Gimme a Clean Break

My friend West Nelson sent me a link to this Discover Magazine article containing twenty fun historical facts about cleanliness or rather, lack of cleanliness. The most surprising tidbit: toothbrushing wasn't commonplace until World War II.

Once the western world discovers that "cleanliness means health", we of course, take it too far. Read about the guy who died from excessive cleanliness. But even ordinary folk (non-OCD sufferers) take it too far. Experts are attributing increases in childhood asthma and eczema to lack of exposure to germs and bacteria.

Bottom line: wash your hands with normal soap and water, don't touch your face and don't be a freak.