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Dirt is unclean matter, especially when in contact with a person's clothes, skin or possessions when they are said to become dirty. Common types of dirt include:

dust — a general powder of organic or mineral matter
filth — foul matter such as excrement
grime — a black, ingrained dust such as soot
soil — the mix of clay, sand and humus which lies over the bedrock

Cleaning

When things are dirty they are usually cleaned with solutions like hard surface cleaner and other chemicals; much domestic activity is for this purpose — washing, sweeping and so forth.^[1]

In a commercial setting, a dirty appearance will give a bad impression of a place such as a restaurant. The dirt in such cases may be classified as temporary, permanent, or deliberate. Temporary dirt is streaks and detritus that may be removed by ordinary daily cleaning. Permanent dirt is ingrained stains or physical damage which require major renovation to remove. Deliberate dirt is that which results from design decisions such as decor in dirty yellow or grunge styling.^[2]

Disposal

As cities developed, arrangements were made for the disposal of dirt. In Britain, the Public Health Act 1875 required households to place their refuse into a container which could be moved so that it's contents could be carted away. This was the first legal creation of the dustbin.^[3]

Health

Modern society is now thought to be excessively clean. Lack of contact with microorganisms in dirt when growing up is hypothesised to be the cause of the epidemic of allergies such as asthma.^[4] The human immune system requires activation and exercise in order to function properly and exposure to dirt may achieve this.^[5] For example, the presence of staphylococcus bacteria on the surface of the skin regulates the inflammation which results from injury.^[6]

People and animals may eat dirt. This is thought to be caused by mineral deficiency and so the condition is commonly seen in pregnant women.

Neurosis

People may become obsessed by dirt and engage in fantasies and compulsive behaviour about it, such as making and eating mud pies.^[7] The source of such thinking may be genetic, as the emotion of disgust is common and a location for it in the brain has been proposed.^[8]

Exhibitions and studies

A season of artworks and exhibits on the theme of dirt was sponsored by the Wellcome Trust in 2011. The centrepiece was an exhibition at the Wellcome Collection showing pictures and histories of notable dirt such as the great dust heaps at Euston and King's Cross in the 19th century and the Fresh Kills landfill which was once the world's largest.^[9]

References

^ Mindy Lewis (2009), Dirt: The Quirks, Habits, and Passions of Keeping House, ISBN 978-1-58005-261-0
^ John B. Hutchings (2003), Expectations and the Food Industry, ISBN 978-0-306-47709-6
^ V.K. Prabhakar (2000), Encyclopaedia of Environmental Pollution and Awareness in the 21st Century, p. 10, ISBN 978-81-261-0651-6
^ Dirt can be good for children, say scientists, BBC, 23 November 2009
^ Mary Ruebush (2009), Why Dirt Is Good: 5 Ways to Make Germs Your Friends, ISBN 978-1-4277-9804-6
^ Lai, Y; Di Nardo, A; Nakatsuji, T; Leichtle, A; Yang, Y; Cogen, AL; Wu, ZR; Hooper, LV; Schmidt, RR (22 November 2009), "Commensal bacteria regulate Toll-like receptor 3–dependent inflammation after skin injury", Nature Medicine, 15 (12), Nature Medicine: 1377–82, doi:10.1038/nm.2062, PMC 2880863, PMID 19966777
^ Lawrence S. Kubie, "The Fantasy of Dirt", The Psychoanalytic Quarterly, 6: 388–425
^ Valerie Curtis, Adam Biran (2001), "Dirt, Disgust, and Disease: Is Hygiene in Our Genes?", Perspectives in Biology and Medicine, 44 (1): 17–31, doi:10.1353/pbm.2001.0001, PMID 11253302
^ Brian Dillon (Wednesday 23 March 2011), "Dirt: the Filthy Reality of Everyday Life, Welcome Collection", The Daily Telegraph {{citation}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

External links

Dirt season at the Wellcome Collection
Dirt, a 2008 documentary film about dirt and impurity, National Film Board of Canada
Dirt! The Movie, a 2009 documentary film that explores the relationship between humans and soil.

[1] Mindy Lewis (2009), Dirt: The Quirks, Habits, and Passions of Keeping House, ISBN 978-1-58005-261-0

[2] John B. Hutchings (2003), Expectations and the Food Industry, ISBN 978-0-306-47709-6

[3] V.K. Prabhakar (2000), Encyclopaedia of Environmental Pollution and Awareness in the 21st Century, p. 10, ISBN 978-81-261-0651-6

[4] Dirt can be good for children, say scientists, BBC, 23 November 2009

[5] Mary Ruebush (2009), Why Dirt Is Good: 5 Ways to Make Germs Your Friends, ISBN 978-1-4277-9804-6

[6] Lai, Y; Di Nardo, A; Nakatsuji, T; Leichtle, A; Yang, Y; Cogen, AL; Wu, ZR; Hooper, LV; Schmidt, RR (22 November 2009), "Commensal bacteria regulate Toll-like receptor 3–dependent inflammation after skin injury", Nature Medicine, 15 (12), Nature Medicine: 1377–82, doi:10.1038/nm.2062, PMC 2880863, PMID 19966777

[7] Lawrence S. Kubie, "The Fantasy of Dirt", The Psychoanalytic Quarterly, 6: 388–425

[8] Valerie Curtis, Adam Biran (2001), "Dirt, Disgust, and Disease: Is Hygiene in Our Genes?", Perspectives in Biology and Medicine, 44 (1): 17–31, doi:10.1353/pbm.2001.0001, PMID 11253302

[9] Brian Dillon (Wednesday 23 March 2011), "Dirt: the Filthy Reality of Everyday Life, Welcome Collection", The Daily Telegraph {{citation}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

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 Modern society is now thought to be excessively clean.  Lack of contact with [[microorganism]]s in dirt when growing up is [[Hygiene hypothesis|hypothesised]] to be the cause of the epidemic of [[allergy|allergies]] such as [[asthma]].<ref>{{citation |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8373690.stm |title=Dirt can be good for children, say scientists |publisher=BBC |date=23 November 2009}}</ref>  The human [[immune system]] requires activation and exercise in order to function properly and exposure to dirt may achieve this.<ref>{{citation |url=http://books.google.com/?id=R4qRXShukoYC |title=Why Dirt Is Good: 5 Ways to Make Germs Your Friends |author=Mary Ruebush |isbn=978-1-4277-9804-6 |year=2009}}</ref>  For example, the presence of [[staphylococcus]] bacteria on the surface of the skin regulates the [[inflammation]] which results from injury.<ref>{{citation |last1=Lai |url=http://www.nature.com/nm/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nm.2062.html |journal=Nature Medicine |first1=Y |last2=Di Nardo |first2=A |last3=Nakatsuji |first3=T |last4=Leichtle |first4=A |last5=Yang |first5=Y |last6=Cogen |first6=AL |last7=Wu |first7=ZR |last8=Hooper |first8=LV |last9=Schmidt |first9=RR |title=Commensal bacteria regulate Toll-like receptor 3–dependent inflammation after skin injury |volume=15 |issue=12 |pages=1377–82 |publisher=Nature Medicine |date=22 November 2009 |pmid=19966777 |pmc=2880863 |doi=10.1038/nm.2062}}</ref>
+People and animals may [[Pica (disorder)|eat dirt]].  This is thought to be caused by [[mineral deficiency]] and so the condition is commonly seen in [[pregnancy|pregnant women]].
-People and animals may [[Pica (disorder)|eat dirt]].  If you eat dirt then you are probably curious i mean little kids eat dirt and they think "man, this dirt is amazing!". When i eat dirt im like "ew yo who would eat this dirty dirt". Dirt is often referred to as soil, which sometimes comes in handy when you need to do a math question or you are having trouble with an English question. The dirt acts as an inspiration to anyone that it touches, and you will be sure to think of a ground breaking novel that will bring you to New York Times in no time. See dirt is spelled D-I-R-T. Some people are offended by this, but it honestly doesnt affect me. I can't believe that you are reading an article on dirt. just plain weird. bye. bye. bye .bye .bye. bye. bye bye bye bye bye bye bye bye bye bye bye bye bye bye bye bye.This is thought to be caused by [[mineral deficiency]] and so the condition is commonly seen in [[pregnancy|pregnant women]].
 ==Neurosis==