The doctrines of religion are resolved into carefulness; carefulness into vigorousness; vigorousness into guiltlessness; guiltlessness into abstemiousness; abstemiousness into cleanliness; cleanliness into godliness. Talmud. Division of Mishna, as translated by Dr. A. S. Bettelheim. Religious zeal leads to cleanliness, cleanliness to purity, purity to godliness, godliness to humility to the fear of sin. Rabbi Pinhasben-JaïrCommentary on the lines from the Talmud. See also Talmudde Jerusalem, by Schwab. IV. 16. Commentary on the treatise Schabbath. SchulSentences of Proverbes du Talmud et du Midrasch. 463.
Then bless thy secret growth, nor catch At noise, but thrive unseen and dumb; Keep clean, be as fruit, earn life, and watch, Till the white-winged reapers come. Henry VaughanThe Seed Growing Secretly.
Certainly this is a duty, not a sin. Cleanliness is indeed next to godliness. John WesleySermon XCII. On Dress. Quoted by Rowland Hill as a saying of Whitefields.