Miraclean – 803.984.9383 | Tag Archives: water

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

Posted on April 9, 2014 by Kristin Posted in New Research .

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.

My favorite cleaning product

Posted on August 21, 2013 by Kristin Posted in General Announcement .

Do you ever get something new and try it on everything? Maybe it’s a new tool or maybe, if you’re like me, it’s a new cleaning product. Being the skeptic I am, maybe I want to see if it can really do everything!

As most of you know, I buy all of my all-natural cleaning supplies from a wonderful wellness company that use scientifically-proven natural ingredients to keep your home safe and clean. I recently decided to get the Value Pack, a gift basket of sorts with various top selling products.

One of those products was a heavy duty cleaner called Melamagic and a degreaser called Sol-U-Mel. Both products are made using tea tree oil, a natural disinfectant, deodorizer, and essential oil.

I googled a few recipes to get me started and I was on a roll. I decided to try a capful, yes a small capful, in a load of laundry. My towels came out smelling so fresh! I mixed up an all-purpose mixture of the two, again using a couple of capfuls each and filling the rest of the spray bottle with water.

I sprayed everything in the bathroom and wrapped the showerhead in a mixture I poured in a plastic sandwich bag and tied to the showerhead with a hairbow. I sprayed my countertops in the kitchen, then I got to my stovetop. A degreaser. Let’s try it.

So, I went a little crazy. I started with the top, then I opened it (my mistake there!), then I took the coils off and soaked the drip pans in a mixture I made, again with just a couple capfuls of each.

And it worked! With very little elbow grease, I might add. I couldn’t believe it. The stove is older than I am, so there are a few spots where you can tell I need to go back, but for the most part I sprayed, let it sit, and wiped it up with no problem. It even worked on the control panel, leaving this beautiful shine!

Want to play with all-natural products? Sign up with this fabulous company that produces over 300 products including a men’s line, kid’s line, gluten-free foods, laundry and more! Think of it as an all-natural Sam’s Club or Costco. Join me and millions of others who have made the switch!

Want to join in on a short 30-minute webinar to learn more about the products? Click here!

Is your kid the smelly kid in class?

Posted on April 28, 2013 by Kristin Posted in Cleaning Tips .

Do you smell?

I mean, do your clothes smell?

You may not notice, but washing machines have a tendency to smell bad due to their design. Water sits in certain components, which then become a breeding ground for mold and mildew causing unpleasant odors.

If you live in a humid climate, constant moisture in the air prevents the water from completely evaporating.

So, how do you fix it?

By cleaning your washing machine.

It makes sense. You use your washing machine to get your dirty clothes clean, so let’s talk about ways to make your washer more efficient.

TOP LOADING:

1.) Set washer to run on the hottest water and largest load setting. Do not add clothes or detergent. Once the wash bin is full, add 4 cups of vinegar to the water and allow the machine to agitate for one minute.

2.) Add ½ cup baking soda and agitate washer for one minute.

3.) Stop washer and allow it to sit for 30 minutes to one hour. Take this time to wipe the top of the washer, the knobs, and any dispensers.

4.) Allow washing cycle to resume until the water begins draining.

5.) Use a clean cloth to wipe the inside of the wash bin, the lid, and any other parts you did not get during the initial clean.

Remember to leave the lid open after each load, so the washing machine can dry completely.

FRONT LOADING:

1.) Set washer to run on the hottest water and largest load setting. Do not add clothes or detergent. Once the wash bin is full, add 1 cup white vinegar to the water (via the dispenser) and allow the machine to agitate for one minute.

2.) Wipe down door gaskets, seals and door interior with a soft cloth soaked in a separate 50/50 vinegar and water solution after the wash cycle finishes.

3.) Rinse the door gaskets and seals after cleaning them with the vinegar solution to prevent deterioration and damage of the seal.

4.) Make sure doors, gaskets and seals are completely dry. Leave the door slightly open to allow the wash bin to air out.

There you have it. A safe way to clean the appliances that keep you clean.

Maybe you’re wondering… “I’ve never washed my washing machine and I’m fine.”

Maybe.

But as put by University of Arizona microbiology professor Charles Gerba, “There is about a tenth of a gram of poop in the average pair of underwear.”

Fecal matter can carry different germs like E. Coli and salmonella. Underwear and towels are the worst culprits.

The acidity of the vinegar helps dissolve soap residue in the wash bin and is helpful in dissolving lime deposits in pipes. Baking soda cleans soap scum and deodorizes.

Want to see before and after pics of my washing machine? Check out our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/Miraclean

Don’t forget to ‘like’ our page while your there!