Since many of you understand about the harm of toxicity from artificial fragrances and chemical cleaners, I wanted to pass on this site which is a guide to the difference between cleaning and sanitizing and using safe products.
Normally I am not a big proponent of lots of over-sanitizing in the home. I had a Microbiology professor in college who helped her students to understand that we have to accept that the world of microorganisms is staggeringly vast. They live on every speck of dirt, covering every single surface of the earth, from our bodies to the seas to the forests. She wanted us to be comfortable in a world where microorganisms ruled and we could not survive without them. She was way ahead of her time because it had not yet been discovered that our gut bugs are vital for our immune systems or that antibiotics were creating Superbugs by allowing resistant strains to wreak havoc for patients in hospitals. The number of deaths caused by drug-resistant organisms is pretty shocking. The low end of the estimate is 153,000 annually. See here
In a health or medical practice, extra attention to sanitizing is necessary to protect patients from other ill patients, of course. For everyday purposes, at home, just regular hygiene with soap and water is mostly sufficient. Of course, bathrooms and kitchens always need special cleaning. But using chemical cleaners may do more harm than good. Chemicals can make bugs more resistant and stronger. And they are not required for general sanitizing.
In these particular times, and whenever there is illness, more over-all attention to hygiene and sanitation is needed. One thing to note is that it is not enough to “spray and wipe”. You can use bleach or hydrogen peroxide but they must remain in contact with the surface being cleaned for 4-5 minutes to do their work. Viruses are destroyed when these disinfectants break down the cellular wall, and that dissolution does not happen instantly. Use ½ cup chlorine bleach per gallon of water. Rinse the surface or the bleach will leave a film. Make sure the room is well ventilated because hot water may cause fumes that are toxic to breathe.
Hydrogen peroxide can be poured into a spray bottle and used undiluted right from the brown bottle it comes in. Be sure to let it sit for a few minutes before wiping. It can be sprayed into hard to reach places and left to dry without leaving a residue.
Granite or other stone counter tops clean well with rubbing alcohol diluted 2 parts alcohol to 1 part water. This can also be mixed in a spray bottle. Again, use in a well-ventilated area. Rubbing alcohol can be used to sanitize a sponge by letting the sponge sit in the solution for 10 minutes.
The other germy place in our homes is the laundry room and hampers. You can spray hampers to disinfect them. Clothes that are laundered at warm temperatures won’t be sanitized. That’s where your dryer comes in. Bacteria and viruses are affected by environmental changes. The dryness and heat in clothes dryers will eliminate a great deal, if not all, germs that may cause illness. Of course, if anyone is sick clothes and bedding should be laundered separately.
Non-chlorine bleach is a milder disinfectant, but it is still capable of destroying some viruses and bacteria and can be used for colored clothes.
Anyone remember the old 20-mule team Borax commercials? Borax is a natural mineral first mined in Death Valley, CA, and can also be used to whiten laundry and to disinfect. Here is a site that offers some other surprising tips on “clean and natural” disinfectants that don’t impair your health and safety while safeguarding your home. Remember that the natural world of microorganisms cannot be avoided and the point is not to kill them all off, but to prevent the bad bugs from making us sick.
Grapefruit Seed Extract is mentioned so I did the research. Here is an amazing study about its effect on avian flu virus and E. coli. You can use it to safely clean and disinfect fruits and vegetables. Dilute 20 drops in 2 cups of water. You can buy the drops online, and I recommend making your own veggie wash rather than purchasing commercially prepared products that may include other ingredients. Like Colloidal Silver, I recommend GSE for external use and not to take internally.
Cleaning devices like a computer, phone, or touchpads can be difficult since you cannot use liquids, but a UV light can work. Here is a link to a portable UV light.
If your hands are dry from all the handwashing essential oils offer some disinfecting treatments and a means to alleviate dryness and irritation at the same time. Just mix some essential oil with a carrier oil such as jojoba or argan or coconut oil and massage into your hands. Lotions often contain drying ingredients like alcohol which defeat the purpose. Oils are a better solution. Here is a list of wonderful essential oils and their uses
I so admire anyone who loves to clean house and wish I numbered myself amongst those that do. But have you ever noticed that the house seems happier when it is cleaner? Just an observation!
Even with all of that happy cleaning going on, being cooped up inside may produce a syndrome called “cabin fever”. Merriam Webster defines it as, “extreme irritability and restlessness from living in isolation or a confined indoor area for a prolonged time.” It’s bad enough when it is weather-related, but add the stress of uncertainty and disease and it can be multiplied.
Fortunately, there are many funny jokes and amusing photos circulating to give us a chuckle during this interesting time we live in. A good belly laugh probably chases away a lot of pesky viruses.
“A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.”
Proverbs 17:22
Here is a video with a message about medicine for the heart and soul and bones that is just as needed right now.