Michael DeJong is a clean freak and so is my mother.
DeJong, however, has a slightly different approach in relation to my mom’s personal fleet of cleaning supplies and brand names. In his first book, Clean: The Humble Art of Zen-Cleansing, he demonstrated how to use simple, everyday items to clean house, save money, and live sustainably.
With Clean Body: The Humble Art of Zen-Cleansing Yourself, DeJong turns towards the human body and applies the same holistic, wholesome principles.
As a clean freak, DeJong is incredibly sensitive to his environment. Everything makes him sneeze, he says, and most commercial cleaning products and grooming aids leave him choking. Jam-packed with chemicals and additives, the majority of products for cleaning and grooming we take for granted can be unsafe and harmful to our environment.
Instead of charging to the store and loading up on all of the latest smelly soaps, goopy hair products, and silky shaving creams, DeJong suggests a proud return to simplicity. With 89% of cosmetic products not undergoing safety testing and a myriad of harmful ingredients infused into the stuff, it’s no surprise that his approach seems attractive.
His miracle cleaning products, the five of them (six if we’re including water), are deceptively simple: baking soda, lemon, olive oil, white vinegar, and salt.
By advocating a return to simplicity and promising effective and oft-superior alternatives to chemicals as grooming and personal cleaning supplies, DeJong rallies against mass consumption and promotes a lifestyle bent on reclaiming the environment and the world.
DeJong’s writing style is habitually hilarious and always open and warm. He tells frequent jokes, letting the reader into his world and his life with self-deprecating humour (lots of bald jokes!) and a simple style all his own. DeJong offsets his cleaning and grooming advice with little quotes and some small illustrations with witty one-liners, deliciously matching the minimalistic nature of the little book.
Article comments
1 - Jeannie Danna
Nice article Jordan,
I know all the lotion and potions are causing major health and environmental problems in this world..that's another article and fight!
I would like to tell you about Tea Tree Oil; it's from Australia and I use it for bathrooms, floors and basic disinfecting. Tee tree oil smells fresh and leaves my surfaces absolutely sparkling clean...I bet your mom would like it. You can buy it at most Pharmacies or order on-line and it only takes 7 drops to a quart of distilled water to make a months supply. This stuff lasts forever...:)I spent about six bucks a year ago on a little bottle and I still have half of it left!