The surprising health benefits of dirt

However, it would be unwise to encourage any play in an actual compost heap, especially for people with weakened immune systems. “They can be ideal homes for sporulating fungi, including species that can be pathogenic to people,” says Dr Kieran Bates, a lecturer in microbiome science at London’s Blizard Institute. “A recent study found that many of the fungal isolates collected from compost were resistant to multiple frontline antifungal drugs used in hospitals.”

While some dirt is good for us, Dr Bates insists that it’s wise to retain some caution.

Holiday near rural farms 

You don’t need to go as far as milking a cow, but walking in fields where there are grazing animals is a good start.

“We have evolved throughout human history to co-exist with a diverse range of microorganisms both in and among us, yet our modern lifestyles, spent largely indoors in relatively sterile environments, are a stark contrast to those of our ancestors, “ says Dr Louisa James, a senior lecturer in immunology at the Blizard Institute. “It makes sense that activities which increase our exposures to the rich diversity of the microbial world, can have an overall beneficial effect on our immune health.”

Research carried out on over 6,000 randomly selected animal farmers has suggested that people who grow up on farms have lower rates of Crohn’s disease, asthma and allergies. 

“Rural environments – especially farms – are naturally more biodiverse than cities which explains this reduced rates of allergies,” says Dr James. “In terms of asthma, pollution and a lack of exercise are also important contributing factors for lung health.”

 A paper in 2017 compared microbes in the guts of 18 populations in 16 countries. Their study showed a clear distinction between the microbes in people living in industrialised societies and those living in what the investigators called “more traditional” societies.

These studies, explains Dr McCarthy, looked at isolated populations in the United States who still use old-fashioned farming methods, like the Amish. “They were found to have much lowers rates of allergies and asthma compared to the general public, this might be linked with the different types of microbes found in their homes.”

Don’t clean too much 

During the pandemic, many of us adopted germophobic levels of cleanliness. But curbing the instinct to reach for the disinfectant might be wise.

“It’s quite likely that less clean households contain lots of ‘microbial friends’ that produce chemicals our immune cells can detect,” explains Dr McCarthy. “This causes different immune genes to be switched ‘on’ and ‘off’ in useful ways, though scientists are still trying to figure out exactly how this works.” 

No one likes to imagine the bugs lurking as you sleep, but having high levels of microbial junk in your mattress has been linked with lower risk of hay fever, says Dr McCarthy. “Having a big family with lots of older brothers and sisters can reduce your chances of getting hay fever.”

It’s not a greenlight to stop cleaning altogether though. “While excessive cleanliness does reduce the microbial diversity in our environment, hygiene is absolutely necessary to prevent communicable diseases,,” says Dr James. “Raw meat for example can contain disease-causing pathogens, so cleaning kitchen surfaces after food preparation is sensible.

“It is really a balance regarding cleaning products; bleach-based or anti-bacterial cleaning products used moderately, as part of good hygiene practices, are important to minimise transmission of disease. But we certainly shouldn’t be creating sterile indoor environments. 

“In addition, the detergents in cleaning products can damage the barriers of our lungs or skin, this can trigger inflammation which in turn can increase the risk of eczema and asthma,” adds Dr James. 

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Old wives’ cleaning tips that use fewer chemicals 

“There are some really nasty chemicals in many cleaning products, which we inhale in the air, touch on surfaces and which end up in our streams, rivers and seas which wreak havoc on our waterlife and wildlife,” says Julie Macken, the founder of the organic company Neve’s Bees.

Her rule of thumb is that if it’s something that is safe to eat, it’s safe to use for cleaning.

White vinegar

Window cleaning: Start by brushing off and dust, dirt and cobwebs with a soft brush, then wipe off the worst of the grime with warm soapy water (such as eco washing up liquid), then spray with white vinegar (recycle as old spray bottle) and rub with a soft cloth quickly to ensure glass remains streak free.

Floor cleaning: Julie uses a formula inspired by Nancy Birtwhistle. You’ll need:

• 200ml white vinegar
• 50ml eco washing up liquid
• 1-2ml (about 20-30 drops) of essential oils like lavender or orange (if you want)
• 300ml glass bottle with a screw lid

Pour them all into the bottle and give them a good swirl. To use, half fill a bucket with warm water and add about 30ml of the cleanser and mop away. (If your floor is wood rather than tiled you need to use less)

Limescale remover for taps or sink: Vinegar is great on a cloth pad (or cotton wool make up wipe). Pour a little vinegar on the pad and leave on the limescale near the taps or in the sink for about 15 mins and it dissolves away the limescale

Natural citric acid 

Sold in health food shops online, this is a great descaler. If your kettle or teapot is full of scale, simply half fill the kettle with water and boil, then add 80g citric acid and leave for about half an hour then swirl it round, clearing any limescale from the edges or spout. It also works for teapots to remove tannin-stained limescale.

Beeswax

This is great as a wood polish for chopping boards, wood tables and wood furniture. You’ll need:

• 15g beeswax
• 45g oil (such as olive, hazelnut, linseed or coconut)
• 10-20 drops of essential oil (such as lavender or other woody scents such as pine, cypress or cedarwood)
• Optional 10 drops of vitamin E oil (wheatgerm) or rosemary which act as antioxidants and extend the life of the oil

This will make around 60g of polish, a standard sized shoe polish tin. 

Put the 45g oil and beeswax in a pyrex jug in a pan of boiling water, heat it gently, stirring occasionally until the beeswax melts, then remove from the heat and add the essential oil and optional vitamin E oil and stir well.

Pour the melted mixture into a tin or glass container and allow 10 mins to set (top tip: don’t use a narrow necked container because it’ll be difficult to get the polish out).