Could Your Dedication to Cleaning Be Making You Sick?

Stop cleaning. We're serious. Put down the Clorox. Step away from the Magic Eraser and dammit, stop dusting that bookshelf. And yeah, we see you about to put some antibacterial lotion on your hands and we're not happy about it. Why are we telling you all this? Because science has set us free, dear friends. We don't have to clean anymore, because research is mounting that says all that scrubbing and detoxifying might be the reason we all get so sick.

“Bacteria, fungi, lots of these things we think of as bad — they’re all part of our environment, and we evolved to live with them." Those are the words of Michael Zasloff, an "immunologist" and doctor at Georgetown University Medical Center. He told the Washington Post that the "hygiene hypothesis" — essentially, that we're all better off if we're exposed to more grit and grime — is an essential part of being healthy.

Kathleen Barnes, an immunogeneticist (yeah, and you thought "office manager" was an elite sounding title) at Johns Hopkins University agreed with Zasloff. Her take on the hygiene hypothesis is that if we're not exposed to dirt early in our lives, our bodies don't understand what is good and bad, and therefore it becomes, well, it becomes a bit of a wuss. While critics of Barnes' work say it's genetic, she is quick to put that theory to rest. "It can’t all be due to genes, because if we look at the prevalence of asthma or diseases of inflammation over the past 50 years, we see it’s definitely on the rise," Barnes told the Washington Post. "It’s some interaction between the genes and the environment that’s causing these rates to skyrocket."

It's not surprising to learn that Barnes' big enemy is antibiotics. Many people have said that doctors over-prescribing them is a problem for people. Barnes supports that theory and says a little weird bacteria can only help. "Knowing what I know about the hygiene hypothesis, I think twice before I run to a physician for an antibiotic" she explained. "I also think about the foods my family eats. We eat a lot of yogurt for the beneficial bacterial cultures it provides."

Zasloff, for what it's worth, wants everyone to relax about the studies and even his own advice. He doesn't want you living like someone on one of those "hoarders" shows or anything like that. Just a little dirt here and little dirt there. That's all it takes to be healthy.

"It’s not that you should expose yourself to things that are going to kill you," said Zasloff. "We’re just talking about living in a more microbially rich environment. That means you don’t need to use antibacterial soaps or wipes, or clean everything with bleach, or even wash your clothes every day. Getting dirty isn’t so bad... Just use your common sense."

Unfortunately for Zasloff, telling people to eat dirt and then telling them to use common sense won't work out. Please stand by for rich hipsters across the nation to start "dirt eating parties." It's dumb as hell, and it's inevitable.

[Pic via Flickr - Mr. Thomas]