Pore-deep cleanliness – a pipe dream, which suggests us especially the advertising. However, it should prevail not only in the kitchen and bathroom, but preferably everywhere. In advertising and supermarkets, more and more cleaning products are offered that are supposed to put an end to all organisms in the household. But do we really need it, the perfect cleanliness?
What are microorganisms?
Microorganisms include bacteria, yeasts and molds. Microorganisms are very small. They measure 1/100 to 1/1000 mm and individually can only be seen under a microscope. Only when they have proliferated and are present in an accumulation of several million, they become visible without a microscope. So because they are usually not visible to the naked eye, seemingly “clean” surfaces, objects, hands or even food can be “unclean” from a microbial point of view, i.e. colonized with germs.
How dangerous are microorganisms?
Now, the human body is not defenseless against microorganisms. Since our environment is naturally populated with a wide variety of germs, humans are used to dealing with them without getting sick. Incidentally, this also applies to some pathogens if they are only present in small quantities and the body is healthy and thus ready to defend itself.
On the contrary, confrontation with germs actually has advantages, because in this way we train our body’s own defenses – an important prerequisite, especially in childhood, for not becoming constantly ill or allergic. In addition, numerous microorganisms in our intestines perform good services, e.g. in digestion.
Things only become problematic when the germs multiply very strongly. Cell division can quickly turn one germ into thousands and several germs into millions. An unclean damp mop, for example, can easily be colonized with 100 million germs per square centimeter and more. If this is used to clean surfaces, there is no longer any question of “cleaning”. Instead, it becomes a “germ slingshot”.
Replace the dishcloth and sponge regularly and hang them up so that they can dry out. Heat the wet washing-up utensils (provided they do not contain metal) every morning for two minutes on the highest power setting – this will kill 99% of all germs! You don’t have a microwave? Then why not put your plastic-handled dish brush in the dishwasher with your next wash cycle.
