Tag Archives for " germs "

Wash your hands AND your wristband!

Wash your hands AND your wristband!

Their popularity never seems to diminish, and where there’s one, there’s usually a stack of them: wristbands.  Silicone is a popular material choice because it is flexible, durable, can be colorful, shaped into wide or small bands, and even hold useful appliances like smart watches and gym passes.  However, depending on the material and the wearer, wristbands can carry harmful germs that don’t get as much attention as they should. 

According to a study by Florida Atlantic University's Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, there is a correlation between the material (plastic, rubber, cloth, leather and metal (gold and silver)) and the prevalence of bacteria.  Plastic and rubber had the highest incidence of bacteria because they tend to hold moisture between it and the wearer’s skin, and foster microbial growth unless some sort of antibacterial coating is incorporated.  Not surprisingly, gold and silver had virtually no bacteria (these are age-old non-toxic anti-microbial materials due to the ions they release).  

The other variable was the activity (hygiene) of the subject at sampling time. (no significant differences between males and females were detected in the occurrence or distribution of the bacteria groups).   This means that more activity (exercise) and specifically going to the gym, increased bacteria counts.  Here are the types of bacteria monitored:

  • Staphylococcus and Pseudomonas, which are common skin residents.  The highest staphylococcal counts were found on wristbands from gym-goers.  Besides the skin, Staphylococcus aureus is a type of bacteria found in the nose, armpit, groin and other areas, and causes a wide variety of diseases. Pseudomonas spp. can cause infections in blood, lungs (pneumonia) or other parts of the body following surgery. 

  • Intestinal organisms of the genera Escherichia, specifically E. coli: these are prevalent in the bathroom and can land anywhere on you after you flush a toilet (don’t fear, we show you how to protect against this here).  However, raw foods in the kitchen are another source for these bacteria.

Thankfully, the study also investigated what types of cleaners were the most effective at reducing bacteria: 

  • Lysol™ Disinfectant Spray and 70 percent ethanol were highly effective regardless of the wristband material with 99.99 percent kill rate within 30 seconds.  While Lysol has been trusted for disinfection for many years, it’s not non-toxic: most of the spray can formulations earned an “F” rating on the Environmental Working Group’s website.  Instead, try hypochlorous acid, like this Force of Nature Starter Kit.  For more about hypochlorous acid, check out our post here

  • Apple cider vinegar, a common “DIY” cleaning ingredient, was not as potent and required a full two-minute exposure to reduce bacterial counts.

Although they weren’t tested in the study, we do have some simple alternatives to help you wear your wristbands with less germs:

  • If it’s flexible enough, turn your wristband inside-out once in a while during the day to expose the underside to light and air.  The UV rays in sunlight, as well as the ions in fresh air, kill germs!

  • Although many wristbands can be worn 24/7, it’s a good idea to take them off after showering to let your skin and the underside of the band dry out.  Leaving them off overnight is even better.

  • Hand sanitizers:  Sanitizers are super convenient when soap and water is not available, so whenever using it on your hands, spread some around the wristband and your wrists. The same goes for washing your hands–just make sure to rinse off the soap.

If you decide to upgrade your rubber silicone wristband, think gold or silver.   In this case, you will get what you pay for–less germs!

The Consequences of Flushing the Toilet with the Lid Open

The Consequences of Flushing the Toilet with the Lid Open

Spoiler alert: the consequences are not pretty.  This calming (Australian?) voice and wonderful orchestral soundtrack in this December 2022 video belie the serious and gross subject: how much germs and fecal matter shoot out of a toilet when you flush it.  The University of Colorado Boulder researchers who produced the video found that airborne particles ejected from the toilet traveled at speeds of up to 6.6 feet per second (that’s a very fast walk at 4.5 miles per hour) and reached 4.9 feet above the toilet and smaller particles measuring less than 5 microns hung in the air for more than a minute. 

It’s not a new subject (the subject was first revealed in a 1975 study, and another 2013 study warned about the toilet plume) but the video using UV light brings it to the forefront of our minds and hopefully, engages us in healthier bathroom habits such as closing the lid and sanitizing surfaces more frequently in our own private bathrooms. 

So what should we do?

Ever since Febreeze informed us that odor can be caused by bacteria, bathroom odors are particularly noxious, as we know that the substances that cause it definitely have dangerous bacteria.   There are different ways of removing/preventing bathroom odor (and thus bacteria).  In light of the knowledge of toilet plumes, toilet sprays like PooPourri, although emitting a pleasant odor, seem to be one of the least effective because while spraying on the bowl creates a scented vapor, it does not prevent the emission of bacteria and particulates into the atmosphere.  Other products on the market that have been invented to remove toilet odors at the source, using hardware to pull vapors from the bowl area.  These include:

  • Potty Sniffer Toilet Odor Ventilation System ($271 and up): fan directs air from bowl into a nearby vent.  This is the preferred place to direct these gasses.  However, installation is a bit more complicated as connecting to a vent may require to drill into drywall or cabinets, which needs work to conceal. 
  • JonEvac  Toilet Seat Ventilation System ($300): Replaces your toilet seat with a special seat that has ventilation channels on the underside.  Fan needs to be plugged into a regular wall outlet and activated carbon filter ($80) needs to be replaced every 1-2 years.
  • Splashblocker was invented primarily for hospital settings.  It is a portable “shield” to protect healthcare workers from disease and hazardous drugs (like chemotherapy) that are excreted in patients’ waste, which are aerosolized whenever the toilet is flushed. Previous to this invention, caregivers often placed plastic-backed absorbent pads (such as are used in keeping beds dry from incontinence) over the toilet before flushing, but the cost of these adds up and can easily be sucked down the toilet, creating big plumbing issues.
  • According to this 2020 study, a redesigned toilet seat that can spray a “liquid curtain” of water or sanitizing solution over the bowl when you flush can effectively impede upward movement of particulates, and only 1% of (bacteria/virus-laden) aerosols enter the air above the toilet seat.

The forceful flushing of vacuum-assisted flush toilets, which are commonly used in public restrooms (and all airplanes), actually do a great job of eliminating the toilet plume.  This video uses blacklight just like the study at the beginning of the article, and the difference between regular toilets and this vacuum system seem to be huge.  There were no particles coming out of the vacuum-assisted toilet, but many coming out of the regular flush toilet.  Vacuum-assist toilets still use water to help flush, but nowhere near the amount of regular gravity systems.   This fact comes from the AcornVac website (a manufacturer/supplier of vacuum toilet systems): “a 500 person commercial office building that is serviced by a single vacuum center and 1/2 gallon per flush vacuum toilets will save over 265,000 gallons per year, compared to conventional low flush toilets.”  Water savings aside, I think that the absence of a toilet plume when using a vacuum toilet is their greatest benefit, and it makes me feel a whole lot better about using the bathroom on airplanes!

What happens when the lid is lowered?

Since vacuum-assist toilets and shields are not commonly installed in residences, most people have only a lid to guard against the toilet plume.  What happens when you put the lid down and flush?  Obviously, there are particulates and germs landing on the inside of the lid.  (This is an area that gets skipped over when cleaning, I’m sure!)  The rest of the particulates exit through the spaces between the toilet, seat and lid.  Here are the good and bad results of flushing with the lid down, assessed by researchers at University College Cork:

  • Reduced the number of both visible and smaller droplets during and after flushing by 30-60%
  • increased the diameter and concentration of the bacteria in these droplets.
  • airborne microdroplets were detected for 16 minutes after flushing the toilet with the lid down, 11 minutes longer than when the toilet was flushed with the lid up. 
  • Another study concluded that lowering the lid before flushing “reduced 48% of total number concentration, 76% of total surface area concentration, and 66% of total mass concentration, respectively.”

Using the lid when flushing definitely helps, however some aerosols are still shooting out, and hanging around even longer.  What are the other things we can do to protect from THE PLUME?

  1. If you are in a public place and concerned about transmission of disease, put on an appropriate mask before going into the restroom–at least the aerosols should be filtered out of your air, and germs will not land on your nose or mouth.  As always, wash your hands thoroughly, and don’t touch your mask or face!
  2. If you’re at home, it goes without saying to clean regularly.  
    1. Use a non-toxic disinfectant on all surfaces in the bathroom.  Check out our article on the differences and methods of cleaning, sanitizing and disinfecting. 
    2. Change hand towels frequently, at least twice per week.  For towels and clothing that have been exposed to toilet plume, you can add Borax to your laundry, or pre-soak with it, as it turns into hydrogen peroxide when hot water is added to it.  It’s also generally safe for colored clothes.
    3. Use a HypoAir bipolar ionizer like Germ Defender or Upgraded Air Angel Mobile to sanitize the air and surfaces in your bathroom 24/7!
    4. Leaving your toothbrush in an open place on the bathroom counter sounds icky (for obvious reasons), but stashing it away in a plastic container or drawer is not advised either.  According to a meta-study published in 2012,  toothbrushes stored in aerated conditions had a lower number of bacteria than those stored in plastic and bacterial growth on the toothbrush increased 70% in a moist, covered environment.  What should we do with our toothbrushes?  Sanitize your toothbrush regularly by soaking it in hydrogen peroxide, Listerine, or using an approved UV sanitization device (but not in the microwave). (Is your toothbrush covered in poop? Here's how to thoroughly clean it)
    5. It’s best to switch on your bathroom exhaust fan before every flush, and leave it running for at least 15-20 minutes afterwards.  If your exhaust fan does not seem to remove odor very quickly, then you know it’s not removing the “toilet plume” aerosols.  It may be under-sized, or just old and inefficient.  Because the bathroom exhaust fan is also a very important appliance to remove humidity (and thus prevent mold), check out our article on how to check its size and where it should be vented!

Sorry, I know after seeing that first video, I couldn’t “un-see” it, but I’m grateful that non-toxic cleaners and laundry methods have been invented.  We just need to somehow lower the cost of vacuum-assisted toilets, and bathrooms will get a lot cleaner!  

Check them at the door! (How to bring less contaminants into your house)

Check them at the door! (How to bring less contaminants into your house)

Oh, how I love to walk barefoot or bare-socked around my house!  It’s a pleasure that doesn’t happen often enough. With two (albeit non-shedding) dogs who constantly bring sand and dirt in from the outside, and my own habit of walking straight in from outside with my shoes on, walking barefoot only happens for a few hours after I vacuum and mop.  Vacuuming and mopping takes a minimum of 45 minutes to do, so how often does it get done?  Embarrassingly, not enough!

There are even more benefits to cleaner floors than walking barefoot.  After all, you and your pets are not just bringing in lifeless dirt…there are microorganisms like mold, pollen, bacteria and viruses in every grain of dirt.  These can wreak havoc on those who are more sensitive, and especially those who spend more time on the floor, like babies and young children.  At HypoAir, we’re all about avoiding bringing contaminants indoor whenever possible!

It’s hard to believe what you can’t see, so I was grateful to run across this article.   The hostess of this website became self-educated about mold after she and her family experienced numerous health problems from the homes they lived in, and she has a very informative website that includes interviews with experts!  She performed a test with a white towel laid at the door of her home, to catch dirt and mold particles as they are tracked in. She performed a mold test before and after two days.  Although the “before” mold test revealed some mold from the clean towel being stored in the garage, the “after” test was definitely more prolific and indicated that some colonies could be producing mycotoxins.  Yuck!  Unfortunately I know this is happening at my house in the woods during the very wet summer we’ve had….

This has prompted me to research strategies to avoid bringing that dirt, mold and germs in!  There are some ways that make a big difference.

  1. Leave your shoes at the door.  My main problem with this is time (like when I’m bringing in groceries), and sheer number of shoes.   Patience and dropping off loads at the door will take care of the first problem, but for the second one, If I had a “mudroom” this might be more easy to organize.   I’m not a shoe collector by any means, but I have a number of shoes that I like to wear outdoors!  This has led me to find a used low bookshelf and number of baskets so that I, my sister who lives with me, and any number of guests can feel comfortable storing them at the door.

  2. Find the best doormats for your situation, and use them!  When I went searching for “doormats” online, I was overwhelmed by the sheer number and diversity of them.  Then I refined the search to “best doormats for pets” or “best outdoor doormat”, etc. and read what people wrote about them.  I am even doubling up (one indoor, one outdoor) for more protection.Here are some good ones:

    1. Doormat for pet feet: I like the generous size and decor options for these rugs by PURRUGS, but they are made of polyester.

    2. Outdoor mat for removing dirt: 

      1. According to Spruce.com, coir (pronounced “coy”-er) is the best material for removing dirt: it’s made from coconut husks, so it’s scratchy and natural-looking.  A lot of coir mats are made with a rubber backing, which doesn’t let the dirt fall to the floor, but if you get a woven one with no backing like this one by Kempf ($43), you don’t have to shake it out as often. 

      2. For a modern look, Clean Machine Mats are made of Astroturf, but not all of them have the bright green color!  This one ($29) just takes a simple shake to empty all the sand off your porch.

    3. Indoor mat: Requirements for good indoor mats are that they need to be of a safe material that doesn’t create dangerous VOCs (polyester and PET may have endocrine-disrupting chemicals in them).  A non-slip backing is best, but solid rubber or plastic may harbor mold if moisture gets underneath, so check for mold during wet or humid weather.  Machine-washability is a plus!  

      1. Large and absorbent, these mats by Crate and Barrel ($135) are great for wet and muddy feet.  They can be spot cleaned or taken outside for scrubbing and hosing down.  The rug is made of polypropylene, which is quite durable and has a low off-gas.  The backing is made of rubber (20% recycled), which can give off a smell but doesn’t seem to be a complaint with this rug.

      2. Chenille is very absorbent and soft, which makes these rugs by Gorilla Grip a nice buy at $35-50 depending on the size.  They are machine washable!

      3. I love the idea of recessed mats, which are popular in commercial buildings and apartment buildings.  They “fit” into your floor and are very unlikely to slide around.  Water and dirt will also be more contained in a recessed mat, where you can easily vacuum it up.  You’ll need to create a standard-sized recess that is laid into your floor at the front door.

  3. If you have pets, teach them to stop at the door and wipe their feet! (cue cute video…)  More seriously, you can teach them to at least stop while their human helps them wipe their feet!  You can even hang a towel near the door for that purpose on a simple hook or more elegant towel rack.  You can also use  EC3’s Mold Solution Spray ($28 for 32 oz) for misting their fur to deactivate any mold spores they may carry in.

  4. Use a non-toxic additive or detergent to get rid of mold in the laundry.  EC3 products by Micro Balance are recommended by a number of experts and experienced laymen who know about mold!  This non-toxic, environmentally safe laundry additive ($29) is good for about 11-16 loads at the recommended dosage of 2-3 oz per load.  It’s great for washing those dirty door mats and washable shoes.  (moldfreeliving.com)

  5. For shoes that can’t be washed in the washing machine, spritz them with EC3’s Mold Solution Spray ($28 for 32 oz) before you put them back in your closet.  You can also spritz it on the indoor mat between washings.  (moldfreeliving.com)

  6. Vacuum and mop frequently(1-2x per week) in the entranceways of your home, if not your whole home.  At the beginning of this article, I was lamenting the time it took me to successively vacuum and mop the ground floor of my home (where the most dirt lies).  Well, this is the case IF you don’t have a combo vacuum/mop, which can be a total game changer!  I’m happy that I have all tile with only a few area rugs on this floor, which makes it the perfect candidate for such a machine. I grew up using cumbersome canister vacuums, which seemed to hit every doorjamb as I tugged them through the house.  My mother has already graduated to a Bissell CrossWave, and raves over it.  Here is a great review of the newest upright vac/mop combos, in which I’m sure you’ll find one that’s right for you.  The only problem with using water floor cleaners is that they tend to have chemicals of questionable toxicity in their proprietary cleaning solution (7 of 11 Bissell products earned a “D” grade on ewg.org).  If you use another solution during the warranty period, your warranty may be voided.  If that prospect does not bother you, this article gives some tips on making homemade cleaning solutions for your vacuum/mop machine that have non-toxic ingredients.