The Dettol vs. The Dirt

Sometimes I think that other people must think that my house and my child (and me) are dirty, because I really don't clean up her or the house as much as I could, e.g., I don't always wipe Abigail's face/hands, thinking bathtime will sort her out. Although I instinctively think that I'm ok to be relaxed about this, I thought it'd be worth investigating for my own peace of mind: I can either be defiantly dirty in my parenting or clean things up a bit. 

My reasons for being relaxed, but not neglectful, about cleanliness are based on 1. The idea that exposure to low level bugs and germs must help boost your immune system, in a similar way to innoculations and vaccinations, and 2. To promote some independence in my daughter, and 3. Weighing up the need to clean up vs. consideration for the environmental waste it produces.

First, I have done some research and found that there is a bona fide scientific theory behind a bit of dirt is good for you - yey! (NB: When I'm talking about dirt, I don't mean raw meat or faeces - in case any confusion there...)

The Hygiene Hypothesis

When searching for this hypothesis in a scientific journal database, over 25,000 articles came up relating to it. von Mutius (2007) summarised it in the abstract of her paper "Allergies, infections and the hygiene hypothesis – The epidemiological evidence":

The ‘hygiene hypothesis’ was first proposed by Strachan in 1989 suggesting that infections and unhygienic contact with older siblings or through other exposures may confer protection from the development of allergic illnesses. This hypothesis has evolved in various ways exploring the role of overt viral and bacterial infections, the significance of environmental exposure to microbial compounds, and their effect on underlying responses of innate and adaptive immunity. So far a truly unifying concept is still lacking, but various pieces of a complex interplay between a host's immune response, characteristics of the invading microorganism, the level and variety of the environmental exposure, and the interactions between a genetic background and a range of exposures become apparent. All these pieces eventually assemble to the clinical presentation of a complex syndrome namely of asthma and allergic illnesses. Even if today practical implications cannot directly be deduced from these findings, there is great potential for the development of novel preventive and therapeutic strategies in the future based on the concepts of the ‘hygiene hypothesis’. 

One example is regarding a skin's ability to heal either read BBC news article, 2009; or this You Tube video from a Texan scientist! (and Happy Thanksgiving to you too), who summarises the original Nature paper:

There are also three references to the hypothesis in the New Scientist magazine (though unfortunately, not fully available unless you subscribe): "Dirty babies get healthier hearts" (2009), "That gut feeling: How friendly bugs protect us" (2008) and "The dirty truth about allergies" (2006).

The key message from this hypothesis is that our immune system has evolved to cope with a germ-filled world. If we don't encounter many pathogens during infancy (0 - 2 years), we aren't being prepared properly for future exposure to various bugs and beasties that we might otherwise be able to cope with independently.

Phew.

However, I cannot read/find any critical reviews of the papers, comparing pro- and anti- hygiene hypothesis evidence as I don't have access to the full articles. I do not know what the current research balance is, whether the general consensus is supportive of this hypothesis. Things do seem (from a distant, internet search) fairly positive. Wikipedia provides an impression of the need for a better summary of the theory, if you click onto the talk page. There is also a simple factsheet on the HH produced by the International Scientific Forum on Home Hygiene in 2008, who review such studies.

Letting her play, letting her eat 

Another problem with cleaning up after Abigail all of the time is that it interrupts the flow of things - you end up being a spoil sport - she's having great fun, yeah maybe got a bit of food on her face and hands, but she's learning to eat and enjoying the process of eating and drinking. She's working out how to eat - she's only little and has to practise somehow! One example is drinking from an open cup - there are going to be spillages, but I'm not going to berate her for it, I don't want to discourage her from trying to figure out how to do it and no one learns anything and gets it right first time (I failed my driving test 4 times, I know about learning!).

More than that I don't want to associate something silly like getting some yoghurt on her face or dropping some weetabix on the lino with being bad or naughty (or any other negative label) - I'd rather save those for issues that really are worrisome  - I don't know, getting poo on her hands (but even then terms like 'bad' and 'naughty' don't sit that well... I'd hopefully clean her up quickly and explain that poo is dirty and we need to wash our hands if that did happen [potty training is at a very early stage at the moment, so watch this space]).

This approach applies to eating, drinking and playing - well anything where development is going on through opportunities to learn and explore, yet where also a bit of mess or muckiness might also occur. I am trying to let her get on with the process as much as possible, not wanting to interfere with or attach negative feelings with her just trying to learn and have fun. A bit of chalk on the carpet, cheese on the floor, upturned puzzles, etc. don't really do any harm (apart from maybe a bit of strain for the person clearing up afterwards!). Of course, if Abigail is running towards the sofas with a face covered in butter or chocolate, I do try and intervene....

I also think that perhaps, if a child is used to being cleaned and cleansed at any moment they get mucky, this might build up a difficulty in coping with future mess situations, will they be able to cope when they have to cook and get a bit messy in the process (think bread dough, filleting fish, putting the bins out [remember the overflowing bins in university halls when no one else emptied them?])? I don't want to bring up a high maintenance child - it won't be good for her. This scenario can also be applied to many other aspects of life, bringing up children who are independent, easy-going, take the initiative and able to think for themselves.

Hopefully teaching to tidy up can be included in this too - make mess as part of play, or accidentally, but learn how to clear up too, even if it is just sometimes. After all, it is an opportunity for them to mimick Mummy which is something they love to do anyway! Abigail spills her drink at times, normally absentmindedly banging into the table with some limb or another and a bit of drink spilling onto the table. I've ended up grabbing a muslin and wiping it up, but also asked her to clear up and she 'cleans up' herself (then I finish it off). Now, if she spills I can ask her to go and get a cloth and clear it up and she'll walk to the kitchen drawer where cloths and tea towels are and bring one back and wipe up. This is the same with her learning to put her cups on coasters. I don't make a big drama out of her spilling something, I don't try and make her feel bad for doing it, I just say 'oh dear' or something like that and talk through what's happened, and that we need to clear up now and be more careful next time.

For another view on playing with your food, see my sister's foodie blog.

Waste not

Part of my reason is also environmental - I don't like the idea of unnecessarily wiping up after Abigail because of the demands on the environment - either another non-biodegradable baby wipe in the bin, or another dirty muslin to wash. I will clean up after Abigail, but only when it is needed.

So what things do I clean up and worry about?

As I said, I don't think my house is that bad. Things I do make sure are done are cleaning towels, sheets, clothes etc after any stomach bugs have been around - washing at 60 degrees; clearing up after the cats, e.g., if they bring a mouse in or get caught short (this isn't often but I don't like it when they do and the disinfectant is out and so are the cats!); making sure wet / damp cloths, flannels etc aren't left out to grow things in such a lovely environment. I try to keep Abigail away from bins and toilets. I hoover the carpets fairly regularly, sweep and mop the kitchen floor weekly at least. Another point is apart from the absolute necessary cleaning for hygiene, there isn't much time in the day to keep the house spotless anyway, so you just have to live in the best way you can and after a long day, scrubbing the skirting boards isn't really a priority (dinner and anything decent on the telly is closer to it -I know, we live in a party house).

However, to check I'm covering the important bases, I've checked the web for some useful sites:

How to prepare and cook food safely (NHS)
Ways to prevent food poisoning (Health Protection Agency, HPA)
Home, Hygiene and Health International Forum, Recommendations for home environment factsheet

 Right, better go and do some washing up now.