Spring Cleaning..

Growing up, "spring cleaning" was an annual ritual in our house. I remember my mother breaking out the bleach, ammonia, Lysol, and any other cleanser she could rummage up from the basement and using them to wage a full-scale war against all the dust and dirt that had supposedly set up camp in our house over the course of the winter. I remember her washing every available surface in the house, from the floorboards to the ceilings. And I remember hating it -- and looking for any excuse not to be there on spring cleaning day.

What I DON'T remember is actually noticing the filth she always proclaimed we were living in. Which perhaps has led me to my own complete disregard for the tradition I grew up with (although I admit I've always felt a bit inadequate that I never seem to get around to the sort of thorough spring cleaning my mother mastered). But it turns out that, for once, I may actually be the one setting the good example. According to "germ expert" and University of St. Louis professor of clinical laboratory science Donna Duberg, for most of us, there's really no need to attack our homes with a barrage of harsh cleansers each spring.

In fact, Duberg asserts that being too thorough in your cleaning efforts can actually be dangerous. For example, she says, "Some people scrub their toilet bowl with a product that contains ammonia to remove rust stains, then follow up by pouring down a shot of bleach. They think that extra little bit of effort will kill germs. Actually, they're making chlorine gas, a caustic mixture that actually was used as a weapon during World War I."

Contrary to what many of our mothers believed (and passed down to us), for most areas of the house, vacuuming and wiping down surfaces with warm soapy water is plenty. Kitchen counters and bathroom sinks may need a bit more strong-arming to rid them of any lingering bacteria, but a solution of bleach diluted with plenty of water will do the trick -- no need to combine forces with other cleansers (and risk inadvertently whipping up a toxic cocktail).

"Other than that," Duberg says, "wash your hands often and just relax."

(((now doesn't that make you feel better?? You can spend more time in the garden, or reading or fishing...
ahhhhhh I do believe I will frame this and hang it on my wall..