March 24, 2009
Dirty Little Secrets about your Home
Many people think that the bathroom toilet seat is the place in
the home with the most disease-causing germs. In fact, the kitchen
is the hottest spot for germs but every room in the house presents
its own set of challenges.
In the bedroom, for example, dust mites mostly live in
mattresses, pillows and carpets. They thrive in high humidity and
areas where human dander (dead skin flakes) are located. Dust
mites are microscopic bugs that love dust because it contains
particles of plant and animal material that they eat. While dust
mites aren't disease carriers, their droppings can trigger a range
of allergy and asthma symptoms.
MOLLY MAID, the home cleaning experts, has some pointers on home
hygiene, just in time for spring cleaning. These hints are taken
from the MOLLY MAID Cleaning Handbook,
published by Penguin Group Canada, which will be available at
bookstores across Canada this May.
- Sponges are the biggest culprits for harbouring germs. Use
microfibre dishcloths instead. Dish towels could also be
contaminated with a variety of bacteria so keep a fresh, clean
supply on hand and change regularly.
- Damp dusting is the best technique to trap dust particles. The
cloth should be just damp enough to pick up dust without leaving
moisture streaks.
- Airing out your bed is now recommended by health experts. Open
a window and turn back all the covers. After twenty minutes, the
air in the room will have been exchanged and the mattress and
linens will be fresher and drier.
- In the bathroom, don't forget to clean tap and toilet handles.
Contain germs by closing the toilet lid before flushing.
- Mildew thrives in the bathroom. It can appear on your loofah,
plastic duck and shower curtain. Throw out the loofah but the other
items can be de- bugged with a paste of baking soda and water. Rub
over the mildew until it comes off.
- Kids' toys can become contaminated with all kinds of nasty
things. Wash plastic toys in warm, soapy water. Soft toys can be
tossed in the washing machine.
- Give the compost bucket and garbage can a good cleaning on a
regular basis with disinfectant and water. Wash your hands after
touching dirty garbage bags.
- Old pet food attracts bugs and vermin so keep your pet's eating
area clean every day.
- Door handles, drawer handles, telephone mouthpiece and keypad,
keyboards, switch plates, faucets and toilets are some of the
biggest culprits in transferring germs. Clean with a damp cloth and
an all purpose cleaner or disinfectant.
For more MOLLY MAID cleaning tips, visit the Cleaning Tips
page on their website.
End
About MOLLY
MAID
MOLLY MAID is the largest Canadian-based cleaning company in the
world with global sales in excess of $200 million (Cdn). Adrienne
Stringer, a nurse, and her husband Chris founded the company in
Mississauga 30 years ago. Today, MOLLY MAID operates in seven
countries on three continents including the United States, United
Kingdom, Japan and Portugal.
For more information contact Eileen Sturby, 416-322-3705 or ecspr@pathcom.com or
contact Aaron Abrams, 1-800-663-6243 or aabrams@mollymaid.ca
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