I got an interesting email from someone who subscribed to my email updates. When you subscribe you get a free copy of my green cleaning recipes and apparently this rubbed someone the wrong way. What was sent to me was basically a plea for me to stop providing online information about natural cleaners, remedies, alternatives, etc. It was hinted that these were sisterhood secrets shared between women for millenia and that by sharing them online I was actually doing more harm to the green/natural movement than good. But I am not sure I agree with the logic.
Yes, I understand that by sharing with other women that they can effectively clean their home with naught but baking soda, vinegar, oil, and some lemons…potentially the prices will go up for these items. That is the way consumerism works. If women everywhere start buying up lemons, baking soda, and vinegar, then these items become hot commodities and the price goes up. The email requested that I please consider poorer women who would then be forced to use the cheaper, chemical cleaners. Only women of means would able to afford greener cleaners.
BUT this is in essence saying that the “secrets” cannot be shared with women of means, condemning THEM to use chemical cleaners. So it is not so much a green issue but a money issue. The people of means buying up naturally green products will motivate the market to price them higher, putting them out of reach of poorer families. But is limiting information so that fewer people buy natural/green the answer???? It MAY, as the email stated, help the poor but it surely won’t help those that aren’t.
I totally understand the logic but keeping these secrets to protect the poor is doing a disservice to those of means. I think that EVERYONE should have knowledge that there are more natural ways to clean your home and take care of your family. These should not be kept secret from most of the population to keep prices from going up. While I love the idea of helping poorer moms, I am not loving the idea of keeping natural/green secrets from other moms.
Another part of the email stated that I could redeem myself by encouraging others to learn to make their own vinegar and distilled water on a mass scale so that we can then share with the less fortunate. Also to invest in the production and manufacturing of Bicarbonate.
What do you think? Should the secrets shared between women for all these years remain relatively secret to protect the poorer classes or should ALL women be let in on the secret of keeping things natural, healthy, and affordable. And if prices skyrocket and they are no longer “affordable” have we done a disservice to the poor?
And just in case I need a little redpemption you might check into this book: Lost Arts: A Celebration of Culinary Traditions. It includes instructions on making vinegar, among other things.
