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 [...]
Top 10 Spring Cleaning Tips
Posted on 24. Aug, 2011 by aqiumlogin in family, health & safety
It’s a great time of the year to get your house into tip-top condition. Spring cleaning can unearth lots of unwelcome dust and germs so make sure you practice sensible hand hygiene. Follow along with these top ten tips for spring cleaning to get your house sparkling and ready for the warmer weather. Springtime isn’t just about the warm weather, the smell of barbecues and the fact that your mailman is wearing shorts again, it is also time for a serious and thorough house cleaning. Something about opening all of the windows and letting the breeze waft through your house [...]
Cleanliness of fast-food play areas questioned
Posted on 17. Aug, 2011 by aqiumlogin in family, mother and baby
Although this article is from the US it makes one wonder if our fast-food restaurant play areas are any different. Food for thought in any case. Erin Carr-Jordan, a mother of four, is on a mission to clean up playlands at McDonald’s, Burger King, Chuck E. Cheese and other fast-food restaurants. The kids may have a blast at those fast-food restaurant playgrounds — but so did kids the day before, and the day before and the day before. So who’s making sure they’re kept clean? There are no national guidelines, and within states, counties and cities, oversight often falls through [...]
Five ways to stay healthy in Winter
Posted on 05. Jul, 2011 by aqiumlogin in cold and flu, family, health & safety
Just because it’s cold doesn’t mean you have to suffer the winter sniffles – these common sense tips are good reminders for you and your family. HERE are five easy ways to boost your immunity and avoid colds and flu this season. 1. Boost your diet Eating foods that are high in vitamin C will help keep your immune system strong, so include fruit and vegies such as lemons, kiwifruit, capsicum and broccoli in your weekly shop. If you’re struggling to get the recommended two serves of fruit and five serves of vegies each day, try juicing them. Nutritionist Zoe [...]
Deadly bacteria found in dishwashers & other appliances
Posted on 28. Jun, 2011 by aqiumlogin in family, health & safety
We put things in our dishwasher to clean them and kill germs but are we killing the germs in our dishwashers? Dishwashers are a breeding ground for potentially killer bugs, say scientists. The moist and hot environment serves as a perfect habitat for two types of dangerous fungi, which can also be found in other kitchen appliances such as washing machines and coffee machines. Researchers found 62 per cent of dishwashers contained the fungi Exophiala dermatitidis and E. phaeomuriformis on the rubber band in the door. Both of the black yeasts are known to be dangerous to human health. Both [...]
