Mr. Editor:
Reading your news links this
morning, the article from Venezuela regarding military protection of food
distribution caught my eye.
One of the things the article
specifically mentioned is the lack of detergent for washing.
Recently, in our research we came
across the opinion that bathing with soap on a daily basis strips too much oil
from the skin, upsets pH balance of the skin, and leads to loss of Vitamin C
through the skin. Even bathing in hot water can disturb the balance somewhat,
according to this research.
Obviously, we don’t need a needless,
artificial drain of Vitamin C from our systems, but I was seriously doubtful
about whether a person can get clean enough to be civil without soap. However,
it does feel good to scrub down with unlubricated terry cloth and hot, running
water. The level of friction is refreshing, and it gets a person quite clean,
actually.
While we like our hot showers, how
many pioneers took a daily bath with a basin of cold water in front of a
blazing fireplace?
So, how much of humanity lives
without detergent? How many use soap only when it is most necessary? How many
get along with a little ash from the campfire as their only soap?
In washing, soap is helpful, but we
can do some things to reduce dependence on it. One is to use plenty of hot
water. Another is to avoid using excessive fat in the diet. Eliminating animal
fats from the cooking, as the Levitical law prescribes, makes the kitchen far
easier to clean without soap. Plant-based fats generally emulsify more easily
than animal fats. Ideally, use the oils in their natural form as far as possible–
those found in seed or fruit or grain, and avoid cooking with unstable,
unsaturated fats that turn to plastic when they oxidize. Coconut and olive oil
are probably the best free fats to use in cooking.
Also for the laundry, don’t think
you can’t wash clothes without soap! They may not come out as clean, but it is
certainly better to use water and elbow grease than nothing at all.
Having grown up with a father who is
self-employed, at home, as an auto mechanic, I do have a healthy appreciation
for good old dish detergent! That has been the old standby for turning black
hands back to their proper, non-contaminated color and condition. Dirt, ashes,
and other materials can be used to aid the washing, but they take a lot more
time and effort, with less effectiveness.
There’s one last thing, for those of
us in snow country. Snow is “wet” water, and it contains a noticeable amount of
hydrogen peroxide. Rubbing, scrubbing, and tromping the wash in snow is
excellent for cleaning and disinfecting. Freshly melted snow water is good,
too. So, with the help of a sauna or other means of thorough warming, we can
stay very clean in winter.
Another benefit to snow is that the
hydrogen peroxide in snow makes seeds (lentils, in particular) sprout within an
hour or two–even though they are cold! (I discovered this by accident.) You can
duplicate this by adding a trace of 35% food-grade hydrogen peroxide to the
soak water. Try it! Also, rinsing sprouts with snow/peroxide-water tends to
prevent spoilage. Take care, and God bless. – C.F.
From
the Survival Blog
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