When the coronavirus pandemic reached the United States just a few short weeks ago, cleaning and disinfection products such as sanitizing wipes, hand sanitizer, and all-purpose, germ-killing cleaners were some of the first things to disappear off the shelves—followed of course, by paper products such as toilet paper, paper towels, and tissues. Unfortunately, people stockpiling these essential supplies has created an availability issue, which means that you may be running out of tools to keep surfaces clean and keep your family safe. Thankfully, there are effective homemade options that will kill viruses on surfaces and keep your home clear of any lingering germs.
Why You Need to Take Your Shoes Off At the Door
The Japanese are well-known for leaving their shoes at the door. In fact, it’s the norm in most Asian countries as well as throughout Scandinavia, yet in Europe and the U.S., other than Hawaii, most people keep their shoes on when they enter their home or someone else’s.
We really need to work on changing that, as shoes can bring a host of nasty things into your home, causing all sorts of problems. The next time you step inside, think about these reminders as to why those shoes need to come off.
Herbicides and Pesticides are Tracked In
When you’re outside, your shoes collect all sorts of substances, including herbicides and pesticides that can lead to health issues. A government-funded study published in Environmental Science & Technology found that weed killers, pesticides, herbicides and the like applied to one’s lawn or garden can be tracked into homes by people up to a week after treatment. Rooms with carpeted floors, as compared to bare floor areas by the researchers, generally had a higher level of tracked-in 2,4-D, the journal reported
Homes with bare floor entryways tended to have the highest levels of the chemical in carpeted living rooms and bedrooms. In homes that had carpeted entryways, levels were higher there than in other parts of the house. That exposure can result in minor skin rashes or gastrointestinal upset, and the risk is much greater for infants and toddlers who often crawl or lie on the floor. The expert noted that the bottom line was that tracking in these potentially harmful compounds can be easily limited simply by consistently remove outdoor shoes at the door.
Bacteria
Researchers at the University of Houston discovered that roughly 40% of shoes they tested carried “C.diff” bacterium or Clostridium difficile, nasty spores that can cause symptoms that range from diarrhea to fatal infection and are difficult to treat. The bacteria was found not only on the soles of shoes, but throughout the household, in floor dust, surfaces, toilets, and countertops. If one develops an infection caused by C.diff, it’s very hard to treat as it’s resistant to the majority of antibiotics, which can cause it to proliferate. It attacks intestinal linings which leads to colitis – and, those bacteria can survive for days or even weeks on your shoes.
In another study from the University of Arizona, researchers assessed the quantity of bacteria and found over 420,000 different units that included nine different strains that can cause an infection in the lungs, eyes, and stomach, including E.coli, which makes up about a third of all bacteria. While most are relatively harmless, there are some nasty ones too that can lead to severe intestinal problems, causing diarrhea and vomiting, and in rare cases, meningitis. The experts also discovered Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteria, which is known to cause urinary infections as well as significant damage to the lungs, leading to pneumonia. This bacteria has a high fatality rate at 50%, and in those who are suffering from alcoholism, it’s as high as 100%.
Keeping Things Clean
It’s not just for health reasons that you and everyone in your household should remove their shoes. While bacteria on your sneakers is invisible to the naked eye, things like dust, dirt and other debris are not, and those are all easily carried on your shoes. While it may not be toxic, it can quickly make your home dirty after time out on the trail, at the park, or even just walking city streets. By leaving your shoes at the door, your house will be much cleaner and healthier.
Preventing Damaged Floors
The soles of shoes are often abrasive or contain sharp edges that can cause damage to your floors. By not wearing shoes in the house it will be easier to maintain your floors and keep them lasting longer due to reduced wear and tear, and it limits the continuous need to vacuum and shampoo carpets. Not only will your house be cleaner and healthier, you’re likely to save money too.
Being a Better Neighbor
If you live in an apartment or another multi-home complex, your neighbors will be happier if you leave those shoes at the door, whether your home is carpeted or has hardwood floors. That’s because wearing socks or slippers keeps the sounds of feet shuffling across the floor to a minimum.
Making an Easier Transition From Work to Home
The Japanese have often noted that one of the reasons, in addition to health and cleanliness for removing shoes before entering a home, is it signals a transition from busyness to relaxation. You slip out of your shoes you’ve been wearing all day, and into cozy socks or soft slippers, as part of a relaxing ritual that allows your mind to let go of the cares of the day and the outside world.
While it may seem like an insignificant thing to do, incorporating habits like this into your day helps you to feel more calm, slowing down and become more connected to your body as well as the environment. It basically signals your psyche that you’re now entering a sacred space, and it creates an energy of sanctity. It makes your home a healthy sanctuary, where you can easily unwind and relax your mind.
Ways To Change Your Old Habit
If you’ve been in the habit of wearing your shoes at home and allowing your guests to do the same, you can make the transition easier in a number of ways, including providing an appealing, practical spot for everyone to leave their outdoor shoes. A wide range of attractive options are available these days, whether you want a beautiful, handcrafted piece made of solid mahogany to keep indoors in your entryway, or something outside on your porch. Or, you could always keep it simple by using any type of basket or a cheap shoe rack. Either way, that will make it easier for everyone to remember to do it before eventually, it becomes an ingrained habit.
You may also want to inform your guests about your shoes-off preference in a kind, gentle way that adds to the look of your home’s entrance. A simple engraved stone that says, “Please, kindly remove your shoes,” or a sign with a similar statement is a great way to accomplish that and keep all of that nasty debris out of your home.
-Susan Patterson
Why Picking Your Nose is Such a Bad Habit
A 1995 study reported that ninety-one percent of people surveyed admitted to picking their nose. I imagine things haven’t changed much over the years. Some pick to remove boogers, while others simply pick out of habit or compulsion. Whatever the reason, it seems like most Americans are doing a little housecleaning now and again. However, research now finds that this somewhat mindless, and hopefully private, habit, may be potentially dangerous for your health.
Why You Should Always Wash Your Avocados
Have you ever spent a long Friday at work getting excited about kicking back with a bowl of nacho chips and freshly made guacamole…only to find that your avocados are still green and inedible?
5 Places Deadly Bacteria Lurk in Your Kitchen: How to Fix It
The kitchen is often referred to as the heart of the home, which may be one of the reasons why it’s so filthy. Many people spend hours each day in the kitchen preparing delicious meals, unaware of the dangerous bacteria lurking around them. However, once you can pinpoint the areas that are breeding grounds for bacteria, you can make an effort to eliminate the nasty germs once and for all.
Strange Places Germs Lurk in Your Home and How to Eliminate Them Naturally
The Society for General Microbiology reports that certain bacteria can divide every 20 minutes under the right conditions, which is why illness symptoms often show up so quickly after an infection. Rather frighteningly, research into the most contaminated objects in homes uncovered more than 340 different bacteria on 30 separate objects.
If you’ve been worried about catching a cold, the flu or some other ailment at the office, in school or during your morning bus commute, think again – those places may not house the most threatening germs. In fact, they’re likely to be right in your own home.
The household germs that can make you ill are:
- Fecal matter
- Staphylococcus aureus, or staph
- Yeast and mold
- Salmonella
- E. coli (Escherichia coli)
From the kitchen to your bedroom and everywhere in between, these are some of the strangest places germs are likely to be lurking in your home – and, how you can eliminate them naturally, without having to turn to potentially hazardous, chemical-filled cleaning products.
Yes, there are even germs on your vacuum cleaner
The Vacuum Cleaner
Your vacuum cleaner may be used to clean, but it’s actually a big germ fest. A study aided by University of Arizona microbiologist Charles Gerba, known as “Mr. Germ,” showed that 50 percent of vacuum brushes that were tested contained fecal bacteria, including 13 percent with E. coli, and all contained mold. When you vacuum, you may inadvertently be transferring those germs from contaminated surfaces to surfaces that were previously uncontaminated, until now that is.
To help prevent the growth of more bacteria, use a bagless vacuum rather than the disposable bag type, and be sure to clean any vacuum brushes immediately after each use. Traces of bacteria can survive for as long as five days inside the vacuum- after the dirt has been emptied out. You can disinfectant them by spraying them with a cup of vinegar, three-quarters cup water and about 50 drops of tea tree essential oil that have been combined in a spray bottle.
Beds
The National Survey of Lead and Allergens in Housing found that the majority of beds in U.S. homes have dust mites. In fact, less than 16 percent were shown to be dust mite-free. These microscopic creatures live in the sheets and feed off dead skin. Both their corpses and fecal matter contribute to problems like allergies and asthma, but fortunately, there’s an easy way to reduce this problem: stop making your bed. Dust mites require a humidity level that’s at least 50 percent in order to survive. When the bed is made, it traps moisture in – moisture necessary for their survival. Investing in a dehumidifier can help too.
Shower Curtains
A shower curtain with mildew, mold and/or soap scum doesn’t just look unsightly – if it’s made of vinyl, it’s truly a microbe mecca, as research published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology revealed. They were even found to contain infection-causing pathogens like Methylobacterium and Sphingomonas. Professor of molecular biology at the University of Colorado at Boulder, Norman Pace, Ph.D., noted that the force of the water also spreads those germs.
You have a couple of options for cleaning your shower curtains – you can fill up a spray bottle with undiluted hydrogen peroxide and spray them down, paying special attention to any spots with mildew or mold, allow it to sit for about five minutes, and then scrub it down and rinse with water. Keeping the bottle in or near the shower so that you can spray the curtain after every use can help prevent a problem as well.
Another option, if you have a vinyl shower curtain, is to get a fabric shower curtain instead, which is much easier to clean. All you have to do is throw it in the washer, using the hottest water possible. Wash at least once a month, and more often if there’s anyone in your home with a weak immune system or under a lot of stress.
Pet Items
You may have worried about your four-legged friends bringing in fleas or ticks, but have you thought about the bacteria and germs they’re introducing? If they go outside, odds are, there are lots of them. The NSF International Household Germ Study found that pet bowls were one of the hottest spots for germs in a home. Their toys were also shown to carry mold, yeast, and staph.
Help prevent your furry family members from bringing germs, dirt, and gunk in by washing or wiping their paws off before they come inside. Keep their bowls washed daily, using warm, soapy water. You should also clean their hard toys regularly. You can toss rubber or plastic toys into a large container with one part water and one part white vinegar. Let them soak for five minutes or so and then use a cloth to scrub any stubborn spots if necessary. Rinse with warm water and then dry thoroughly. Throw soft toys like stuffed animals into the wash once a month.
Contact Lens Cases
The last place you want to have crawling with germs is your contact lens case – one study from China found that 34 percent of them contained germs like Staphylococcus aureus and Serratia, which can lead to keratitis, an inflammatory eye disease that may damage the cornea and even result in blindness.
Keep that contact lens case clean by dumping out the used solution and thoroughly rinsing it with hot water every single day. Replace it at least every three months and buy a new bottle of contact lens solution about every 60 days, even if it hasn’t been used. After two months, they tend to lose their ability to fight germs.
Laundry
How many times have you started a load of laundry only to forget about it and leave it sitting in the washer? Wet laundry left in a machine, even if it’s only for a short time, can cause germs to flourish. Those clean clothes should always be transferred to the dryer immediately after washing. If they’re allowed to sit for more than a half hour, you should really run them through the washer again.
Electronic Devices
Any shared electronic devices, like remote controls, phones, tablets, keyboards, video game controllers and the like, are germ meccas. They’ve been found to contain staph, yeast, and mold. Are you really letting your toddler bite down on that remote control? It’s like tossing him a kitchen sponge to play with. And your keyboard? It’s said to be five times dirtier than a toilet seat. One microbiologist examined a keyboard and found that it harbored bacteria that was more than 150 times the acceptable limit.
Keep those items disinfected by combining a quarter-cup vinegar, a quarter-cup water and a few drops of tea tree oil in a spray bottle. Be sure the item you’re using is powered off and unplugged. Spray a clean cloth with the solution, making sure that it is not dripping wet – if so, ring it out well first and then run it on the device. If you need to get between tiny places like keyboard keys, use a cotton swab dipped in the mixture.
-Susan Patterson