What’s Lurking in Your Fridge?

Too warm fridges and out-of-date food is being blamed for a sharp rise in people who are struck down by the fatal listeria bug. Cases have reached 400 a year, double that from 2001. The bug, found in prepared food such as salads, sandwiches, soft cheese, pate and ready-meals, can make the suffered ill with vomiting and diarrhea but can also cause death. Rising prices and tighter food costs mean people are more reluctant to throw away out-of-date food. Is your fridge harbouring this invisible bug? We look at the top ten dangers that can lurk in the cool dark of your fridge.

Out-of-date-food
Keep an eye on the labels and dates on food you buy. Make sure when you’re opening packets you’re not accidentally throwing away the use by date. It seems a shame to throw away perfectly fine looking food that’s past its use by date, but you’ll pay a high price for eating food that is off.

Rice
Think twice before you reach for last night’s chinese takeaway. Cooked rice is a breeding ground for bacteria. This is because bacteria in the rice can produce poisons at room temperature, which cannot be destroyed by further cooking or reheating. It should only be kept for a maximum of one day and never reheated.

Ice-cream
Ever done your weekly shop to find the ice-cream has melted in the back of the car on the way home? Be careful. Melted ice-cream can grow staphylococci. Be particularly careful if you are eating homemade ice-cream made from raw eggs.

Eggs
A good trick to see whether an egg is still ok to eat is to submerge it in a glass of water. If it floats, throw it away. Because eggs are porous the longer they sit around, the more air they take it, making older eggs float. Cook eggs thoroughly and do not use cracked eggs.

Frozen Food
Never defrost raw meat and then refreeze it, unless you have cooked it first. Make sure you reheat the dish thoroughly and reheat until it is hot all the way through. Never allow defrosting meat to drip juice or blood onto other food in your fridge, as this is not only disgusting but it will contaminate other food in your fridge.

Temperature
Too warm fridges are being blamed on the rise of listeria bacteria cases. Make sure your fridge is kept at 5°C and the freezer at less than -18°C. Is the back of your fridge dusty? This may be preventing the fridge’s mechanics from working correctly, meaning your fridge is working harder to stay cool.

Leftovers
Exercise extreme caution when using leftovers. Chilled food that has been out of the fridge for four hours or more should be thrown away. Heating leftovers can normally kill bugs, but you should never keep food you are intending to eat again out of the fridge for long.

Open Tins
While most modern tins of food are now lined with plastic, it’s not advisable to store food in open tins, as food can be cross contaminated. Always store leftovers in sealed containers.

Cracks and Crevices
Germs just love to hide in the small places you can’t reach. Tackle the cracks and crevices of your fridge with a toothbrush.

Cross Contamination
Make sure all food is covered tightly with clingfilm or kept in closed containers. Don’t store raw food and cooked food together.

 - VirginMedia.com

XMICROBE™ at Home

Did you know that your home harbors some pretty nasty germs and other surface and airborne contaminates?  Constant exposure to harmful bacteria and other microbes could you leave vulnerable to illness and infections.  Reduce your risk and take control of your indoor environment with XMICROBE™.

Here’s where you can start:

In the kitchen, keep counters, cabinets, walls, sinks and drains, light switches, and a multitude of other surfaces free of harmful bacteria.

In bedrooms, prevent bacteria, mold and allergy and asthma triggers from accumulating on your sheets, pillow cases, blankets, and window shades.

Use XMICROBE™ to prevent harmful bacteria and mold in your bathroom by applying it to your bathtub, toilet, sink, drains, and walls.

The places you can use XMICROBE™ are endless!

The Germiest Places in America

Health.com -
Content by Health.com editors

We call them the dirty dozen. It’s our laundry list of the germiest places you’re likely to encounter during an average day. Sure, there are outbreaks of microbes and viruses across the country, but these buggers are where you live. In the office, at home, at the gym, on your vacation. “It’s enough to make even the least germophobic person a little worried,” says Dr. Germ, a.k.a. Charles Gerba, PhD, a professor of environmental microbiology at the University of Arizona. After all, some of these germs lurk where you least expect them, he says: “People are more worried about the trash can than the kitchen sink, when it should be the other way around.” Dr. Germ and a panel of other experts helped us identify the dirty dozen and devise ways for you to keep clean. After all, the fight is in your hands. Literally. Eighty percent of infections are spread through hand contact. So wash up, people, and get ready to wage a bit of germ warfare of your own.

1. Your kitchen sink
“Kitchen sinks are dirtier than most bathrooms,” says Kelly Reynolds, PhD, an environmental microbiologist at the University of Arizona. There are typically more than 500,000 bacteria per square inch in the drain. In fact, in a recent study, half of the top 10 germiest spots in the home were (gulp!) in the kitchen. That sponge you use to clean the counter? Crawling with bacteria, as are the sink’s basin and faucet handles. Reduce the risk: “Clean your kitchen counters and sink with an antibacterial product after preparing or rinsing food, especially raw fruits and vegetables, which carry lots of potential pathogens like salmonella, campylobacter, and E. coli,” says Philip Tierno, PhD, author of The Secret Life of Germs and director of clinical microbiology at New York University Medical Center. Sanitize sponges by running them through the dishwasher’s drying cycle. “That killed 99.9 percent of the bacteria on the sponges we used in a recent study—and we’d gotten them really good and contaminated first,” says Cheryl Mudd, a microbiologist with the Agricultural Research Service’s Food Safety Laboratory. As for the sink, clean it twice a week with a solution of one tablespoon of chlorine bleach and one quart of water. Scrub the basin, then pour the solution down the drain.

2. Airplane bathrooms
It’s not exactly a shock that there are a huge number of germs in most public bathrooms, but experts agree that those cramped and overused airplane loos (with only about one toilet for every 50 people) are the worst. “There are often traces of E. coli or fecal bacteria on the faucets and door handles, because it’s hard to wash your hands in those tiny sinks,” says Dr. Germ, a.k.a. Charles Gerba, PhD, a professor of environmental microbiology at the University of Arizona. But here’s the worst news: The volcanic flush of the commode tends to spew particles into the air, coating the floor and walls with, well, whatever had been swirling around in there. Reduce the risk: Toilet seats are surprisingly clean, but use the paper cover when available. After using the toilet, wash and dry your hands thoroughly, and use a paper towel to handle the toilet seat, lid, tap, and doorknob. Put the lid down before you flush. If there’s no lid, turn your back to the toilet while flushing and beat a hasty retreat.

3. A Load of Wet Laundry
“Clean clothes” is a whopper of an oxymoron. “Anytime you transfer underwear from the washer to the dryer, you’re going to get E. coli on your hands,” Gerba says. Just one soiled undergarment can spread bacteria to the whole load and the machine. Reduce the risk: Run your washer and dryer at 150 degrees, and wash whites with bleach (not the color-safe type; it doesn’t pack the same punch), which kills 99.99 percent of bugs. Transfer wet laundry to the dryer quickly so germs don’t multiply, wash underwear separately (there’s about a gram of feces—a quarter the size of a small peanut—in every pair of dirty underwear), and dry for at least 45 minutes. Wash your hands after laundering, and run a cycle of bleach and water between loads to eliminate any lingering bugs.

4. Public drinking fountains
Drinking fountains are bound to be germy, but school fountains are the biggest offenders, with anywhere from 62,000 to 2.7 million bacteria per square inch on the spigot, says Robert Donofrio, PhD, director of microbiology for NSF International. Other school hot spots: cafeteria trays, sink handles, desk-tops, and computer keyboards. Yes, kids are germy creatures. And, thanks to their slapdash hygiene, 22 million school days are lost each year to colds alone. Reduce the risk: Send your child to school with plenty of her own beverages. Teach her to wash her hands, especially before and after lunch, going to the bathroom, or using the computer. Send hand sanitizer to every school teacher and give extras to your child. And when it’s your turn to squeeze into that little desk for Open House? Swab it off with an antibacterial wipe, Gerba says. If schools did that every night, they’d reduce the child-absenteeism rate by half. And, of course, don’t drink from the water fountain!

5. Shopping cart handles
Saliva. Bacteria. Fecal matter. Those are just a few of the choice substances Gerba found on shopping cart handles. Carts rank high on the yuck scale because they’re handled by dozens of people every day and you’re “putting your broccoli where some kid’s butt was,” says the professor of environmental microbiology. And, of course, raw food carries nasty pathogens. Reduce the risk: Many stores, aware of the ick factor, have a dispenser with disinfectant wipes near the carts. If yours doesn’t, bring your own and give the handle a quick swab; that’s been shown to kill nearly 100 percent of germs. Or carry along a cart cover, like the Grip-Guard or Healthy Handle, a dishwasher-safe polypropylene cover that fits over any size cart handle. At the meat counter, follow the lead of Elizabeth Scott, PhD, co-director of the Center for Hygiene and Health at Simmons College in Boston: “I always put raw meat in a plastic bag. If I get some juice on my hands, I ask the person behind the counter for a disinfecting wipe.”

6. ATM buttons
If you’re not careful, you might pick up more than quick cash from your local ATM. Those buttons have more gunk on them than most public-bathroom doorknobs. (The same goes for vending-machine buttons, bus armrests, and escalator handrails.) After testing 38 ATMs in downtown Taipei, Chinese researchers recently found that each key contained, on average 1,200 germs. “ATMs aren’t frequently cleaned, and they are regularly touched—a perfect combination for a lot of germs,” environmental microbologist Kelly Reynolds, PhD, says. Reduce the risk: “Carry an alcohol-based hand-sanitizer with you and rub it on your hands after a visit to the ATM,” Reynolds suggests. Also, be sure to do it after you handle money. “Paper money actually carries quite a few germs, too,” she says.

7. Your handbag
Your Marc Jacobs? Dirty? Yep. Think petri dish. When University of Arizona professor of environmental microbiology Charles Gerba, PhD, and his team tested women’s purses not long ago, they found that most had tens of thousands of bacteria on the bottom and a few were overrun with millions. Another study found bugs like pseudo-monas (which can cause eye infections), and skin-infection-causing staphylococcus bacteria, as well as salmonella and E. coli. Your makeup case is every bit as bad, as are your guy’s wallet and personal digital assistant. Reduce the risk: Instead of slinging your bag on the floor, hang it on a hook whenever you can—especially in public bathrooms—and keep your bag off the kitchen counter. Stick with leather or vinyl purses, which are typically cleaner than cloth (less-porous surfaces are more impervious to germs). And wipe your bag down every few days with a mild soap or disinfectant, then let it air dry. Brand name, alas, makes no difference.

8. Playgrounds
There’s just no way to put this delicately: Children tend to ooze bodily fluids and then spread them around. “When we sampled playgrounds, we were pretty aghast at what we found—blood, mucus, saliva, urine,” Kelly Reynolds, PhD, says. Pair those findings with the fact that children put their fingers in their mouths and noses more than the rest of us, and it’s easy to understand why Junior (and maybe his mom or dad) has the sniffles. Reduce the risk: Carry alcohol wipes or hand-sanitizing gel in your purse, and clean everybody’s hands a couple of times during a park visit, especially before snacking. Pick warm sunny days for outdoor play: “The sun’s ultraviolet light is actually a very effective disinfectant. Most bugs won’t survive long on surfaces that are hot and dry,” says Howard Backer, MD, MPH, an expert in communicable diseases in Richmond, California.

9. Mats and machines at health clubs
“I see a yoga mat, and I worry,” says Elizabeth Scott, PhD, who has found antibiotic-resistant staphylococcus on yoga mats and cardio and resistance machines. “At high schools, antibiotic-resistant-staph infections have been transmitted through wrestling mats. The same thing could happen at health clubs.” Reduce the risk: Wipe down machines with antibacterial wipes before working out. Bring your own yoga mat or cover a loaner with your towel. “Shower after a workout and soap up your skin to rinse off any bacteria you may have been exposed to,” Scott says. “Thorough washing gets rid of antibiotic-resistant staph.”

10. Your bathtub
Shocking, but true: The place you go to get clean is quite dirty. In a recent study, Elizabeth Scott, PhD, found staphylococcus bacteria, a common cause of serious skin infections, in 26 percent of the tubs she tested, as compared with just 6 percent of garbage cans. Tubs typically had more than 100,000 bacteria per square inch! “It makes sense when you think about it,” she says. “You’re washing germs and viruses off your body. The tub is a fairly moist environment, so bacteria can grow.” Reduce the risk: Once a week, apply a disinfecting cleaner to the tub. “You need to actually scrub, then you need to wash the germs down the drain with water and dry the tub with a clean towel. If you leave the tub wet, germs are more likely to survive,” Scott says. Pay special attention to soap scum—a surprisingly germ-friendly environment, author Phiilp Tierno, PhD, adds. If someone who uses the tub has a skin infection, scrub it afterward with a solution of two tablespoons bleach in one quart of water.

11. Your office phone
This is enough to make you dial 911: Office phones often have more than 25,000 germs per square inch, and your desk, computer keyboard, and mouse aren’t far behind. “Phones, including cell phones, can be pretty gross; they get coated with germs from your mouth and hands,” says Robert Donofrio, PhD. Although we’d like to think of ourselves as cleaner than guys, women’s offices have twice the number of bacteria (but men’s are slightly more likely to harbor antiobiotic-resistant staphylococcus). In fact, Gerba calls desks “bacteria cafeterias,” because of all the food particles he found there. Most common office areas—kitchens, copiers—are not as dirty as individual desks, although the microwave is pretty bad.

12. Hotel-room remote
What’s the first thing you do when you settle in at a hotel? You grab the remote control and switch on the TV—you, and the hundreds of other guests who’ve stayed there. How dirty is it? Owen Hendley, MD, a professor of pediatrics and infectious disease at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, and his colleagues recently tested various surfaces for the cold virus after a group of sick people had stayed overnight. “We found the virus on the remote, door handles, light switches, pens, and faucet handles,” he says. Reduce the risk: Clean the remote control, phone, clock radio, door handles, and light switches with germicidal wipes. While you’re at it, throw on a pair of slippers and throw off the bedspread. “We’ve found urine and semen on both carpets and bedspreads.” They may not make you truly sick, but it certainly is enough to make you feel queasy.

Do You Have Problems Keeping Your Watercraft Free From Odor, Pests, Bacteria, Mold and Mildew?

 

For most people, boat cleanliness and maintenance is a huge problem. Boats are constantly exposed to water and other elements and are made with materials such as wood, carpeting, cushions, etc. These factors provide excellent food for mold growth and mildew. Even on boats that are operated in cold environments, parts of the hull become much colder than the warm, humid air you are comfortable with when on-board heating systems are used. This causes the warm, humid air from your breathing, cooking and dish washing to condense onto the cooler surfaces, essentially “watering” a mold colony like you would water a lawn or garden.

In addition to mold and mildew aboard your vessel, unwanted pests such as mice, rats and cockroaches may be using your boat as a temporary home for themselves, as they can feed off of organic matter on surfaces.  Once these pests have invaded your boat, their feces, urine and saliva can leave behind unsightly odors, stains or harmful bacteria that can be detrimental to you and your passenger’s health.

Some surfaces are designed to resist mold. Unfortunately, those surfaces are not manufactured to withstand the effects of accumulated sunscreen, dirt, residual soap and water. Wherever there is water, there is usually mold as well. And wherever there is organic residue, there is microbial growth. Even if you cover your boat’s seats, moisture can still penetrate them causing unsightly mold growth and stains that can be difficult to remove. Proper cleaning and care of your boat will pay off in the long run. Not only will you create a safe environment for your passengers, you will also ensure your boat is showroom ready if you decide to sell it. What’s more, it will cut down on expensive resurfacing jobs and help preserve the integrity of your boat for years to come.

The Solution?

The solution is to take a different approach to managing the environment throughout your watercraft and marina.

The first step in putting your company ahead of the competition and protecting your watercraft from bacteria, mold and mildew is to become an IASQ™ Certified Professional! With our one-of-a-kind Indoor Air and Surface Quality™ training, you can become knowledgeable in the IASQ™ Industry and offer Healthier Environments to promote safer, cleaner air and surfaces to your existing and future customers, as well as stay ahead of the competition by having access to the IASQ™ Certification Course 24/7! From here, you will have the knowledge and training you need to better manage your indoor environments by using unique antimicrobial technologies and cleaning techniques.

So What’s Next?

You see, protecting your watercraft from bacteria, mold and mildew is easier than ever with XMICROBE™ unique antimicrobial technology. Our XMICROBE™ Antimicrobial offers an antimicrobial protection that works every minute of every day with just one simple application and it’s affordable and long-lasting. XMICROBE™ Antimicrobial creates a durable bond to the surfaces of your watercraft preventing further growth, spreading of bacteria and hard to remove stains.  Protect your customers and employees and ease your mind as XMICROBE™ Antimicrobial works to control Microbial growth.

If you’re wondering how the XMICROBE™ Antimicrobial works, take a look!

Click Here for Animation!

XMICROBE™ Antimicrobial is an EPA registered revolutionary product. And it prevents the growth of an amazingly wide array of bacteria, mold, mildew, algae and yeast by acting like a bed of microscopic spikes that pierce and physically rupture the cell walls of microbes without the use of poisons. Since XMICROBE™ Antimicrobial’s methodology is mechanical instead of poisons, it does not create “Superbugs,” which are microbes that build up a resistance to treatment, and since each microscopic spike is only about 1000 the diameter of a human hair, they are too small to harm large cells in mammals. This is a totally new approach to providing long-lasting antimicrobial protection. What makes the XMICROBE™ Antimicrobial unique is its ability to create a strong bond with a multitude of surfaces (porous and nonporous), forming highly durable and protective coating.

Here’s the bottom line…

If you want a cleaner, healthier watercraft for your clients, employees, and yourself without relying on ineffective harsh toxic chemicals to keep the place clean, then you should look into XMICROBE™. Give us a call today at 888-558-5254 and take the first step towards a Healthier Environment!

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Stress Can Make Allergies Worse

New York Times -
By ANAHAD O’CONNOR

This year’s allergy season has not been an easy one, with pollen counts at record highs in several major cities. But for many sufferers, a less stressful life may ease the allergy burden.

In recent years, studies have shown that psychological stress and anxiety— even at slight or moderate levels — can worsen allergy symptoms. Scientists suspect that it has something to do with the way stress affects the immune system, causing elevated levels of compounds that heighten the allergic response and remain unaffected by standard treatments for hay fever, like antihistamines.

One of the most recent and striking studies was published this year by scientists at Ohio State University. On two different days the scientists subjected hay fever sufferers to a series of skin prick tests to measure their responses to allergens, including the size of the wheals they developed. On one day the subjects gave speeches to a panel and then had to solve math questions in their heads. On the other day they had less stressful tasks, like reading magazines.

“Wheal diameters increased after the stressor,” the scientists wrote, “compared to a slight decrease following the control task.”

Even a day after the stressor, the most anxious subjects continued to show severe symptoms, suggesting a lingering response from the anxiety.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Studies show that psychological stress can heighten and possibly prolong allergic responses.

Hospital Infection Problem Persists

New York Times -
By KEVIN SACK

The nagging and largely solvable problem of hospital-acquired infections remains as resistant to cure as the germs that contribute to an estimated 100,000 deaths a year, according to an annual government study issued Tuesday.

Ready To Get Ahead of the Competition With Your Rental Car Company?

One of the problems perplexing rental car companies today is the amount of bacteria and germs found throughout their fleet. From E.Coli to Staph, rental cars are just not as clean as they should be. According to research, only 3 out of 10 rental cars are cleaned and quite possibly, not to our satisfaction! Studies have found that 80% of infection is passed by human contact, either directly or indirectly and with so many surfaces and so many previous users, there are many chances at contamination.

The Solution?

The solution is to take a different approach to managing the environment inside your rental car and/or company.

The first step in putting your company ahead of the competition and protecting your vehicles from bacteria, mold and mildew is to become an IASQ™ Certified Professional! With our one-of-a-kind Indoor Air and Surface Quality™ training, you can become knowledgeable in the IASQ™ Industry and offer Healthier Environments to promote safer, cleaner air and surfaces to your existing and future customers, as well as stay ahead of the competition by having access to the IASQ™ Certification Course 24/7! From here, you will have the knowledge and training you need to better manage your indoor environments by using unique antimicrobial technologies and cleaning techniques.

So What’s Next?

You see, protecting your rental car company from bacteria, mold and mildew is easier than ever with XMICROBE™ unique antimicrobial technology. Our XMICROBE™ Antimicrobial offers an antimicrobial protection that works every minute of every day with just one simple application and it’s affordable and long-lasting. XMICROBE™ Antimicrobial creates a durable bond to the surfaces of your vehicles preventing further growth, spreading of bacteria and cross-contamination.  Protect your customers and employees and ease your mind as XMICROBE™ Antimicrobial works to control Microbial growth.

If you’re wondering how the XMICROBE™ Antimicrobial works, take a look!

XMICROBE™ Antimicrobial is an EPA registered revolutionary product. And it prevents the growth of an amazingly wide array of bacteria, mold, mildew, algae and yeast by acting like a bed of microscopic spikes that pierce and physically rupture the cell walls of microbes without the use of poisons. Since XMICROBE™ Antimicrobial’s methodology is mechanical instead of poisons, it does not create “Superbugs,” which are microbes that build up a resistance to treatment, and since each microscopic spike is only about 1000 the diameter of a human hair, they are too small to harm large cells in mammals. This is a totally new approach to providing long-lasting antimicrobial protection. What makes the XMICROBE™ Antimicrobial unique is its ability to create a strong bond with a multitude of surfaces (porous and nonporous), forming highly durable and protective coating.

Here’s the bottom line…

If you want a cleaner, healthier facility for your clients, employees, and yourself without relying on ineffective harsh toxic chemicals to keep the place clean, then you need the Healthier Environment Living Program™. Give us a call today at 888-558-5254 and take the first step towards a Healthier Environment!

Subscribe for Free Newsletter

Thank you for registering for the Indoor Life™ e-Newsletter!  Your name and email address will be added to our system and you will be receiving your e-Newsletter via your email on file.  We appreciate you taking the time to increase your knowledge on improving your indoor environment.  Feel free to call or email us anytime to make suggestions or simply ask questions.  We welcome all.  As always, your name and email information are kept confidential and will not be resold or used by any other company. 

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FACTS AND MYTHS ABOUT ASTHMA

(according to the American Lung Association)

It is estimated that 20 million Americans currently have asthma, including 6.1 million children under the age of 18. While asthma is common in the general population, there are many misconceptions about asthma.

Myth:
Children grow out of asthma.
Fact is
Studies have shown that children may have fewer symptoms as they reach adolescence. But asthma is a chronic disease involving airway inflammation. Swelling can be present without symptoms into adulthood. If you have severe asthma as a child, you are more likely to have symptoms later in life compared to someone with mild asthma in childhood.

Myth:
Only children have asthma.
Fact is
While asthma is more common in children than adults, some people can develop asthma in adulthood without having symptoms as a child. In adults, symptoms are more likely to be triggered by irritants such as cold air and cigarette smoke rather than allergens such as house dust and pollen.

Myth:
Children do not die from asthma.
Fact is
Adults and children die every year from asthma. In 2001, more than 4000 people died from asthma-related causes.

Myth:
Asthma is curable.
Fact is
Asthma is not curable, but it is manageable. People with asthma have it all the time. When they are having a hard time breathing, they are having an asthma episode. On those days, their asthma is not under good control. However, a person who has been diagnosed with asthma still has the disease even when not experiencing symptoms.

Myth:
Steroids used to treat asthma will stunt children’s growth.
Fact is
Inhaled corticosteroids do not stop children from reaching their full height. Short-term studies have shown that inhaled corticosteroids may slow the growth of children. Long-term studies, however, have shown that these children experience growth catch-up and reach their normal adult height.

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