Home is where we feel safe and secured but it is also
where food-borne illnesses and 65% of colds are contracted. What we do around
the house have a big impact on our health whether short-term or long-term.
Here are six common household activities that can make you
sick.
1.
Using a Sponge
The sponge can carry salmonella, E. coli and other bacteria. We use it to
clean our countertops and table after a meal, but ironically, the more we clean
our countertops with it, the more germs we are spreading around and it’s the
same with using a dishrag.
We deal with raw meat on our countertops and sink. Raw meat carries
salmonella, E. coli and other bacteria. We clean our countertops after a meal
with a sponge and leave it growing with millions of bacteria that can make us
sick. Cross-contamination may occur if we use that sponge to clean refrigerator
and other kitchen appliances.
Solution: Dip the sponge into a solution of
water and bleach before wiping down surfaces. After using it let it air-dry.
Another way is to microwave it for 1-2 minutes each week. Put a little water in
a dish and put the sponge in it.
2. Vacuuming
Vacuum
cleaners can pick up big pieces of dirt but not the tiny dust particles that
pass right through the porous vacuum bags that go back up into the air.
Hazardous materials like pesticides, lead, heavy metals and other chemicals,
are found in high concentrations and in the smallest particles of dust.
Conventional vacuums cannot retain them.
Solution: Use a vacuum cleaner with a high efficiency particulate air (HEPA)
filter. HEPA filters are able to retain the small particles that conventional
vacuums cannot, and prevent them from passing through and contaminating the air
you breathe... Read more from: Habits That Makes You Sick