--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Life doesn't use detergent to clean itself." description: "\"Life doesn't use detergent to clean itself.\" — Janine Benyus" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe2/janine-benyus-15049_clean_life-doesn-t-use-detergent-to-clean-itse_1353743.png" --- # Life doesn't use detergent to clean itself. ![“Life doesn't use detergent to clean itself.” quote by Janine Benyus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe2/janine-benyus-15049_clean_life-doesn-t-use-detergent-to-clean-itse_1353743.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe2/janine-benyus-15049_clean_life-doesn-t-use-detergent-to-clean-itse_1353743.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe2/janine-benyus-15049_clean_life-doesn-t-use-detergent-to-clean-itse_1353743.png) > “Life doesn't use detergent to clean itself.” [Janine Benyus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janine-benyus/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Nature cleans itself without chemicals; ecosystems self‑regulate and recycle resources. **In simple terms:** Nature self‑cleans. Key Takeaway Observe and emulate natural cycles. Themes environment sustainability self‑regulation Mood reflective inspired Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - gardening - waste management - urban planning - product design Key Concepts ecology biomimicry Questions to Reflect On - How can we design systems that mimic natural self‑cleaning? - What practices reduce reliance on synthetic cleaners? A Different Perspective Human intervention can disrupt delicate balances. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Clean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clean/) [Detergent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/detergent-711768/) [Detergent Clean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/detergent-clean-4612133/) [Itself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/itself/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life Doesn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-doesn/) [Use](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/use/) [Use Detergent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/use-detergent-4612134/) ## Related quotes > [Buying phosphate-free soap allows you to say, 'My detergent doesn't have the harsh chemicals others do.' The question is, how are you washing with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-goleman/buying-phosphate-free-soap-allows-you-to-say-my-detergent-doesn-t/) [Daniel Goleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-goleman/) > [“If you do not grasp the difference between orange juice and detergent, brand names will at best help you drink the finest detergent on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-caplan/if-you-do-not-grasp-the-difference-between-orange-juice-and-detergent/) [Bryan Caplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-caplan/) > [“I remembered all the little things. My Seth? Oh, yuck. I wanted to scrub out my brain with detergent.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-l-armentrout/i-remembered-all-the-little-things-my-seth-oh-yuck-i-wanted-to-scrub-2/) [Jennifer L. Armentrout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-l-armentrout/) > [My number one most essential back-to-school item, honestly, is detergent!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-buteau/my-number-one-most-essential-back-to-school-item-honestly-is-detergent/) [Michelle Buteau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-buteau/) > [“Great. I looked at the two identical bottles of rug detergent on the back porch. One was new and returnable. One was six months…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-fey/great-i-looked-at-the-two-identical-bottles-of-rug-detergent-on-the/) [Tina Fey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-fey/) > [Have you ever noticed how they keep improving your laundry detergent, but they still can't get those blue flakes out? Why do we trust…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-seinfeld/have-you-ever-noticed-how-they-keep-improving-your-laundry-detergent/) [Jerry Seinfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-seinfeld/) > [People don't buy a new detergent because the manufacturer told a joke on television last night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/people-don-t-buy-a-new-detergent-because-the-manufacturer-told-a-joke/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) > [There are only four things in all cleaners - whether it's shampoo, laundry detergent, whatever.You buy them in bulk and you mix them up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mollison/there-are-only-four-things-in-all-cleaners-whether-it-s-shampoo/) [Bill Mollison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mollison/) > [“Soap, toothpaste and detergent are all "new and improved". Are you?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-dentinger/soap-toothpaste-and-detergent-are-all-new-and-improved-are-you/) [Diana Dentinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-dentinger/) > [“Blood makes lousy detergent.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynda-williams/blood-makes-lousy-detergent/) [Lynda Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynda-williams/) > [Do you like laundry detergent lmaoo !](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/do-you-like-laundry-detergent-lmaoo/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I can say that I love you every moment of my life but it doesn't mean I love you every second of my life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/just-me/i-can-say-that-i-love-you-every-moment-of-my-life-but-it-doesn-t-mean/) [Just Me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/just-me/) > [Life doesn't get more real than having a newborn at home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-church/life-doesn-t-get-more-real-than-having-a-newborn-at-home/) [Eric Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-church/) > [“people say that life is a battle ground and we are warriors.. but what I understood about life is that:- it doesn't operates us..…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katyayani-kumari/people-say-that-life-is-a-battle-ground-and-we-are-warriors-but-what/) [KATYAYANI KUMARI](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katyayani-kumari/) > [“Everything’s senseless until someone makes sense of it. Life doesn’t explain itself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-meyer/everything-s-senseless-until-someone-makes-sense-of-it-life-doesn-t/) [Scott Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-meyer/) ## More by Janine Benyus > [A solitary American monk named Thomas Berry writes that in our relationship to nature, we have been autistic for centuries. Wrapped tightly in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janine-benyus/a-solitary-american-monk-named-thomas-berry-writes-that-in-our/) [Janine Benyus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janine-benyus/) > [The answers to our questions are everywhere; we just need to change the lens with which we see the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janine-benyus/the-answers-to-our-questions-are-everywhere-we-just-need-to-change/) [Janine Benyus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janine-benyus/) > [The more our world functions like the natural world, the more likely we are to endure on this home that is ours, but not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janine-benyus/the-more-our-world-functions-like-the-natural-world-the-more-likely/) [Janine Benyus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janine-benyus/) > [In reality, we haven't escaped the gravity of life at all. We are still beholden to ecological laws, the same as any other life-form.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janine-benyus/in-reality-we-haven-t-escaped-the-gravity-of-life-at-all-we-are-still/) [Janine Benyus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janine-benyus/) > [Organisms don't think of CO2 as a poison. Plants and organisms that make shells, coral, think of it as a building block.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janine-benyus/organisms-don-t-think-of-co2-as-a-poison-plants-and-organisms-that/) [Janine Benyus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janine-benyus/) > [Water is at the center of every chemical reaction, and therefore should be the earth's most precious gift.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janine-benyus/water-is-at-the-center-of-every-chemical-reaction-and-therefore/) [Janine Benyus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janine-benyus/) > [After decades of faithful study, ecologists have begun to fathom hidden likenesses among many interwoven systems. ...a canon of nature's laws, strategies, and principles...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janine-benyus/after-decades-of-faithful-study-ecologists-have-begun-to-fathom/) [Janine Benyus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janine-benyus/) > [The answers to how to live sustainably on our planet are all around us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janine-benyus/the-answers-to-how-to-live-sustainably-on-our-planet-are-all-around-us/) [Janine Benyus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janine-benyus/) > [Green chemistry is replacing our industrial chemistry with nature's recipe book. It's not easy, because life uses only a subset of the elements in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janine-benyus/green-chemistry-is-replacing-our-industrial-chemistry-with-nature-s/) [Janine Benyus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janine-benyus/) > [Per capita, I would say that Australia has more biomimetic projects going than many other countries I've been to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janine-benyus/per-capita-i-would-say-that-australia-has-more-biomimetic-projects/) [Janine Benyus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janine-benyus/) > [Biological knowledge is doubling every five years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janine-benyus/biological-knowledge-is-doubling-every-five-years/) [Janine Benyus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janine-benyus/) > [Nature works with five polymers. Only five polymers. In the natural world, life builds from the bottom up, and it builds in resilience and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janine-benyus/nature-works-with-five-polymers-only-five-polymers-in-the-natural/) [Janine Benyus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janine-benyus/) > [Trees and bones are constantly reforming themselves along lines of stress. This algorithm has been put into a software program that's now being used…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janine-benyus/trees-and-bones-are-constantly-reforming-themselves-along-lines-of/) [Janine Benyus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janine-benyus/) > [There are three types of biomimicry - one is copying form and shape, another is copying a process, like photosynthesis in a leaf, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janine-benyus/there-are-three-types-of-biomimicry-one-is-copying-form-and-shape/) [Janine Benyus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janine-benyus/) > [Organisms sip energy, because they have to work or barter for every single bit that they get.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janine-benyus/organisms-sip-energy-because-they-have-to-work-or-barter-for-every/) [Janine Benyus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janine-benyus/) [Explore all 44 Janine Benyus quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janine-benyus/) ## More Clean quotes > [If I had my brothers I think with just a little bit of the correct marketing, I'd like to be almost exclusively in small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-bozzio/if-i-had-my-brothers-i-think-with-just-a-little-bit-of-the-correct/) [Terry Bozzio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-bozzio/) > [Whenever we touch nature we get clean. People who have got dirty through too much civilization take a walk in the woods, or a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/whenever-we-touch-nature-we-get-clean-people-who-have-got-dirty/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) > [We cannot go back in time and change the past, but we can repent. The Savior can wipe away our tears of regret and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dieter-f-uchtdorf/we-cannot-go-back-in-time-and-change-the-past-but-we-can-repent-the/) [Dieter F. Uchtdorf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dieter-f-uchtdorf/) > [ I walked all around it \[the Guggenheim Bilbao\] and couldn't find one clear, clean shot. To make things worse, the weather was lousy. Nothing… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-polidori/i-walked-all-around-it-the-guggenheim-bilbao-and-couldn-t-find-one/) [Robert Polidori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-polidori/) > [There's nothing harder than making a mellow, clean record. It's really scary. I can see why people would never want to do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ty-segall/there-s-nothing-harder-than-making-a-mellow-clean-record-it-s-really/) [Ty Segall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ty-segall/) > [How arrogant - how very far from humility - would be the self-satisfied, smug assurance that God, a tidy-up-after-us God will come and clean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-whitehouse/how-arrogant-how-very-far-from-humility-would-be-the-self-satisfied/) [Sheldon Whitehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-whitehouse/) > [There is one, and only one solution, and we have almost no time to try it. We must turn all our resources to repairing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mollison/there-is-one-and-only-one-solution-and-we-have-almost-no-time-to-try/) [Bill Mollison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mollison/) > [The sugar maple is remarkable for its clean ankle. The groves of these trees looked like vast forest sheds, their branches stoppingshort at a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-sugar-maple-is-remarkable-for-its-clean-ankle-the-groves-of-these/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [America should be leading the world in green and clean solutions, and human rights. We shouldn't be leading the world in wars and incarceration…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/america-should-be-leading-the-world-in-green-and-clean-solutions-and/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [At 62, I remain clean and sober and my ponytail remains erect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-nugent/at-62-i-remain-clean-and-sober-and-my-ponytail-remains-erect/) [Ted Nugent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-nugent/) > [Water is a cure-all. Water is everything. You can't get better without drinking lots of water, and you can't drink water unless it's clean.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-fox/water-is-a-cure-all-water-is-everything-you-can-t-get-better-without/) [Josh Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-fox/) > [The worthiness of any cause is not measured by its clean record, but by its readiness to see the blots when they are pointed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldo-leopold/the-worthiness-of-any-cause-is-not-measured-by-its-clean-record-but/) [Aldo Leopold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldo-leopold/) > [I like to always wash the slate clean, and reinvigorate my spirit to be connected to the characters that I am doing. I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giancarlo-esposito/i-like-to-always-wash-the-slate-clean-and-reinvigorate-my-spirit-to/) [Giancarlo Esposito](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giancarlo-esposito/) > [There's a whole journalistic-industrial complex dedicated to keeping newsprint, TV screens and radio waves clean of destabilizing scoops damaging to corporations or the state.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-cockburn/there-s-a-whole-journalistic-industrial-complex-dedicated-to-keeping/) [Alexander Cockburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-cockburn/) > [Night fell clean and cold in Dublin, and wind moaned beyond my room as if a million pipes played the air.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-cornwell/night-fell-clean-and-cold-in-dublin-and-wind-moaned-beyond-my-room-as/) [Patricia Cornwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-cornwell/) [Browse all 2,503 Clean quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clean/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Life doesn't use detergent to clean itself.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Janine Benyus" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janine-benyus/life-doesn-t-use-detergent-to-clean-itself/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Clean" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janine-benyus/life-doesn-t-use-detergent-to-clean-itself/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe2/janine-benyus-15049_clean_life-doesn-t-use-detergent-to-clean-itse_1353743.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe2/janine-benyus-15049_clean_life-doesn-t-use-detergent-to-clean-itse_1353743.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe2/janine-benyus-15049_clean_life-doesn-t-use-detergent-to-clean-itse_1353743.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Life doesn't use detergent to clean itself.” — Janine Benyus", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Janine Benyus", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janine-benyus/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Life doesn't use detergent to clean...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janine-benyus/life-doesn-t-use-detergent-to-clean-itself/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janine-benyus/life-doesn-t-use-detergent-to-clean-itself/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```