My stomach tightened as I mentally prepared myself for a soggy ball of chemical-drenched cloth to make contact with my bare hand.
The United Club Lounge at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago has a good 100+ other places to sit, but I want this specific table in the very corner, which happens to be filthy; currently.
I peek my head into the kitchen to ask for a rag to wipe the table. The man who handed me the hot pink disposable cloth — after running it under tap water didn’t ask any questions.
Perfect. Exactly what I wanted. The tightness in my abdomen released. Fresh out of the box.
Feeling rather gratified as I move from vigorously wiping my table to the window sill, I’m interrupted by a man with wild gray untamed hair in a uniform mumbling through his alarmingly bright blue mask, “I could have done that for you!” He leans in close placing his blue gloved hands on the table raising his disapproving furry caterpillar brows.
I’m a little startled. I’m wondering if my vigorous wiping is against some policy? I attempted to shoo him off, fully aware that he wouldn’t complete this task with this level microscopic consideration, “It’s totally fine!” He doesn’t budge.
“I have chemicals!”
Oh no, no! I dodged that bullet already sir. I held back the laughter, but what a cosmic joke.
I absolutely DO NOT want the surface that I am going to get very intimate with for the next two hours to be covered in neurotoxic, corrosive, endocrine disrupting, nausea inducing poison.
Okay… I didn’t actually take this opportunity to educate him on the physiological dangers of industrial cleaning products. However, I did succeed in shoo-ing him away without contaminating my workspace for the day.
When cleaning products and disinfectants are used to sanitize any surface, there is a chemical residue left behind that can and most likely will be absorbed by our largest organ (the skin) and enter the body. Let’s also include the respiratory irritation from arsenic compounds and hydrocarbons —the fumes of the chemicals doused on surfaces in these establishments.
I could certainly continue this article forever. I could write a book. In fact, I will do just that.
Stay tuned loves. The Pure Way guide is gestating.
