Whew, I'm knackered...
Been a long day. Did lots. That's not what I wanted to write about.
I have been musing for some time on the tension between environment-friendliness and hygiene. Are the two mutually exclusive?
Take dishwater temperature for example. In order to be environmentally friendly and save power, we are recommended to keep our hot water cylinder no hotter than 55degC. According to the food safety course I took about four years ago, dishes should be washed in water at least 65degC.
Don't use vicious chemicals in your wash. But they kill germs. Because of those vicious chemicals, our waterways are polluted and our kids get allergies. But they also don't get diphtheria and other nasties nearly as often as they once did.
Don't use plastic food wrap. But it prevents cross-contamination in your fridge, from (for example) raw chicken juice getting into your milk and raw vegies. Ewww!!!
Don't use more toiletries than you need to. But soap and water and washing your hands often is the best way to prevent the spread of germs, and if you water down the soap, it's not going to kill as many. The strongest survive.
Don't do laundry more often than you need to, and certainly don't use hot water. Or iron unnecessarily. But considerable (gross, anyway) amounts of fecal matter remain on your clothes and towels. And teatowels, and therefore plates and cutlery, if you don't wash them separately. Ironing kills germs. Cold water washing with minimal detergent doesn't.
Sunlight does. I wonder how many?
Are environment-friendliness and hygiene mutually exclusive? No, but only if you're willing to work a whole lot harder than anyone who doesn't care.
I'm not. So I'll compromise and try not to feel guilty any time anyone does anything different from me.
I have been musing for some time on the tension between environment-friendliness and hygiene. Are the two mutually exclusive?
Take dishwater temperature for example. In order to be environmentally friendly and save power, we are recommended to keep our hot water cylinder no hotter than 55degC. According to the food safety course I took about four years ago, dishes should be washed in water at least 65degC.
Don't use vicious chemicals in your wash. But they kill germs. Because of those vicious chemicals, our waterways are polluted and our kids get allergies. But they also don't get diphtheria and other nasties nearly as often as they once did.
Don't use plastic food wrap. But it prevents cross-contamination in your fridge, from (for example) raw chicken juice getting into your milk and raw vegies. Ewww!!!
Don't use more toiletries than you need to. But soap and water and washing your hands often is the best way to prevent the spread of germs, and if you water down the soap, it's not going to kill as many. The strongest survive.
Don't do laundry more often than you need to, and certainly don't use hot water. Or iron unnecessarily. But considerable (gross, anyway) amounts of fecal matter remain on your clothes and towels. And teatowels, and therefore plates and cutlery, if you don't wash them separately. Ironing kills germs. Cold water washing with minimal detergent doesn't.
Sunlight does. I wonder how many?
Are environment-friendliness and hygiene mutually exclusive? No, but only if you're willing to work a whole lot harder than anyone who doesn't care.
I'm not. So I'll compromise and try not to feel guilty any time anyone does anything different from me.