X. Cleanliness of Rooms and Walls
Florence Nightingale, 1860Cleanliness preserves health
Let no dust remain — use damp cloth
Every surface must be washable
Air circulation requires clean walls
No amount of ventilation helps dirty room
Remove carpets from sick rooms
Oil paint best for walls
Old papered walls harbor filth
Musty smell = animal exuviae on walls
X. Cleanliness of Rooms and Walls
📌 FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLE
"No ventilation can freshen a room or ward where the most scrupulous cleanliness is not observed."
Unless wind blows at 20 miles an hour, dusty carpets, dirty wainscots, musty curtains will infallibly produce a close smell.
🧹 THE PROBLEM WITH DUSTING
Current system: Flapping dust from one part to another with doors and windows closed. From the time a room begins to be a room, no one atom of dust ever actually leaves its precincts.
Correct method: Wipe everything with a damp cloth. Furniture should be made to withstand damp wiping.
📋 FLOORS AND CARPETS
- Berlin lackered floor: Wet rubbed and dry rubbed every morning — really clean
- French parquet: Always more or less dusty
- Carpet in sick room: Perhaps worst expedient ever invented. If you must have carpet, take it up 2-3 times a year instead of once. Dirty carpet literally infects the room.
🧱 WALLS — FROM WORST TO BEST
| Type | Assessment |
|---|---|
| Papered wall | WORST — requires frequent renewing |
| Plaster | Can be redeemed by frequent lime-washing |
| Glazed paper | Gets rid of some danger |
| Oil paint | BEST now extant — can wash animal exuviae off |
| White non-absorbent cement/glass/glazed tiles | IDEAL (if made sightly enough) |
🔍 WHAT MAKES A ROOM MUSTY
Animal exuviae — the particles shed from bodies, old skin cells, organic matter. These are what you must wash away.
📝 Key Takeaways for NCLEX
- No ventilation helps an unclean room
- Use damp cloth, not dry dusting
- Remove carpets from sick rooms
🧠 Mnemonic Summary
- DUST OFF: Damp cloth only, Unless removed it stays, Surfaces washable, Take up carpets, Oil paint walls, Frequent cleaning, Floor matters
Source: Notes on Nursing: What It Is and What It Is Not, Florence Nightingale, 1860. First American Edition.