When I was newly pregnant with my firstborn, we made lots of changes at home. I was also taking microbiology. I learned many valuable things here about cleaning. Let’s be honest, my husband does most of the cleaning in our home… so HE learned lots. I help, I do…
Anyways. We are organisms, duh. But more importantly, we are COVERED in organisms. They live on us and in us. An average of 10lbs of our gut flora is microbiota. Fascinating. I’m sure everyone has heard of being “too clean.” That’s right. You destroy all your natural protections (including your environment, skin, and digestive tract) and you’ll be battling chronic illness. There was a study that showed 60% of contaminants in water when placed on the skin, were absorbed systemically. Skin is your first layer of defense; it’d be wise to protect it!
So what about our homes? I understand sanitizing public areas, ick, but what about our houses? As a general rule, our germs in our own homes won’t kill us, so there is no need to try and sanitize every surface. If you regularly have visitors or someone is sick, sure, take extra cleaning measures. But, there is really no indication for heavy cleaning products (antibacterials, antivirals, antiseptics, you get the point?) and too much in your toilets could kill your septic! That leads to additional maintenance and is toxic to the environment. No septic? You realize that water gets recycled? Help those microorganisms do their job, don’t kill them. We live in this environment, might want to help it flourish. What’s more is: this is about YOU!
You could be contaminating yourself with those cleaners in your immediate environment…
•If you won’t spray it on your skin, why is it on your floors and counters that you touch?
•If you won’t inhale it, why are you spraying it in your air?
•If you won’t pour it on your body, why do you wash your clothes in it?
•If you won’t ingest it, why do you use it to wash dishes? Those soaps and/or detergents touch the foods you consume and liquids you drink.
Think about it.
Those cleaners don’t entirely wash off, does anyone follow their surface cleaning routine with a power rinse? Do you really think detergents are completely washed off of your clothes (ever use scented?) or soap off your dishes? Those are questions you need to think about when you purchase cleaning products and chemicals at the store. READ THOSE LABELS. Google in the aisle if you must!
No, we didn’t immediately pick up recycling, start bicycling everywhere, and go green; but, we threw out so many harsh cleaning chemicals. Baby steps. We changed our detergents, soaps, and my beauty products. A basic (not antibacterial) soap and water is perfect for everyday cleaning of your home! We stopped using fluoridated toothpaste, a confirmed neurotoxin! No, we aren’t perfect and sometimes you unavoidably buy crappy products that look safe. Or, the company you trusted goes rogue to save money. It happens. Know better, do better.
I don’t know why I didn’t share some of this stuff sooner. I hope this helps you on your journey to better health habits. More to come…
Shalom, light, and love.
Sites to consider:
https://www.thinkdirtyapp.com/
https://www.ewg.org/
informedconsenter.com 