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Reducing Chemical Pollution in the Home

© Savithri Shimada

Since the discovery of bacteria and viruses, a misguided sense of hygiene and its requirements has fueled a multi-billion dollar cleaning agent industry. Our media is full of advertisements for dishwashing liquids that are "tough on germs", antibacterial laundry detergents, kitchen cleaners that promise to kill micro-organisms, and the list goes on. It is only relatively recently that we have become aware of the toxicity of these cleaning agents, and even this knowledge is not enough to overcome the deep fear of "germs" - cleaning agents on the market are becoming even stronger.

The majority of cleaning agents on the market are poisonous and bear a poison warning on their packages. Airborne cleaner particles can build up in the respiratory system and cause long-lasting damage. Residue from bleaches and surface cleaners that remains on kitchen and table surfaces is easily transferred via our hands to foodstuffs when we prepare our meals. There is increasing evidence also that household bacteria are evolving to overcome our cleaners. Manufacturers are responding with ever-stronger anti-bacterial agents, effectively breeding "superbacteria" which will be immune to any cleaning agents we can manufacture, at greater costs to our health.

These concerns are directly a matter of human health. But if we, who must surely be adapting reasonably well to our own living conditions, cannot process the poisons in our cleaning agents, what hope do other living organisms have? When our cleaners enter sewage and other water systems, these ecosystems cannot cope with the poisons. This affects all levels in the food chain, and if we must view all things selfishly, we should recognise that being at the top of the food chain, we are ultimately hurting ourselves.

The irony of all this is that cleaning agents, no matter how strong their poisons, are not in fact very efficient germ-killers. Disinfectants kill bacteria only if they come in contact. Due to the different rates at which bacteria and germs die, disinfectants should be left wet on surfaces for at least ten minutes. Unless all the bacteria have been killed, once the disinfectant has been removed or has dried, the bacteria will begin to multiply again. Disinfecting is worthwhile if an area is clearly dirty, but disinfecting often will not be as effective as cleaning, disinfecting once, and then wiping the area regularly to remove dirt and leave clean and dry. Bacteria need moisture to multiply. Keeping all surfaces dry is the most important factor in reducing the growth of bacteria and moulds.

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