Tag Archives: germs

We all have a de-germing, sanitizing device in our homes:

11 Tuesday Jun 2019

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The microwave. That’s according to microbiologist Dr. Kelly Reynolds. She says the heat a microwave generates can kill germs. So try it on these things:

Your kitchen hand towel. Dr. Reynolds says get it completely wet. Wring it out as best you can. Then zap it in the microwave on high for 2 minutes.

You can also sanitize your toothbrush.

Place it in a cup of water, bristles down, and heat on high for 5 minutes. Just keep an eye out to make sure it doesn’t melt.

Lastly, you can use your microwave to clean a wooden cutting board. Soak it completely in water for a few minutes. Then put it in the microwave for 4 minutes on high.

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If you’re planning to spend a week at the beach, ask yourself:

13 Monday May 2019

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…is your beach towel a bacteria bomb that needs washing every day? No! Dr. Mehmet Oz says it’s OK to use the same towel for several days running – IF you hang it in direct sunlight to dry. The sun’s UV rays will kill 90% of the germs, leaving bacteria levels too low to make you sick. But, if the towel’s still damp the next day – toss it in the dryer. Because with moisture, bacteria can multiply 100-fold after each use.

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Kiss your partner!

25 Monday Mar 2019

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This may be the most fun way to improve your immune system: Kiss your partner! According to the journal Microbiome just 10 seconds of French kissing can transfer 80 million germs from one person’s mouth to another’s. Yes that’s a lot of microorganisms, but the health benefits are huge. Because when we’re exposed to other people’s germs, it helps us build immunity to those germs.

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How can hospitals make sure people wash their hands to prevent the spread of infections?

27 Wednesday Feb 2019

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Place a picture of a set of eyes near sinks. According to a study of people entering an intensive care unit, when there was a picture of eyes posted near the sink, people were twice as likely to wash their hands on the way in. That’s because the feeling of being watched makes people behave better and act more honestly. Researchers from Newcastle University in the U.K. say our brains are wired to lock in on faces and facial features. And we’re quick to tune into the feeling of someone watching us – and when they are, we automatically adjust our behavior.

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On your next flight…

07 Thursday Feb 2019

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…you may want to leave that tray table in the upright and locked position. That’s because disease-causing germs like MRSA and E. coli can linger on airplane armrests, window shades, tray tables, and toilet handles for days, according to scientists from Auburn University. Plus, contact with those pathogens could lead to antibiotic resistant infections and a gut bug that can cause kidney failure. And that’s not an exaggeration… the MRSA found on a cloth seatback pocket lasted 168 hours — which is a week… and the E. coli on an airplane armrest hung around for 4 days. So wash your hands frequently when you’re flying, and don’t touch your eyes, nose or mouth until you do.

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To avoid a cold or the flu – do this!

23 Friday Nov 2018

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You know that one of the most important things you can do to avoid catching a cold or the flu is to wash your hands frequently. The problem is, most people concentrate on washing their palms – when it’s the fingertips that really matter. Dr. Neil Schachter is a respiratory specialist at Mount Sinai Medical Center. And he says our fingertips are more likely to come into contact with germy surfaces – and we’re most likely to stick a fingertip in our mouth, nose or eyes, the main entry points for germs. So when you wash your hands, make sure you focus on those fingertips!

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If there’s a loofah in your shower, toss it.

05 Friday Oct 2018

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Because it’s a germophobe’s nightmare. Here’s how bad it is, according to dermatologist Dr. Dendy Engelman. She says, with every use, you’re transferring the bacteria from your skin to the loofah. And because the scrubber has so many nooks and crannies, your dead skin cells get trapped, and bacteria starts multiplying, thanks to the moisture and a lack of air circulation. That means, every time you scrub with a loofah, you’re just spreading around the bacteria you washed off yesterday.
Plus, scrubbing too hard can literally make tiny scratches in your skin, forcing the bacteria through the wounds, which can make you sick or give you an infection. If you can’t give up your loofah – make sure you use a natural one… and sanitize it the same way you would your kitchen sponge. Zap it in the microwave while it’s wet for 20 seconds once a day.

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Tissue germs!

30 Wednesday May 2018

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If you’re sick – and you’ve been using the same tissue to blow your nose all morning – is that a problem? Well, according to Dr. Wendy Bennett, an internist from Johns Hopkins, that ratty tissue won’t hurt you – but it could hurt those around you. Because each time you touch the tissue, you’re touching your germy mucus – and wherever your hands land afterward will be contaminated with your virus. So grab a new tissue. Or sneeze into your elbow, since that’s less likely to touch other surfaces or people.

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This is how germs are spread!

22 Tuesday May 2018

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We know that coughing and sneezing spreads germs. Now, researchers say, so do singing, whistling and laughing!

Virologists at Singapore’s National University Hospital say singing produces an even stronger, “more penetrating plume of infection” than coughing. How do they know? Because the researchers used a gigantic mirror and high-speed camera to watch the splatter of saliva… and they figured out exactly how far those flu droplets flew when someone was singing!

So what’s the point of this research? Researchers can apply it to how far apart hospital beds need to be to prevent airborne infection. But for us, we should steer clear of strangers who are whistling on their way to work – and maybe avoid close contact with singers on karaoke night! Keep a minimum distance of 20 feet… and know that viral droplets can stay suspended in the air for up to 10 minutes.

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Worried about germs?

09 Wednesday May 2018

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Start cleaning your debit and credit cards! Because they’re constantly being touched by cashiers, and shoved into card readers and ATMs… picking up tons of germs along the way. So, what’s the best way to clean your credit cards? Grab some disinfecting wipes, clean them thoroughly – then let them dry completely before putting them back into your wallet.

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