Did you know that according to a recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Arizona, the bathroom sink is the third germiest location in the average house? The study also revealed that the bathroom floor, bathroom counter, and toilet seat are the No. 6, 7, and 8 (respectively) germiest places in the rest of the house. The bathroom can frequently be one of the germ-filled places in the house, so careful attention to regular cleaning and disinfection is crucial, especially if someone in the household has a highly contagious stomach-related illness, a cold, or the flu.
A piece of advice from the experts: Close the toilet lid before you flush to keep microbes inside the bowl from splashing as far as 20 feet onto you, counters, and anything on them! And a word about cleaning the bathroom: Cleaning and disinfecting are not the same thing. Cleaning removes germs from surfaces, while disinfecting actually destroys them. Cleaning with soap and water to remove dirt and most of the germs is usually enough, but sometimes you may want to disinfect for an extra level of protection from germs. While surfaces may look clean, many infectious germs may be lurking around. In some instances, germs can live on surfaces for hours or even for days. Disinfect those areas where there can be large numbers of germs and where there is a possibility that these germs could be spread to others; these are the high-touch areas such as sink faucets, toilet handles, and door handles. When cleaning surfaces, don’t let germs hang around on cleaning cloths or towels; use either paper towels that can be thrown away, cloth towels that are later washed in hot water with detergent, or disposable sanitizing wipes that both clean and disinfect.
If you’ve been putting off spring cleaning because you don’t want to spend a fortune on supplies this year, a Saint Louis University germ expert says it’s time to stop procrastinating.You mostly need vinegar, bleach and soap – and not a bunch of specialized supplies – to spiff up your house, says Donna Duberg, assistant professor of clinical laboratory science ...
You might think it’s safer or more effective to mix your own cleaning products at home. Think again. According to a new survey from the Soap and Detergent Association (SDA), 28 percent of Americans say they have mixed their own cleaning product at home. When asked what was the most important factor in deciding to try and make their own ...
Bed bugs, once nearly eradicated in the built environment, have made a big comeback recently, especially in urban centers such as New York City. In the first study to explain the failure to control certain bed bug populations, toxicologists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Korea’s Seoul National University show that some of these nocturnal blood suckers have developed ...
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Developed more than 200 years ago and found in households around the world, chlorine bleach is among the most widely used disinfectants, yet scientists never have understood exactly how the familiar product kills bacteria. New research from the University of Michigan, however, reveals key details in the process by which bleach works its antimicrobial magic.In a ...
WASHINGTON, D.C. – An activist group's call for a one-size-fits-all labeling scheme on household cleaning products could obscure the most important information for consumers – product safety and usage information.The Soap and Detergent Association has expressed its disappointment at a cleaning product "report card" issued by a group known as Women's Voices for the Earth (WVE) which could misguide consumers ...
Bacteria and viruses are the microscopic organisms – otherwise known as germs -- that are responsible for causing and transmitting illness and disease. These microbes are so small, that according to the American Society for Microbiology, if the smallest of all microbes was the size of a baseball, an average bacterium would then be the size of the pitcher's mound, and just one of the millions of cells that make up your body would be the size of the ballpark!
Did you know that according to a recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Arizona, the bathroom sink is the third germiest location in the average house? The study also revealed that the bathroom floor, bathroom counter, and toilet seat are the No. 6, 7, and 8 (respectively) germiest places in the rest of the house. The bathroom can frequently be one of the germ-filled places in the house, so careful attention to regular cleaning and disinfection is crucial, especially if someone in the household has a highly contagious stomach-related illness, a cold, or the flu.
