Hygiene issues in the home

There is a growing recognition of the involvement of the home in several pu blic health and hygiene issues and of the need to promote effective hygiene practices for the home. Hygiene practice in the home includes the categori es of personal hygiene, food hygiene, environmental or surface hygiene, and home health care. This article reviews some of the hygiene risks in the ho me, including the role of cross-contamination via inanimate surfaces and ou tlines hygiene strategies and guidelines for the home as a means of breakin g the chain of cross-contamination.