Too Clean -Or- Not Too Clean

Too Clean -Or- Not Too Clean

There is an “official report” out that some of us are too clean.  Yes sir, we have anti-micro-bacterial-ized ourselves in to super cleanliness. “Stop,” touted the piece I was reading, “using those sanitizing wipes.” Seems that we are killing the “bugs” that help our immune system do its natural thing; protect us from bugs. So my brain slips right into sleuth mode to figure out why this piece of information and things like these are reported.

First of course there is a reason to worry about not having enough germs for your body to use to keep you healthy.  But digging further and more to the point, seeing this as a type of espionage I came to the conclusion that it is the antibiotic supplying drug companies that are running rampant in the streets telling us we are killing too many good germs.  See if we kill the germs that keep us healthy, they in turn will not sell as many of their miracle systems to keep us healthy.  Go ahead and re-read that part—I’ll wait…

But as you should know by now, that is not where I am going. Instead of cleaning ourselves, let’s just take a look at the cleaning system we use in our houses shall we? I know I know we all have that dark place under the sink where things hibernate until juice is spilled or a floweret of cheese covered broccoli just happens to fall off the plate to the carpet. (I’m sure it was quite by accident.) Then it is, time to go in, as the marines would say.  Go, get down on your knees and retrieve your go to solution of cleaning product that promises you will not have to scrub too much rub too hard or otherwise work at getting the spot clean.  It will be a miracle! Seems the supply of miracle solutions is endless. One time when I was trying to decide which cleaner would be the best to use on the spots of unknown origins in my carpet I just gave up and bought a cleaner that smelled the best.  I thought; if I have to be down there with my face close to a source of yuck I might as well try to imagine myself romping through a field of lavender or bouncing from cloud to cloud of fresh scented spring air.

It is futile to think that some soapy happy smelling solution you spray from a plastic container will actually remove cherry flavored drink from your carpet.  I want something that bubbles up when I spray it.  Something that causes the stain to run from me as I madly swat at it like it is a zipping centipede running across the kitchen floor trying to escape from me. But I’m sure if that product was out there I would use it until my carpet looked like it was the head of a ten year old after she had tried to give herself a haircut and all that was left were these little tufts of hair sticking out here and there.  But clean, let’s not lose track of the fact the carpet would be clean!

Back to those reports that the anti micro bacterial wipes, soaps, cleaners sprays and on and on that are out there are not good for us.  It’s a dirty sticky world today.  I use hand sanitizer and wipes.  I have noticed fewer colds for myself. More than that, when I use these products I just do not feel quite as sticky.  When you grab onto the shopping cart handle do you get sticky?  Do you put the veggies from the produce department in the upper basket of the cart?  Just where do you think the parents put the sticky children? Yep same place as your celery and lettuce!  When you get out at the gas station do your feet get sticky? I have not come up with a solution for that stickiness. But that grocery cart thing?  I do now take some of the offered wipes at the store I shop at and then take the time to wipe off the handle and the top shelf of the cart before I put anything in there I am going to buy.  It may just be my imagination but I feel less sticky doing this. So maybe there is a tendency to overuse these products, but let’s not lean too far the other way and dismiss them all together. Remember that moderation is the key. Except of course for chocolate! Yum…

Trina Machacek lives in Eureka. Her book ITY BITS can be found on Kindle.  Share your thoughts and opinions with her at itybytrina@yahoo.com.