Category Archives: New Research

Are your boys statistics? New study finds men 2.5 times less likely than women to wash hands

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Restroom image graphic

 

I am a total germaphobe!

 

I cannot help it. I open public restroom doors with a paper towel. I flush public toilets with my foot. I use hand sanitizer after touching the gas pump. I cringe when I have to shake hands with someone, especially men, because I don’t know where their hands have been!

 

The other day, I received an email about a study that said men are less likely than women to wash their hands after using a public restroom because they “don’t feel the need.”

 

The survey, conducted by Bradley Corporation, states that 60 percent of men say they always wash their hands after using a public restroom, as compared to 74 percent of women.

 

Why the no hand washing, guys? According to the survey, men cited the lack of soap in restrooms, as well as dirty sinks, as the reason to not washing up. Women said they used hand sanitizer instead.

 

The best part of the survey is reading that I’m not the only crazy person out there! According to the survey, 64 percent of people prefer to flush the toilet using their foot; 60 percent use a paper towel to open the restroom door; 37 percent use a paper towel to avoid touching the faucet handles; and 48 percent open and close doors with their hip.

 

It’s nice to know I’m not the only person that avoid cross-contamination.

 

Keep in mind, the survey did not specify whether the participants properly washed their hands using warm water, soap and washing for a full 20-seconds.

 

Check out the survey results here.

 

I’ll leave you with a couple of gross facts. The restroom door knob has as much bacteria as a urinal. The sink has 100,000 germs per square inch, where the toilet has 100 germs per square inch. Keep in mind, with every flush of the toilet you send an invisible six foot radius of bacteria that lands on exposed surfaces.  Lastly, if you are a fan of the Big Bang Theory, you know that hand dryers release more bacteria than paper towels alone. Paper towels decrease hand bacteria by 29 percent, a hand dryer increases it by 162 percent.

 

Check out more facts here.

 

So, what do you think? Do you agree with the survey?  Voice your opinion on our Facebook page here! Don’t forget to “Like” us while you’re there.

Just because it says “green” doesn’t mean it’s healthy

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You’ve heard me discuss the term “greenwashing”, and if you would like a refresher, click here for my free e-book, The Dirty Truth About Green Cleaning.

 

Basically, greenwashing is when a product is labeled as green or all-natural, but still contains harmful ingredients that are not mentioned on the label. How do companies get away with lying to consumers? Because each recipe is considered a “secret formula” and by law, companies do not have to list their secret ingredients, no matter how harmful.

 

The question becomes who is going to watch out for the consumer? Who is going to give the customer proper knowledge and guidance on how to keep their family healthy?

 

Check out http://www.ewg.org/guides/cleaners. This is a site sponsored by the Environmental Working Group and this guide looks into these “greenwashing” products to provide you with the truth. For example, Clorox has a new line called Green Works. Sounds great, right?

 

Don’t get ‘greenwashed’

Posted on by Posted in New Research .

Did you know there is little regulation of cleaning chemicals; and there are virtually no labeling requirements to let people know what they are exposing to themselves?

The average American household contains between three and 25 gallons of toxic materials, according to Gaiam Life. No law requires cleaning product manufacturers to list all the ingredients on their labels. Manufacturers are exempt from this requirement and can omit any ingredient that is considered part of a “secret formula.”

How do you know when a product is truly green? There are so many “green” products out there, how can you tell who is greenwashing you? Greenwashing is the practice of making false or deceptive claims about a product which suggests it’s better for the environment.

There are eight ingredients for every do-it-yourself cleaning job: baking soda, distilled white vinegar, lemon juice, hydrogen peroxide, borax, olive oil, liquid castile soap and essential oils.

For recipes, cleaning tips and more information regarding all-natural cleaning, visit us at www.miracleanonline.com or ‘Like’ us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Miraclean. While you’re there, sign up for our free e-books, including this one http://eepurl.com/rngQb “The Dirty Truth About Green Cleaning”.

Thank you for taking the time to read our blog. Miraclean is an all-natural cleaning company. We clean homes and offices and we also provide carpet and upholstery cleanings. Our ultra-low moisture process gets carpets clean and completely dry in less than one hour and, as always, our products are safe to use around children and pets.