and washing your hair can temporarily relieve the symptoms of mental health, including depression, social anxiety and schizophrenia.

If the pandemic has taught us anything, it is that abundant hygiene essentials, such as handwash or deodorant, can rapidly transform into prized commodities. There’s no room for doubt that the coronavirus pandemic has drawn attention to the hygiene poverty trap in the UK.  To combat hygiene poverty, we must be willing to talk about it and break the taboo.

Hygiene poverty is unlikely to be a matter of life and death.  However, what hygiene is about is dignity, self-confidence and mental wellbeing.  Good hygiene promotes positive physical and mental health and improves your life chances.

And finally, in this scenario – pandemic or not – we all have a right to be clean.

April Ryan

Tweet to @April_L_Ryan

Featured image courtesy of Engin Akyurt on Unsplash. This image has in no way been altered. Image license is available here.