We’re surrounded by products that keep us away from dirt: shopping cart covers, antibacterial soaps, hand sanitizer, disposable plates, and ultra-pasteurization for almost everything. The United States has become a hub for mysophobia or molysmophobia: a society terrified of dirt. When did germaphobia become so popular? It’s not a new thing. Infections have long been a legitimate societal fear. A possible contributor to our modern germaphobia may be an incomplete understanding of germs and bacteria. As technology has progressed, we have better grasped that microscopic agents can make us sick, but we haven’t evolved a precise understanding of which of these actually cause illness. This gap in knowledge has caused a wholesale avoidance of all things “dirty” and this may, in fact, be harming our health. Experts note that a little dirt helps create a healthy immune system, and the absence of these gentle immune builders can have long-term health consequences. Society and marketers teach us to focus on removing all dirt and microbes, but many health practitioners believe that in avoiding all bacteria, we've gone overboard in practices that damage both our health and our environment. Eventually, dirt will be washed off, but don’t overdo bathing. While hand washing with regular soap and warm water should be done frequently, a full bath need not happen every day. Focus on cleaning the sticky, the stinky, and the “Yikes! Don’t get that on the couch!” kind of dirt. For everything else, a proper run through the sprinkler might just be clean enough, leaving some healthy, immune-building dirt behind. Similarly, cleaning your home with antibacterial disinfectants full of toxic chemicals is largely unnecessary. Most everyday dirt and messes can be taken care of with warm, soapy water. It’s entirely possible to practice good hygiene while still getting a little dirty.
