April 7th may be known as No Housework Day, but you may want to break out the gloves and get some heavy-duty spring cleaning done once you read this article from Yahoo! highlighting the 5 Germiest Spots in Your Home…yikes!
As healthcare professionals, you know how important cleanliness is to your patients and co-workers, but after a long 10, 12, or 14-hour shift, sometimes the last thing you really want to do when you get home is clean. Well, maybe we can all get in the habit of looking out for these key areas (and, in the meanwhile, thank Good Housekeeping for the heads-up):
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Cleaning Up the Home!
I’ve never really been a spring cleaner; I’m more of a winter cleaner. At the beginning of each year, I make sure to scour my apartment from top to bottom to get rid of “last year’s” dirt. During this year’s ritual cleaning, I noticed many places and items that I’ve neglected to clean. Here are five grimy things you may also overlook. You clean out the dust container or replace the bag routinely but when was the last time you cleaned the vacuum upholstery tool or brush roll? Check your manual for the how-to. Using scissors, cut off any carpet fibers or hair entangled around the brush.
2: Handbags: Spot clean fabric bags with a gentle detergent solution like Woolite and flip the purse inside out to wipe down the inner lining. On finished leather purses, use a leather conditioning cleaner — I love Guardsman Leather Wipes. And, if you place your purse on the floor in a restaurant or even worse, in the ladies’ room, never put it on your kitchen table or countertop.
1: Vacuum Cleaner Brushes and Attachments:
3: Credit/Debit Cards: These everyday essentials get handled by lots of people, and germs can lurk in the crevices around the numbers. Give debit and credit cards a quick cleaning with an alcohol wipe and let them air dry before placing them back in your wallet.
4: Blinds: The material they’re made of — metal, wood, or fabric — determines how you dust them. For metal blinds, wipe with a sock lightly dampened with water or multi-purpose cleaner. For wood blinds follow the same procedure using only a little tap water. Do not overwet the wood and be sure to buff dry right away. For fabric blinds, go over the blinds with a dry microfiber cloth.
5: Yoga Mats: After a few sessions, you probably notice that your sweaty hands and feet are leaving dirty marks on your mat, which can lead to yucky bacteria growth. Most mat manufacturers recommend occasionally hand cleaning their products with water and mild soap. All-purpose cleaners can eat away at the material.
- By Christina Peterson, Good Housekeeping
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Happy Cleaning! Until next time…
should be dried on the lowest tumble dry setting of your dryer or line dried. This will prevent excessive shrinking and fading.
Even though we all practically live on-the-go and on-the-move, there’s always a way for us and our families to continue eating healthy even if it is through the fast-food method. Instead of fries, opt for fruit. Downsize that extra-large iced latte for a medium-size, or switch to a juice or normal iced tea if you’re trying to 
In support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, throughout the month of October, we will be featuring articles relating to cancer prevention, patient inspiration, and hope for a cure. This week – I am re-posting an article from the American Cancer Society with some interesting commentary on risk factors that can be controlled.
But the connection between weight and breast cancer risk is complex. For example, the risk appears to be increased for women who gained weight as an adult but may not be increased among those who have been overweight since childhood. Also, excess fat in the waist area may affect risk more than the same amount of fat in the hips and thighs. Researchers believe that fat cells in various parts of the body have subtle differences that may explain this.
Evidence is growing that physical activity in the form of exercise reduces breast cancer risk. The main question is how much exercise is needed. In one study from the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) as little as 1.25 to 2.5 hours per week of brisk walking reduced a woman’s risk by 18%. Walking 10 hours a week reduced the risk a little more. To reduce your risk of breast cancer, the American Cancer Society recommends 45 to 60 minutes of intentional physical activity 5 or more days a week.
Internet e-mail rumors and at least one book have suggested that bras cause breast cancer by obstructing lymph flow. There is no good scientific or clinical basis for this claim. Women who do not wear bras regularly are more likely to be thinner or have less dense breasts, which would probably contribute to any perceived difference in risk.
An active focus of research is whether secondhand smoke increases the risk of breast cancer. Both mainstream and secondhand smoke contain chemicals that, in high concentrations, cause breast cancer in rodents. Chemicals in tobacco smoke reach breast tissue and are found in breast milk.
Several studies have suggested that women who work at night — for example, nurses on a night shift — may have an increased risk of developing breast cancer. This is a fairly recent finding, and more studies are looking at this issue. Some researchers think the effect may be due to changes in levels of melatonin, a hormone whose production is affected by the body’s exposure to light, but other hormones are also being studied.