As a child, I can remember my mother always saying that a little dirt wouldn't hurt me. Now, it seems that this really may be true. Our obsession with cleanliness may be the cause of even more cases of allergies and asthma being found.
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"Hygiene Hypothesis" is what the doctors are saying is the root of more allergic diseases. This means that the cleaner we become, the more we remove necessary bacteria that would help bolster our immune systems against disease.
Dr. Joseph Flanagan, an Allergist says,
"You need some exposure to some bacteria to train the immune system. If our environment is too clean and antiseptic we may not get the chance to have that proper training of the immune system."
Soap and water is enough to do the trick, and sanitizers are not always a good thing. If children aren't exposed to some of this bacteria, from germs, pollen, or animals, as they mature, they will be less able to tolerate them. It's about moderation.
The bottom line is:
let kids be kids. If kids get dirty, it's natural and the doctors agree that it isn't necessary to be too clean.
"You should allow them to go and play and get dirty from time to time you don't have to keep them in an absolutely antiseptic environment," added Dr. Flanagan.
Doctors continue to research and look for the newest ways to handle the rise of allergies.
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When Cleanliness Becomes Too Clean
Bob Ewing 
