Cleanliness is next to evilness

Excessive cleanliness in modern homes has led to a steep rise in allergies, a new report indicated. The conditions have become increasingly widespread in developed countries with hay fever, eczema, hives and asthma on the rise. The study, by Guy Delespesse, a professor at the University of Montreal Faculty of Medicine, linked the trend to the sterile environment created by the cleaning habits. “The more sterile the environment a child lives in, the higher the risk he or she will develop allergies or an immune problem in their lifetime,” says Prof Delespesse.