Recall Alerts

Cardinal Distributing charm bracelets and necklaces - jewelry contains high levels of lead
sold for 25 cents in vending machines nationwide from Jan 2006 through April 2007

Mega Brands Magnetix Magnetic Building Sets - kids can swallow the set's magnets
sold for $20-$60 at Wal-Mart, Target, Toys "R" US and other toy stores and arts-and-crafts stores nationwide from Sept 2003 through March 2006.

Infantino Infant Sling Carriers - the plastic slider on the strap can break and infants can fall out
Sold for about $30 at Target, Babies "R" Us and other retailers from July 2006 through Feb 2007

Small World Toys Sounds on the Farm and Sounds on the Go pubbles - the knobs on the puzzle pieces can come off and young users can choke on them
Sold for about $16 at toy stores and retailers nationwide from June 2003 through Feb 2007

to read more recall alerts visit cpsc.gov

Germs in Airports, Hotels, Restaurants

Germs in AIRPORTS
Most airports do little to disinfect the surfaces you touch, the seats you sit on and the restroom you use. Remember that your hands pick up 85% of all infectious disease germs.

Germs in RESTAURANTS
The restrooms are especially nasty. Only 33% of people using the restroom wash their hands before leaving! Even if you wash your hands, you will probably touch the towel holder or doorknob that was last touched by someone who did not wash their hands. Your hands are now contaminated with millions of germs that will be transferred to any food you handle like bread and rolls. Clean hands will protect you from secondary food poisoning.

Germs around HOME/OFFICE

Any area where lots of people gather, department stores, supermarkets, gas stations, day care centers and schools are repositories of germs left behind by others. Social interaction is part of our everyday lives - lots of touching, sharing and hand shaking. Although this is a necessary part of our day we can still properly protect ourselves against picking up nasty germs.

Germs in HOTELS

How often do they change the bedspreads or disinfect the carpet? Both of these items have high concentrations of bacteria, viruses, yeast, mold and germs. Athlete's foot organisms are constantly found in the carpets and sexually transmitted organisms are found on the spreads.

Germs on PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

Cabs, Buses and Rental Cars: How often do they disinfect the inside of cabs, buses and rental cars? A study of germs found in these vehicles show high levels of pathogenic bacteria and viruses along with germs imported into the US by visitors from outside the country. Think of your hands touching doorknobs, the steering wheel and radio, temperature and other controls and how often we all touch our face!

Flesh-Eating Bacteria

I heard this very interesting story on Good Morning America today and after some researching came up with the facts. It seems that there is a particular type of bacteria that lives and thrives in warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico. A man became seriously ill after swimming there. To read the entire article click here

A Blog that has lots of information on flesh-eating bacteria click here.

Hidden Germs: What Lurks On Your Hands

Fascinating test done to college students at the University of Maryland by Good Morning America, ABC News about how well you wash your hands.

In this test they used a lotion, unbeknownst to them, which was designed to reveal how well its wearers wash their hands during a day. If a person doesn't wash their hands well enough to scrub it off, the lotion glows, effectively simulating bacteria present and showing how it could spread to other areas.

Link to Good Morning America article & video

Cruise Ship Inspection Search

If you are planning on taking a cruise in the very near future, you will find statistics on all the cruise ships and how they measure up in health inspection at this link......
http://wwwn.cdc.gov/vsp/InspectionQueryTool/Forms/InspectionSearch.aspx

Gambling & Germs

My husband and I just returned from Atlantic City on a little two day gambling vacation. The entire time I was thinking about germs. As we were confined to a small 28 passenger jet where people were coughing and sneezing and leaning our heads on pillows or on the backrests, who knows what was living on them?

In the casino, my husband went straight to the craps table and I went to the slots. Probably trillions of germs on those machines alone. People are drinking, smoking, eating, coughing, sneezing, and touching so many parts of those machines in order to play. These casinos are open 24 hours a day so cleaning of the machines doesn't happen very often. I checked and never saw any kind of cleansing solution for the public to use anywhere other than the regular soap in the restrooms.

As far as our room goes (Caesars Palace) we certainly had no complaints. But research has shown that dust mites live in the pillows, mattresses, bedspreads, carpeting, drapes and upholstered furniture of which we touched or used all of these.

I could, of course, go on and on about our contact with germs over this weekend. Tomorrow I will write about ways to avoid, eliminate or cleanse ourselves from harmful germs.

Colds and Flu

Colds and flu are definitely seasonal, with more colds in the colder weather - but there is no real agreement as to why colds are seasonal. Most textbooks state that there are more colds in cold weather because we tend to crowd indoors in poorly ventilated rooms

Check out my new Germ Guardian products for air purifying and sanitizing your home or office.
Have a nice weekend!
Carole

Kissing is okay!

The common cold viruses are not spread by contact such as kissing, but appear to be spread by large particles expelled at close range by coughs and sneezes, and by contaminated fingers that pass the virus to the nose and eye.

More Daily Facts

Highly contagious infectious particles can spray from a sneeze at speeds of up to 200 miles per hour, landing at a distance of three feet from the offender and survive there for over 24 hours.

Although the common cold is usually mild, with symptoms lasting one to two weeks, it is the leading cause of doctor visits and missed days from school and work.

Some facts you should know about germs

Desktops have almost 21,000 germs per square inch and phones more than 25,000 per square inch (compared with a mere 49 per square inch on toilet seats).

Highly contagious infectious particles can spray from a sneeze at speeds of up to 200 miles per hour, landing at a distance of three feet from the offender and survive there for over 24 hours.

Disposable Potty Toppers & Table Toppers

I can't talk about these products enough. Their motto is "Peace of Mind in a germ-filled world." This company, Neat Solutions, manufactures disposable toppers for feeding and changing children. Their flagship product is the Table Topper. It has won the National Parenting Center's Seal of Approval and the 2004 iParenting Media Award. Parents Love this product.
The Potty Topper protects children (and the whole family) from germs on public toilet seats. The Shopping Topper protects children from germs on shopping cart handles.
The Floor Topper protects floors at home and on-the-go, toss it away with the mess.
The Changing Table Topper protects babies from germs on diaper changing surfaces.
The Tidy Topper protects babies from dirt and germs everywhere.
Toppers To-Go disposable feeding kit for meals on-the-go.

They come in adorable prints like Dora the Explorer, Sesame Street and others.

The prices are reasonable and we ship within 48 hours. Click here for more information and to view all the products.

Prevent Carbon Monoxide Exposure

Just this past week we had a cabon monoxide detector installed in our home. Ours is linked to the alarm company so if the detector goes off, we will hear it and they will hear it also - then theywill call us or send the police. You don't have to do it that way, but we thought since we have an alarm system - why not? Here are some of the reasons why you should install one in your home as soon as possible.

You Can Prevent Carbon Monoxide Exposure
CDC provides a list of three things to do and four things not to do in preventing CO exposure ...

1. Do have your heating system, water heater and any other gas, oil, or coal burning appliances serviced by a qualified technician every year.
2. Do install a battery-operated CO detector in your home and check or replace the battery when you change the time on your clocks each spring and fall. If the detector sounds leave your home immediately and call 911.
3. Do seek prompt medical attention if you suspect CO poisoning and are feeling dizzy, light-headed, or nauseous.
4. Don't use a generator, charcoal grill, camp stove, or other gasoline or charcoal-burning device inside your home, basement, or garage or near a window.
5. Don't run a car or truck inside a garage attached to your house, even if you leave the door open.
6. Don’t burn anything in a stove or fireplace that isn’t vented.
7. Don’t heat your house with a gas oven.

Thomas & Friends recalled

On June 13, 2007 the U.S.Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced a voluntary recall of various Thomas & Friends Wooden Railway Toys. The recall involves wooden vehicles, buildings and other train set components for young children. To see the entire chart click here http://www.cpsc.gov/talk.html.

Surface paints on the recalled products contain lead. Lead is toxic if ingested by young children and can cause adverse health effect.

The front of the packaging has the logo "Thomas & Friends Wooden Railway" on the upper left-hand corner. A manufacturing code may be located on the bottom of the product or inside the battery cover. Toys marked with codes containin g"WJ" or AZ" are not included in this recall.

Consumers should take the recalled toys away from young children immediately and contact RC2 Corp. for a replacement toy. For additional information, contact RC2 Corp. toll-free at (866) 725-4407.

My first blog!

I am very excited as this is my first blog.

I just launched a new website called GERMFREESOLUTIONS.COM (http://www.germfreesolutions.com/). My goal is to find information and products to help the consumer in fighting germs in an "all natural" way. This is not easy since we can find lots of products to clean our home or for personal use with lots of chemicals and additives.

Setting up the website has been fun and very difficult. I decided to go with Yahoo Stores as I thought it would be easy - ha ha. It has been very challenging. I wanted the site to be as professional as possible so I know I have a long way to go before it looks professional but I am learning. I change something on the website every day since I am never happy with the way it looks!

Finding the information for the site has been relatively easy since we have the Center for Disease Control and many other medical sites. There is a lot of information out there. The products on the other hand have been more difficult. I don't want to buy products that won't sell. I don't want to buy products that I haven't tested. I don't want to buy products that are full of chemicals.

Anyway, thanks for reading my first blog. If you have any suggestions or criticisms, I will be most appreciative.

Thanks
Carole