Email – the marvels and madness – nonetheless, it has changed my life or at least a good hour or more of my time each day. According to an email I received from a friend a few days ago, I can now rid my cabinets and cupboards of toothpaste, mouthwash, six different bottles and spray cans of bathroom cleaner, three cans of disinfectant, nasal spray for allergies and sinus problems, Windex, and Clorox.
For those of you who know me well, you are wondering what kind of email would motivate an obsessive-compulsive, get-rid-of-those-germs-woman to survey her cupboards and to consider making a trip to the hazardous waste dump site to get rid of $45 worth of household cleaners. It was a communication declaring the marvelous health benefits of 3% peroxide, an amazing clear liquid in a one dollar brown bottle.
Peroxide is touted to whiten your teeth; whiten your clothes; disinfect your counters, bathtubs and bathroom bowls; get rid of gangrene, foot fungus and toothaches; kill bacteria in your sinuses; clear up skin infections; and clean windows and mirrors. This is a miraculous clear liquid that promises to change my life and reduce my household budget.
But I just have a couple of problems with the instructions in the email. One suggestion was to use a 50/50 mixture of the 3% peroxide, tilt my head back, spray it into my nostrils, and hold it there for a few minutes. I would be able to tell it was doing its job because the peroxide would bubble, kill the bacteria, and unclog my sinuses. Now to the question – the instructions didn’t tell me what the other 50% of the solution should be. And honestly, I haven’t been able to picture myself holding still for five minutes without drowning while stuff is foaming in my sinuses.
The other unimaginable suggestion was to swish peroxide around and hold it in my mouth for 10 minutes daily. It will get rid of canker sores and whiten your teeth – not bad results I suppose. A couple of problems with that – I can’t imagine putting something in my mouth that will clean toilets and kill foot fungus, and besides, I can’t keep my mouth closed that long.
Frankly, I’m wondering who actually wrote that 101 USES of 3% PEROXIDE attachment that came with my email anyway. I would caution you not to try these at home without adult supervision of at least one doctor, one lifeguard, and better instructions. Miracle liquid in a brown bottle. And it only cost a dollar? Hmmm…
Although this didn’t come by email, I’ll tell you I’ve experienced another miraculous liquid, the same living water that Jesus offered the Samaritan woman. That living water brings with it assurance, not just hope, but assurance of an eternity with my Creator God. And in the meantime, this Living Water cleaned me up, fills me with the peace of his presence, pours over me comfort, courage, and grace. It cost me nothing. I only had to stand with open hands and heart and let it wash over and fill me. But it wasn’t cheap – it cost him everything.
Image: CC Flickr jypsygen
