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Dr. Fuhrman Dr. Fuhrman

Dirt is good for you

brush

Gritty rats and mice living in sewers and farms seem to have healthier immune systems than their squeaky clean cousins that frolic in cushy antiseptic labs, two studies indicate. It's not just rats. Health Hacks has a great post about the dangers of being too clean. If this topic interests you, be sure to read the USA Today article To head off allergies, expose your kids to pets and dirt early. Really.

How to clean well

There is another reason why dirt may be good for you: most household cleaners are bad for you. For the times that you do want to clean, use plain old soap and vinegar (add some essential oils if you want a nice smell). It does the job just fine most of the time.

If you want to take natural housekeeping and self care to a higher level, I highly recommend Better Basics for the Home : Simple Solutions for Less Toxic Living by Annie Berthold-Bond. It gives recipes for everything, from household cleaners and laundry products to baby care products. For less crafty people the book also gives recommendations on non-toxic commercial products (probably more useful if you live in the US). Almost all the recipes are vegan, but some use animal products like gelatin, honey, beeswax and milk. The book is still very useful without those recipes.

Furter reading about non toxic cleaning/self care

June 23, 2006