Let’s Talk About SAFE Cleaning, Shall We?

We take long showers, change clothes every day, and wash our hands regularly. Is this doing us more harm than good? A 2015 BBC article bravely questions.

A moment’s thought is enough to realise that we live in a world that aspires to hyper-sanitisation.

From bath soaps to utensil cleaners to bathroom cleaners and washing machine detergent – the promise is 99.9% of germs killed, and the premise is simple: microbes are bad for you.

However, there are two counterarguments to this discussion worth considering:

1. A certain degree of contact with the microbial biodiversity in our environment is essential to prevent our immune systems from going into overdrive and perceiving every minor encounter with a foreign substance as a threat. This is what is happening these days with the growing spike in allergies.
2. What about the chemicals laden within household cleaners that, while keeping surroundings clean and safe from bacterial harm, are doing nothing but wreaking havoc with our health and wellness?

The idea that our homes, workplaces, and nearly all external environments must be rid of every last germ has spurred a culture of over-cleaning that disrupts the natural balance of microbiota.

It’s why shelf after shelf in our supermarkets is bursting with cleaning products – each one claiming to be better, more sophisticated, and more reliable than the previous one.

The production of powerful antimicrobial cleaning products has profoundly altered the way we clean our homes.

While the idea of a squeaky-clean home may sound lovely, it’s worth giving the labels of all your cleaning products a closer look the next time you purchase them.

Did you know that, on average, we are exposed to about 62 chemicals through contact with household cleaners that are linked to a plethora of health issues ranging from asthma to cancer, reproductive disorders to hormone disruption, and so many more?

Some of the most common ingredients in household cleaning products include parabens, ammonia, chlorine bleach, quats, triclosan, and triclocarban, which are all readily absorbed through the skin and air in varying degrees.

Once inside the body, they act gradually, very slowly, upsetting the delicate microbial balance within.

This balance is not only crucial for our immune systems to constantly learn to cope with toxins, but some of them also form vital roles in major body functions.

The human digestive system, for example, is riddled with thousands of bacteria, fungi, and other microbes.

These are essential contributing factors to our gut health.

In recent times, gut health and the presence of these bacteria have been widely promoted as a marker of good overall health.

The reason this is crucial is that these bacteria are responsible for breaking down toxins, producing vitamins and essential amino acids, and creating protection against dangerous organisms.

According to a study published in Nature, at 3.3 million, microbial genes in our gut outnumber previous estimates for the entire human body.

Meanwhile, more recently, this disruption in the microbial balance in the gut, caused by exposure to chemicals in household cleaners, has been linked to childhood obesity.

The key to balanced physical and mental wellness lies in a well-balanced gut.

However, when the antibacterial chemicals in something as basic as your hand soap are found to kill your gut bacteria and ruin your microbial health, it’s hard to choose between health and hygiene.

That’s not all. Traces of some of the toxic chemicals like triclosan and triclocarban have been found in human blood, mucus, and even breast milk.

So, with this context in mind, one has to wonder what good cleaning is if it isn’t also simultaneously safe for us.

The real-life consequences of what is now called ‘microbial warfare’ can be life-threatening in the long run.

In wiping out all traces of microbial presence, we also run the risk of boosting sub-populations that are actually naturally resistant to these chemicals.

In a regular, balanced atmosphere, healthy microbial presence would far outnumber these bad boys and, in this manner, keep us safe from harm.

The wiping out of entire microbiota has contributed significantly to the rise of allergies and superbugs.

If this is all beginning to sound bleak, here’s the good news.

Despite years of being told that nothing cleans our toilets, floors, and kitchen platforms as well as strong-smelling, chemical-ridden cleaners do, the tide is now slowly turning.

If the focus is now on restoring a natural microbial balance, the answers also lie in natural means and methods.

At Organica, we’re taking this a step further by developing solutions for household cleaning products that are natural, safe, and sustainable.

ThinkSafe is our range of non-toxic, non-corrosive, ammonia and chlorine-free biodegradable home cleaning products.

Made entirely from plant-based ingredients, this is a safer option that contributes to a healthier home, a cleaner environment, and better air and soil quality around you.

Microbe-friendly, pH-balanced, and chemical-free, the ThinkSafe range is designed to safeguard and restore the biology and ecology in its areas of use.

• It’s great for you: You’ll definitely eliminate the chances of absorbing harmful chemicals through your skin or breathing.
• It’s better for the environment: Many of the same chemicals in cleaning products are not only harmful to humans but also to the environment. When they drain out into the sewage systems, they end up adding chemicals to the soil, waterways, and even the air around us. This, too, inevitably finds its way back into our bodies.
• It’s great for the community: One of the pivotal truths about enforcing change at a large scale is to seed that change in a small way. If every household in urban and rural India were to become just a little more conscious about the chemicals in their cleaners and choose a natural, safer alternative, it could have tremendously beneficial results for the environment over time.

The truth is, while cleanliness may be a good virtue, science offers an interesting perspective on how disrupting the natural balance in microbiota will always come at a cost.

The answer isn’t in avoiding cleanliness, but rather in inspecting and examining what we put into our cleaning products and devising ways to ensure they no longer harm the ecological balance while also providing safe and effective cleaning solutions that do not compromise the environment or our health.

• Also Read – Chemical Cleaning Products Are Destroying The Ecosystem And Your Septic Tank