The makers of hand sanitizers claim that their products can kill 99.9% of transmittable germs. This is stretching the truth and the FDA is now coming down on them for advertising that their products reduce and/or eliminate many diseases. Many consumers report that the anti-microbial and anti-bacterial promises that these company make are simply not true. The high content of alcohol in the products is only one of several ingredients, including artificial color and artificial fragrance. Still, the availability of hand sanitizers in virtually every public place has fed the growing number of germophobes. Is it possible that the regular use of this chemical concoction and its subsequent entry through our pores is causing us more harm than good?
Our overuse of so-called germ destroying products and antibiotics has led to weakened immune systems. Our bodies were born with the ability to fight off most invading organisms, but we so often compromise the body’s integrity. Mother Nature gave us the most wonderful element for cleaning most everything. That element is H2O – pure water, whether in the form of rain, snow, or in the many bodies of water which dot the planet. We can add her other natural elements to enhance what water does, such as salt, sand, and a natural herb known as soapwort. We can use other natural ingredients like baking soda, lemon, and vinegar. These are the things that our grandparents and ancestors have used for millennia. Most of the things sold on store shelves these days are completely unnecessary and the only reason they exist is to allow the manufacturer to enjoy huge profits. Not only are these products a threat to our health; the containers and packaging that they are sold in adds to the already over-burdened landfills when they are not recycled.
Is it not better to wash away germs with soap and water, rather than just allowing them to accumulate, dead or alive? We must make the hygiene of our home as important as the hygiene of our body. If we regularly clean those things that can become breeding grounds for germs, such as doorknobs, toilet handles and seats, and trash receptacles; and if we clean up messes immediately and do not leave food sitting on dishes in the sink, we will head off germs before they have a chance to thrive. Cleanliness is really just a good habit that one can acquire and it is far better than allowing germs to multiply and then dowsing them with chemicals. Our phobias should be about all of those impossible-to-pronounce ingredients that make up so much of the products we use every day and not about those things that have been living with us since the beginning of time.
