Something a little different today. Since yesterday was Earth Day and, in my life, every day is Earth Day, I’m sharing an article I wrote when I was a columnist for the Peace Country Sun newspaper. It appeared in my weekly column, “Everyday Earth Wise” published March 25, 2011.
Good old Elbow Grease Good for the Environment
By Diane Schuller
People’s germ phobia is having a direct adverse effect on the environment. Triclosan and triclocarbon, which are the active ingredients in antibacterial soaps and products, are now floating around in our rivers, streams, lakes, and in rural water tables. On March 17 the University of Alberta released a press release stating that getting rid of bacteria was as simple as using some good old elbow grease.
First, I want to explain a bit more about those dangerous and useless antibacterial soaps. Despite studies and plenty of news reports demonstrating the harmful effects of antibacterial soaps to our health and to the environment, I am amazed at how often I see them in people’s homes or in public washrooms. It has been openly proven that our defences against germs have been hampered through the use of antibacterial products and that these antibacterial products have been the source of the development of super-bugs that are often resistant to antibiotics. So why are so many people still using them? Looks like the slick advertising trotted out by billion dollar companies is working better than the proof laid out by scientists.
Here’s some good news for a change. The U of A study demonstrates that by simply “swiping a plastic surface three times will get rid of most bacteria.” They compared the use of wiping surfaces with a disinfectant wipe and using a tissue dipped in saline. The saline did an equally fine job of removing bacteria. Sarah Forgie, a pediatric infectious disease specialist, said, “It was the mechanical removal, not the actual act of the disinfectant that was the key.”
A simple saline solution, something everyone has at their fingertips, is just as effective when using three swipes to remove bacteria. The three-count apparently is the ‘magic number’ according to their tests. They tried fewer and more swipes to determine that three passes with the saline solution was all it took to achieve these results.
Many of you will recall that in previous columns I have recommended using pure vinegar or salt for disinfecting surfaces. It’s great to see there has finally been a study comparing these methods to using the harmful antibacterial products.
It’s important to know more about how pervasive triclosan and triclocarbon are in our environment. Researchers in the US including Johns Hopkins University and University of Minnesota discovered that when these two chemicals are exposed to sun in the waterways that they create a carcinogenic dioxin that also makes it through sewage treatment plants. There is a very good reason this is important for us here in Canada to know. More and more farmers in the USA are spreading sewage sludge on their fields so these two chemicals are now ‘fertilizing’ their crops. Guess where the majority of food crops that are sold in the major grocery stores come from? You guessed it. British and European food markets have banned food from these farms.
While checking various sources for this column, I came across something else I thought I’d share on this topic. In the words of journalist and environmental author Adria Vasil, “Why bother using antibacterial soaps at all when an FDA panel and the American Medical Association have said that antibacterial soaps and washes don’t reduce household infections any more than washing with regular soap?” I’m with Adria on this! For the safest and most environmentally conscious soap, purchase handmade bar soap at the local farmer’s market.
Need a refresher on how to make saline solution? Here’s how: In a saucepan add a teaspoon of salt to every cup of water, heat & stir just until the salt is dissolved, allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. You now have a safe, effective, and cheap bacterial product.
A little elbow grease – three swipes – goes a long way!
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{Shown above: fresh lemon and salt for cleaning wood chopping board; packages of goat milk soap with no added chemicals or additives; handmade soap from the farmers market.}
If you enjoyed this why not share it with a friend or post about it on social media. Thank you for reading and sharing your time with me. — Diane