Eek, a germ - Essay

I recently helped a friend move and the items contained at least four really big, and I mean big, boxes containing a mind-boggling array of cleaning compounds. She refused to toss a single one of them.
In my own place, there are disinfectant wipes, stainless steel cleaners, soft scrubs, hard scrubs, wood cleaners, green cleaners, deadly poison cleaners, vinegar, baking soda, pop up sponges (I love these), Trader Joe kitchen wipes, nylon scrubbing pads, steel wool scrubbing pads, hand sanitizers, Mrs. Meyer’s stuff, and much much more. I bet you have at least some of this too.

After the recent publication of the book, “Brandwashed”, by Martin Lindstrom, I’m beginning to suspect that I’ve been marketed to. Shock, horror. Sure you’ve gotta wipe down a counter if you’ve had raw chicken lying around on it, but do you really need five different compounds to clean a bathroom?
Lindstrom, a marketing guru, reveals the incredible lengths to which companies will go to get us to buy. Some of it is familiar, but some of it is new: did you know about the giant fake supermarkets where they scan your brain? Or, that grocery stores direct you counterclockwise because most of us pick up things to buy with our right hand and hold our baskets in the left.

It’s all very meta, because Lindstrom’s a guy who’s been doing it to us for years, marketing-wise, and he’s promoting the book on tv shows that exist only to sell us things. That’s what all tv shows except the premium cable shows are about, and the premium ones of course, are selling themselves.

I doubt I’m going to stop buying cleaning stuff. I’m in way too deep. But if you ever come over, you know you can have a cup of coffee from a really clean cup.

And, oh, pick up your copy of “Brandwashed” today!