Did you know that 65% of colds and more than half of food-borne
illnesses are contracted in the home. The things we do around the house every
day have a big impact on both our long- and short-term health.
Here are five common household
activities that may be making you sick.
1. Using a
Sponge
The dirtiest room in everybody's home is the kitchen. That is because
most people generally deal with different types of meats on their countertops
and in the sink. Raw meat can carry E. coli and salmonella, among other viruses
and bacteria. Most people clean their countertops and table after a meal with
the one tool found in almost all kitchens: the sponge. In addition to sopping
up liquids and other messes, the kitchen sponge commonly carries E. coli and
faecal bacteria, as well as many other microbes. It's the single dirtiest thing
in your kitchen, along with a dishrag and ironically, the more you attempt to
clean your countertops with a sponge, the more germs you're spreading around.
Solution - Dip your sponges into a solution
of bleach and water before wiping down surfaces it is the best and cheapest
germicide money can buy. In addition, once you've used your sponge, be sure to
let it air-dry. Dryness kills off organisms. Another way to keep bacteria from
building up in your sponge is to microwave it for one to two minutes each week.
Put a little water in a dish and put the sponge in, this will boil and
distribute the heat evenly [throughout the sponge] and kill the bacteria.
2. Vacuuming
Conventional vacuum cleaners are intended to pick up and retain big
pieces of dirt. But it's the tiny dust particles that pass right through the
porous vacuum bags and up into the air. So, while our floors may look cleaner
after running a vacuum over them, plenty of dust, which can exacerbate
allergies, remains. Pet allergens and indoor dust, which contains the highest
concentrations of hazardous materials like heavy metals, lead, pesticides, and
other chemicals, are found in higher concentrations in the smallest particles
of the dust. The everyday habit of cleaning with a conventional vacuum cleaner
results in a burst of particles in the air and then they settle back down over
the course of hours
Solution - Look for a vacuum cleaner with a
high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter. Unlike those in conventional
vacuums, HEPA filters are able to retain the small particles and prevent them
from passing through and contaminating the air you breathe in your home.
3. Sleeping
With Pillows and a Mattress
The average person sheds about 1.5 million skin cells per hour and
perspires consistently every day even while doing nothing. The skin cells
accumulate in our pillows and mattresses and dust mites grow and settle. In
actual fact a mattress doubles in weight every 10 years because of the
accumulation of human hair, bodily secretions, animal hair and dander, fungal
mould and spores, bacteria, chemicals, dust, lint, fibres, dust mites, insect
parts, and a variety of particulates, including dust mite faeces. After five
years, 10% of the weight of a pillow is dust mites.
Solution - Cover your mattress, box springs,
and pillows with impervious outer covers. Allergy-proof coverings seal the
mattress and pillow, preventing anything from getting in or out, which protects
you, also wash your sheets weekly in hot water.
4. Grilling
Meat
Barbecuing meat creates the cancer-causing compounds polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heterocyclic amines (HCAs). When fat drips from the
meat onto the hot grill, catches fire, and produces smoke, PAHs form. That's
what's contained in that delicious-looking charred mark we all look for on our
burger. HCAs form when meat is cooked at a high temperature, which can occur during
an indoor cooking process as well.
Solution - Limiting your outdoor cooking,
using tin foil, or microwaving the meat first is a sensible precaution.
Wrapping meat in foil with holes poked in it allows fat to drip off, but limits
the amount of fat that hits the flames and comes back onto the meat. Some of
the excess fat can also be eliminated by first microwaving meat and choosing
cuts of meat that are leaner. There's also some evidence that marinating meat
may lower the amount of HCAs formed.
5. Sitting in
Front of the TV
Sitting in front of the television has become a national pass-time and
one of our least healthy behaviours, particularly because we often do it while
snacking on food that is high in calories. Accumulating excess body weight and
not being active enough puts us at greater risk for heart disease, cancer,
arthritis, and a host of other diseases.
Solution - Turn off the TV, put away the bag
of crisps and go for a walk.
No comments:
Post a Comment