Cleanliness is a good habit, but too much of it can have adverse effects. More than 95 percent of the world’s bacteria are harmless to humans. Many are extremely beneficial. This means that disinfectants have no place in a normal household except when obvious contamination is present. Water and a drop of cleaning fluid is enough to reduce the bacteria population of your floor by 90 percent. That gives the normal, healthy bacterial population of the floor, a chance to recolonise the territory. What remains of any harmful elements is so little as to be negligible.

The aim of cleaning, then should be to reduce bacteria numbers, but not to eliminate them. Even harmful bacteria can be good for us when the immune system uses them for training. In general bacteria get out of hand only when they encounter perfect conditions, a protected location that is warm and moist, and provides a supply of food for them.

Washing dishes and utensils – after cleaning, rinse in water with
vinegar to get rid of any trace chemicals from the cleaning agents.

Some fruits, like apples, are waxed for protection during transit, and hence need to be washed in warm water and rubbed thoroughly to remove the wax. Peeling the skin of such fruits may not be a good idea as most of the phytonutrients would be concentrated in the skin. Of course many other fruit do need to be peeled.

Precautions for food preparation:

As a general rule food or fruit that you eat raw, should not be peeled or cut and left for long before eating. This is especially important when it comes to onions. Peeled and cut onions are a magnet for airborne bacteria and even viruses. Folk lore advices that few cut pieces of onion be kept next to the bed of sleeping person as protection from infections. Therefore it is important that onions should be peeled and cut just before eating. If you have to peel and cut them in advance, then immediately cover with ‘cling’ film to prevent oxidation and contamination.

So also with potatoes.

Washing hands:

A very good and effective habit to inculcate, especially for children, to prevent illnesses and infection. Wash your hands on coming home, before preparing food or eating and also after going to the toilet and after working or playing, especially with pets. Children may absorb too much alcohol and chemicals from hand sanitisers and hence should use such sanitisers with caution.

Research shows that cold water is as good as warm water for washing hands and that about 10 secs (the time taken for 2 to 3 breath cycles) is generally long enough to remove most bacteria.

Greeting:

A Namaste or bowing is a safer way to greet people than shaking hands or even bumping fists or offering ‘High Fives’, especially in view of the increased prevalence of drug resistant bacteria these days.

Note:

1. To avoid ingestion of toxins, remember:
2. No plastic containers while microwaving foods. Use
3. No plastic water bottles, in the refrigerators
4. No plastic wrap to cover dishes for microwaving. Use a paper
5. Research has not determined any link between the Aluminium plaques in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients and the use of Aluminium dishes or pots. Remember Aluminium is extensively found in the soil and hence may have other channels into our body.

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