Harboring Hidden Germs? What to Keep, What to Toss
Posted on 16. Feb, 2012 by aqiumlogin in cold and flu, family, health & safety
Just because it looks clean doesn’t mean it’s free of bacteria, allergens or worse. From sponges to pillows to toothbrushes, here’s what you should throw out and when. In the Bedroom: Pillow Stash it, but wash and cover it. Your head propper piles up gross sweat, drool, dander and dust mites. But instead of throwing it away, invest in a washable allergy case, which blocks mites and their leftovers, advises Amy Newburger, M.D., a dermatologist in Scarsdale, New York. Wash pillows every few months and change linens weekly, and you can rest easy. In the Bedroom: Mattress Trash it every [...]
Bacteria swimming in Melbourne’s beaches
Posted on 19. Jan, 2012 by aqiumlogin in family, health & safety
Why does it always seem when we need them the most our beaches are swimming more with bacteria than people? BACTERIA counts rose to their highest levels for the season across Bayside and Kingston beaches last week, with the EPA declaring several beaches unsafe for swimming. Environment Protection Authority samples showed poor water quality across many beaches, with bacteria levels higher than the 400 organisms per 100ml of water benchmark deemed safe for swimming. EPA spokeswoman Tanya O’Shea said last week’s rainfall caused the spike. “This is due to run-off from rainfall and stormwater, which deposits litter, debris and even [...]
Everyday items can be the germiest
Posted on 15. Jan, 2012 by aqiumlogin in at work, family, health & safety
From telephones to doorknobs to books, germs can get on anything and spread quicker than a sneeze. The bad news is that some of the most common items can be the nastiest when it comes to germs. The good news is there are ways to reduce continually spreading those germs and thus reducing the likelihood of illness. “You’re not going to prevent spreading (germs),” said Don Roush, a microbiologist at the University of North Alabama. “What we need to do is to try and keep the number (of germs) on your hands down. That’s the best way to keep from [...]
Flush With Germs: Lidless Toilets Spread Bacteria
Posted on 05. Jan, 2012 by aqiumlogin in family, health & safety
The message is pretty simple – put the lid down when you flush and help prevent germs invading your bathroom. Put a lid on it. That is the conclusion of research examining the amount of Clostridium difficile that flies into the air and contaminates surrounding surfaces with the flush of a lidless toilet. The investigation, published online December 2 in the International Journal of Hospital Infection, is the work of E. L. Best from the Microbiology Department, Old Medical School, Leeds General Infirmary, Leeds Teaching Hospital National Health Service Trust, United Kingdom, and colleagues. Using fecal suspensions of C difficile, the researchers measured airborne suspension of [...]
How Many Germs Do You Pick Up In Sandals?
Posted on 15. Dec, 2011 by aqiumlogin in family, health & safety
With cute, strappy summer sandals comes dirty, asphalt-colored feet and a lovely “tan line” of grime where an ankle strap once rested. After finding out what your feet have picked up — a seriously unappetizing stew of germs — you may be ready to ditch your Havaianas for a pair of knee-high boots. “When walking on the street in something like thongs, you are exposing your foot to vomitus, human waste, dog feces, sputum expectorated by people — some of whom may have microbacteria — and a wide variety of other things like food or liquids that have been brewing [...]
Avoid Food Poisoning From Your Christmas Turkey
Posted on 09. Dec, 2011 by aqiumlogin in family, health & safety
Here are some great tips on how to avoid your family getting food poisoning from your Christmas turkey. Also remember to practice good hand hygiene at all times, especially when handling raw poultry. Christmas is one of the few times of the year people find themselves preparing to cook a large turkey or other bird, and many have little idea of the health risks. Strangely enough, many Christmas cooks actually wash their turkey before preparing it. This is not just a waste of time (since running water will not rid the bird of the bacteria that cause food poisoning, only [...]
Infographic: Where the germs are on your gadgets
Posted on 17. Nov, 2011 by aqiumlogin in at work, family, health & safety
We came across this very interesting infographic by Keeping It Kleen on Tech Germs via Mashable. As you will see it is very important to carefully clean all your gadgets and always practice good hand hygiene. Light switches alone can get up to 217 bacteria per square inch. Read on…
Speed Clean and Kill Germs the Healthy Way
Posted on 09. Oct, 2011 by aqiumlogin in family, health & safety
Who doesn’t want a spotless, sweet-smelling house? But when you hear that the wrong cleaning methods can cause allergies or asthma, or even spread disease-causing toxins through your home, suddenly a little mess doesn’t seem so bad. So we quizzed leading immunologists, microbiologists, and cleaning experts to find the healthiest ways to tidy up. Surprise: The safest ways to clean can also be the quickest. Even better: It’s okay to leave behind a little grime! Which is healthier: Deodorizing with a scented candle or an air freshener? Answer: Neither. “You’re just masking a foul odour by introducing a stronger one,” [...]
New cloth self-cleans by killing bacteria
Posted on 06. Oct, 2011 by aqiumlogin in family, health & safety
This interesting discovery could change the way we clean – will we say goodbye to the smelly sponge? Tossing clothes into the wash when dirty is so last year, thanks to a discovery by chemists out of the University of California at Davis. Near-ordinary cotton may simply need be exposed to light to get busy killing bacteria and breaking down toxic chemicals such as pesticide residues. Ning Liu, a doctoral student at UC Davis, worked with textile chemists Gang Sun and Jing Zhu to develop a method that incorporates a compound (2-AQC) into cotton fabrics. When exposed to light, it [...]
The Top 10 Germiest Places You Encounter
Posted on 31. Aug, 2011 by aqiumlogin in family, health & safety
They’re some of the dirtiest places in your life. Germ infested, bacteria covered and laden with viruses. You probably don’t think twice before dragging the germs with you throughout your day. Health Magazine devised a list of the germiest places in your life and WMBF News narrowed it down to the top 10. We’ll start with one of the first places you hit after waking up: the bathtub. You step in to get clean, but it’s actually dirtier than you think. A recent study found tubs typically had more than 100,000 bacteria per square inch! Dr. Dennis Rhoades, Medical Director [...]
