Scanning electron microscope image showing clumps of MRSA bacteriaPhoto courtesy of CDC and Janice Haney Car and Jeff Hageman, M.H.S Participating in team sports is both fun and healthy exercise, but a bacterial MRSA infection among players can signal a losing season. Now, new research traces one potential path of MRSA bacteria through an endless
Carving Jack-o-lanterns is a fun Halloween tradition. Whether you transform your pumpkin into an exquisite work of art or a sweet smiley face with triangle eyes, preserving your Jack-o-lantern from mold and mildew can be tricky. But here’s a Halloween treat of a hint: Jack-o-lanterns can be preserved for a short time with the help
When the weather warms up after a long winter, I get the urge to throw open windows and tackle spring cleaning chores. It’s a great feeling of accomplishment to complete these chores, but I recently learned from WebMD that some of the germiest places in homes are not even on most people’s radar.
The table below, based on information from WebMD, lists the most unexpected hiding places for household germs, the reasons why they thrive in those places, and how you can reduce their unwanted presence.
Chlorine bleach – that household staple usually parked in the laundry – has additional uses besides “whitening your whites.” During cold and flu season, dilute bleach solutions can be used to wipe down frequently touched surfaces to help prevent the spread of viruses and other pathogens (disease-spreading germs) among family members. Bleach solutions also destroy
I have had the privilege of spending the last four years of my life on one of the most beautiful college campuses in Maryland. Everything I ever needed was within a short walking distance of my dorm room—the dining hall, library, mailroom, and student center, you name it! Yet even with all of these nearby
A short report in the journal Occupational & Environmental Medicine concludes passive exposure to weekly use of bleach in the home could promote some infections in school-age children. The report is poorly documented, highly speculative and although the researchers recommend exercising caution when interpreting their results, some in the media have erroneously interpreted the findings
Recycle a clean, clear plastic, one-liter beverage bottle by filling it with water and three tablespoons of chlorine bleach, secure the bottle in a hole in a metal roof, and you have all the technology needed to illuminate the dark interiors of thousands of homes of the world’s poorest people. In an ingenious use of
Chlorine bleach is an effective and inexpensive disinfectant that is widely used to destroy germs that live on surfaces in healthcare and daycare settings, schools and homes. Misinformation on bleach is common, however, so the following list was compiled to dispel five myths about this product. This article is partly based on a September, 2010
A Sanitary History of Household Bleach from the Washington Post An historical timeline reaching back to 5000 BC traces bleaching technologies from sun-drying in Egypt in 5000 BC to the modern widespread use of chlorine bleach.
Noroviruses, a group of viruses which are responsible for more than half of all reported food borne gastroenteritis outbreaks, cause gastroenteritis including vomiting, diarrhea, fever, weakness, and dehydration in people of all ages. They can be spread through contact with infected people or through contaminated water, foods, or surfaces. In addition, noroviruses arevery resistant to disinfection.