www.care2.com/greenliving/battle-the-top-10-germ-hot-spots.html
ByMelissa Breyer
posted by Melissa Breyer Mar 5, 2009 in www.care2.com/greenliving
Battle the Top 10 Germ Hot Spots
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By Melissa Breyer, Senior
Editor, Healthy & Green Living
If we could take a tour of our homes wearing germ-vision goggles,
we might be reluctant to re-enter after running out the door
screaming as if we’d just escaped from the world’s creepiest
haunted house. Germs are everywhere. I happen to not think that’s
such an awful thing–although I don’t want to breed germs like pets,
not all germs are so bad. In a story I posted about germs in
January (Eating Dirt,
Embracing Germs), I wrote about researchers
who were concluding that the millions of bacteria and viruses that
enter the body along with “dirt” spur the development of a healthy
immune system.
But just because I’m soft on germs doesn’t mean I plan on playing
perfect hostess to germs that may endanger my kids–wherein lies a
bit of a conflict. When I saw a story on germ hot spots and the
less innocent germs that lurk in the corners (and surprising
surfaces) in our homes, the mother bear in me wanted to bust out
the fatigues and shock and awe every last E.coli with bleach
and triclosan, even though I run an
all-natural household. Every conventional suggestion for battling
these hot spots relies on solutions that I know are bad for my
house and the planet. So instead, I devised a different plan of
attack that skips bleach and its friends, and relies on tested
alternatives and some simple strategizing. Here’s my plan.
1. THE KITCHEN SPONGE
Statistics show that there can be 250,000 bacteria per square inch
on the handy kitchen sponge–yes, the very implement that we use to
clean our food prep areas and eating surfaces is swarming with
bacteria. The moist pores that make a sponge such an effective
cleaning device also make it a perfect cozy village for germs, and
very hard to disinfect. Wiping counters or dishes with a dirty
sponge will only transfer the bacteria, like dastardly E. coli,
from one item to another.
Solution: Beware of sponges labeled with “anti-bacterial” or “kills
odors” as those are impregnated with triclosan. Instead, use pure
cellulose sponges and sterilize them every day by one of these
three methods.
• Boil in water for three minutes.
• Wet, squeeze, and cook in the microwave for two minutes.
• Run sponge through the dishwasher.
2. DISH RAGS
Dish rags present the same problem as kitchen sponges, but since
they don’t have the same pervious texture they are less attractive
to bacteria.
Solution: Rinse the rag well and allow to dry for several hours
before using again–most bacteria can only live for three hours
without moisture. You can also apply any of the sterilizing methods
from Kitchen Sponges.
3. THE KITCHEN SINK
Do you hear a buzz in your sink? Salmonella, campylobacter, and E.
coli are having a little party in your drain. Not really, I don’t
think germs have parties, or voices, but still … the kitchen sink
is a terrific venue for bacteria. Food and grime get stuck around
and in the drain, and bacteria like that very much. From there,
migration to the basin and faucet handles isn’t such a
stretch.
Solution: Scrub the drain area and as far down as you can with
baking soda and a toothbrush to get rid of food particles and
grime. Always clean the sink after you have prepared food
containing dangerous organisms. And clean the sink two times a week
with a homemade antibacterial soft-scrub formula, see recipe
below.
4. WET LAUNDRY
This one is as gross as it is surprising. I don’t really know how
to tell you this, but there’s poop in your laundry. A report from
ABC News states that there is about 0.1 gram of fecal material in a
piece of underwear, which adds up to approximately 100 million E.
coli bacteria in an average undergarment load. Yuck and yikes. And
as many of us don’t use bleach and scalding water for laundry, much
of that bacteria just takes a swirly swim and is up and running to
contaminate our hands as we transfer to the dryer.
Solution
• Wash all undergarments in the same load, and make it the last
load of the day to avoid contaminating successive loads.
• Add a few drops of tea tree oil to your laundry detergent, or use
lavender or tea tree oil castille soap.
• If you don’t use hot water for cleaning, consider using it just
for underwear loads.
• Don’t let laundry sit between wash and dry cycles, this gives
germs a chance to multiply.
• If you don’t dry your laundry on high heat for a full cycle,
consider doing so just for underwear loads.
• Wash hands after putting wet laundry in the dryer.
• Don’t place dirty laundry on the folding/sorting table where
clean laundry will be placed.
• Don’t put clean laundry back in the dirty hamper to bring it back
to the dresser.
5. BATHTUB
I’m sorry to tell you this, but many garbage cans are cleaner than
bathtubs, which can ring in at about 100,000 bacteria per square
inch.
Solution
• Use an anti-bacterial soft scrub (see formula below) once a week,
paying special attention to soap scum and bath rings which can be a
great breeding ground for germs.
• Also use the soft scrub and a toothbrush for the drain and
faucet/handle areas.
• In addition, spray with straight white distilled vinegar weekly,
which kills bacteria as well as mold.
6. FLOORS
The kitchen gets food spills, the bathroom gets toilet bowls
splashes–bacteria heaven. Most of us aren’t touching or eating off
the floor that often, but are kids might be!
Solution
• Wipe us spills immediately to deter bacteria from
multiplying.
• Close the toilet seat before flushing to avoid spray.
• Clean your kitchen and bathroom floors a hot-water, hard clean
weekly, depending on what type of flooring you have (use the soft
scrub below for tile). For more tips, read Easy Greening: Natural Floor
Cleaning.
• Spray around the toilet with straight white vinegar.
7. KITCHEN GARBAGE
Not surprisingly, the kitchen garbage can is a germ magnet–food
waste and a dark, moist environment makes bacteria so very
happy.
Solution
• Use a trashcan with a pedal opener to avoid having to touch the
can regularly.
• Use a stainless steel trash can–ions in stainless steel actually
kill germs!
• Take out the trash regularly.
• Odor equals bacteria. Clean your bin once a week with the soft
scrub formula below, and follow with a vinegar rinse.
8. TOYS
Oh, kids and germs–they go together like peas and carrots. And once
you factor in the germs from all the friends and classmates, that
are transported into your home, sick-city.
Solution: Of course there’s always the old weekly bleach-dunk, but
not for me, or any of else concerned about our kids inhaling bleach
fumes.
• Opt for toys that are easy to clean.
• Some toys can be put through the dishwasher.
• Try a vinegar dunk.
• Cloth toys can be washed in the washing machine.
• Teach kids the importance of washing their hands.
9. PHONE
Hello germs? Hello dirty little phone. Both home phones and mobile
phones are ideal places for germs to thrive. Between our hands and
our mouth, the top germ transmitters, the phone is tremendously
germy. In addition, when was the last time you cleaned your
phone?
Solution: Wipe down weekly with very hot water, and wipe with a
vinegar saturated paper towel.
10. CUTTING BOARD
Again, gross. According to the ABC report, there are 200 times more
fecal bacteria on a cutting board than a toilet seat. Seriously. If
you think about it, the toilet seat itself doesn’t have direct
contact with a lot of bacteria, while the cutting board hosts a lot
of raw food which is often loaded with bacteria.
Solution: Plastic cutting boards may be easier to clean and
sanitize, but wooden ones also contain natural oils that can kill
bacteria.
• Grooves on your boards can harbor bacteria, so when you have the
grooves, throw the board out.
• Invest in different cutting boards for produce, bread and
meat.
• Glass and plastic which are not very absorbent are the best for
meats because juices don’t seep into the material.
• If they fit and the manufacturer states the material is safe, run
your cutting boards through the dishwasher.
• Or, hand wash them with Annie’s method: 3 percent hydrogen
peroxide alternated with straight white vinegar. Let each material
rest on the cutting board for 10 minutes or so before
rinsing.
DIY Antibacterial Soft Scrub (Inspired by Annie’s Homemade Soft
Scrubber)
1/2 cup baking soda
Tea tree, lavender, or peppermint Castille soap (see note)
5 drops antibacterial essential oil such as peppermint, tea tree
oil, oregano, lemon, thyme, or eucalyptus
Pour the baking soda in a bowl and slowly stir in enough liquid
soap until you have a thick paste, add essential oil. Use as you
would a commercial soft scrub.
Note: Only use liquid soap if you have soft water. If you have hard
water, use liquid dish detergent.
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