Rid house of pesky allergens

Below are some ways to reduce exposure to indoor allergens by taking these steps. These were recommended by the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology:

• Place mattresses, box springs and pillows in allergy-proof or "non-allergenic" pillow cases, which have proved to reduce dust mites. When buying bedding look for ones that are washable, and sheets, blankets and pillowcases in 130 degree water every week.
• Get rid of extra clutter in your home that is probably collecting dust. When possible, remove carpeting and replace it with washable throw rugs. Don't store anything under the bed because it only adds to more dust.
• Keep pets out of the bedroom, if possibly, to minimize exposure to animal dander. Always wash your hands after touching pets.
• Clean moldy surfaces, such as the corners of showers and tubs. Fix leaks that may leave surfaces wet and allow mold to grow. Avoid use of carpet in bathrooms or basements.
• Prevent roaches by putting food in containers with tight lids; wash dishes immediately. Clean under stoves, refrigerators or toasters. Try to block areas where roaches could enter the home, especially small spaces, like wall cracks, window or floor cracks, and outside drains.
• Avoid airborne irritants, including tobacco smoke, aerosols, paint, perfumes, cleaning products, or other strong odors or fumes.

What is Bisphenol-A (BPA)?

If you are like many people, you try and choose foods that are free as possible of harmful chemicals such as pesticides. If, on the other hand, you eat canned beans, canned soups, soft drinks, you also may be consuming residues of a controversial chemical called bisphenol A (BPA) that can leak out of the can linings into your food. Almost all can liners contain BPA.

It has also been known to migrate from polycarbonate plastic water bottles.Plastic water and baby bottles, food and beverage can linings and dental sealants are the most commonly encountered uses of this chemical. BPA has been found to leach from bottles into babies' milk or formula.

8 Ways to Avoid Harmful Chemicals from cans and plastic bottles

1. If you already own polycarbonate bottles, including the Nalgene bottles popular on college campuses, labeled #7 on the bottom, wash them by hand with mild dish washing soap, not in the dishwasher, to avoid degrading the plastic and increasing leaching of BPA.
2. Even plastic does not last forever. Look for cracks or cloudiness on your reusable clear plastic bottles.
3. Use glass baby bottles or plastic bag inserts, which are made of polyethylene, or switch to polypropylene bottles that are labeled #5 and come in colors or are milky rather than clear.
4. Choose soups, milk and soy milk packaged in cardboard "brick" cartons, by Tetra Pak and SIG Combibloc, which are made of safer layers of aluminum and polyethylene (#2) and also recyclable.
5. Choose canned foods from makers who don't use BPA, such as Eden Foods which sells certified organic canned beans and other foods.
6. Eat fresh foods in season and save the canned foods for convenience or emergencies. The exception is some canned fruit such as that found in smaller fruit-cocktail cans, which do not require a liner, according to the Can Manufacturers Institute.
7. Buy or can your own fruits and vegetables in safe glass jars.
8. Some wines have been found to contain up to six times the BPA of canned foods. While most wines probably don't, it's another good reason to drink in moderation.
   

To read this entire article please go the Green Guide Institute.

Can Your Pet Make You Sick?

Did you know that your pet can make you ill? Millions of people get sick each year from their cats, dogs and other pets. Many of these range from skin conditions (benign) to potentially serious illnesses. With a little information and a lot of common sense, most pet-related sickness can be avoided.

TYPES OF ILLNESSES RELATED TO YOUR PET
Parasite Infections. You probably already know about Toxoplasmosis gondii, a parastitic infection th you can get though direct contact with cat feces while cleaning the litter box or gardening in soil contaminated with cat feces. This is just one of several parasitic infections that can be transmitted this way.

Fungal infections. Cat and dog owners (especially owners of puppies and kittens) can get infected with a fungal infection of the skin such as ringworm. When you pet the animal or even touch contaminated bedding or other articles you can directly spread the infection to a person's skin.

Bacterial infections. People who come into contact with the feces of dogs and cats can pass Campylobacter bacterial infections causing symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal cramping. Also, contact with baby chicks, ducklings, lizards, snakes and turtles can result in Salmonella bacterial infections which cause fever, diarrhea and abdominal pain.

PROTECT YOURSELF
Increased awareness is the first line of defense for pet owners and the medical community. The trouble is that primary care physicians are not always up-to-date on pet-related diseases and how to treat them.

To reduce your family's risk of pet-related infections, make sure you tell your family physician about the presence of pets in your family. This is especially important if young children, elderly or immune-compromised family members live with you.

It has been so long since I wrote a post to this blog. I have been very busy with Christmas and then a long cruise. We had a good season considering this was our first with Germ Free Solutions. I now have an eBay Store which I am very excited about. So there are two places that I am selling my merchandise - one is http://www.germfreesolutions.com
and the other is http://stores.ebay.com/Germ-Free-Solutions.

I added a quite a few new lines since October such as Boogie Wipes and Drink Bands (both for kids). I will write more about them tomorrow.

Germ Guardian UV-C Light Wand