The act of cleaning has many physical, mental, and emotional benefits that may improve one's health.

Having an organized kitchen is essential for successful cooking. There is nothing more frustrating than realizing you
are missing an ingredient when you are halfway through the recipe

1. Reduces allergies

Regular cleaning is the best way to reduce dust and other irritating allergens from the
home. Chores like sweeping, dusting, and vacuuming dispose of dust, dust mites, pet
dander, and dozens of other allergens that cause cold and flu-like symptoms. People with
allergies, asthma, and respiratory problems can relieve their symptoms and breathe easier
by keeping their house clean.

2. Sanitation

Every time you clean the house with disinfectants, you are killing bacteria, viruses, and
other microorganisms that can compromise your health. These powerful cleansers target
germs and bacteria, such as E. coli, staph, and salmonella that are responsible for many
food borne illnesses and infections. Sanitizing surfaces in the kitchen, bathroom, and
other areas of the house will help protect you from these potentially dangerous bacteria.

3. Reduces mold

Keeping your house clean provides more opportunities to detect mold growth and fix the
problem in a timely manner. Mold can wreck havoc on people's health, causing allergic
reactions, cold and flu-like symptoms, asthma attacks, and other severe health problems.
Regular cleaning and inspections help control and prevent mold growth.

4. Lowers risk of injury

Keeping your house clean and organized can reduce the chance of injury by minimizing
clutter and keeping things out of harm's way. Leaving loose items around like toys may
increase the risk of trips and falls. Stacks of boxes and other large piles can easily fall on
top of someone and injure them. Simply tidying up and organizing can make a huge
difference in the overall safety of your home.

5. Reduces stress

Both the act of cleaning and maintaining a clean house can help relieve and prevent
unnecessary stress. A clean house makes maneuvering and finding things much easier.
Easy cleaning like sweeping, doing the dishes, and making your bed will make your
house look clean and ready for guests if the opportunity arises.
6. Wards off pests

In general, bugs and other household pests like warm, damp environments and they have
a tendency to disguise themselves in dusty, untidy areas. Regular cleaning helps
occupants discover pest problems and treat them accordingly. In addition to regular
exterminations, simple chores like taking out the garbage, sweeping, and vacuuming
keeps bugs and other pests from making your home their nesting ground.

7. Burns calories

Cleaning doesn't just make your home look spick and span, it also burns calories.
Everything from sweeping, mopping, vacuuming, and hand washing the dishes can make
you work up a sweat and burn off calories. To increase your calorie burn, dance to your
favorite tunes while cleaning the house for at least an hour.

8. Encourages cooking

A dirty and unorganized kitchen can deter people from cooking at home because they
don't want to make the mess even worse. A clean kitchen is much more inviting than a
messy one. Washing the dishes, wiping down the countertops, and cleaning out the
refrigerator allow the kitchen to serve as a functional workspace where you can cook
healthy meals for the whole family.

9. Improves mental state

Let's face it: there's nothing better than walking into a house that is clean and organized.
In fact, the process of cleaning and de-cluttering has been known to provide many mental
health benefits. From the physical movements to the completion of a task, people find
cleaning very cathartic. It's also a great way to release frustration, anxiety, and anger.
 10.Reduces health and safety hazards

A clean house can mean the difference between life and death. Those who live in an
unsanitary environment are more susceptible to illnesses caused by bacteria, allergens,
and pests. An untidy home can also be a safety hazard for its occupants. Clutter is a fire
hazard and can physically trap occupants inside their homes, preventing them from
escaping in an emergency. Cleaning frees up space and keeps messes from becoming
serious hazards.

Kitchen

Unfortunately kitchens are usually the busiest room in the house. People are always in and out
and constantly sorting through pantries and cabinets. Food gets pushed to the back of the
refrigerator where it sits and rots behind other items. It is almost impossible to keep a kitchen
neat and organized at all times which is why it’s important to do a thorough clean sweep every
once in awhile.

The sanitary reasons for reorganizing a kitchen are obvious. Old food becomes moldy and a
messy kitchen makes it easy for stale food to get mixed in with the fresh food. You don’t ever
want someone to eat an expired chip that came from your cabinet. Old pots and pans that have
run their course are often shoved in a cabinet somewhere, just taking up space when they should
be disposed of. Dishtowels also have a lifespan and it’s always a good idea to pitch those during
the clean sweep as well.

Dirty kitchens can look very unattractive to guests as well. Dinner parties or luncheons are never
quite as fun if they are done in a messy kitchen with questionable sanitary conditions.

An organized kitchen is just easier to operate! Cooking is simple when you know exactly where
everything is and you are positive that the utensils and appliances are clean.

One cannot have a “clean” kitchen without having an “organized” kitchen. Wiping down counter
tops, the insides of cabinets and in the refrigerator without organizing entails minimal effort.
Creating a space for everything requires time and planning, however it is worth it. Sanitary,
convenience and appearance reasons are all compelling enough to take the extra time to
reorganize your kitchen every once in while.

Those who do reorganize their kitchen often find that baking cookies can be a piece of cake!

Brian Sinnott is the owner of Zippy Shell West Michigan- providing portable storage in Grand
Rapids and the surrounding area.

Outdoor air pollution in cities is a major health problem. Much effort and money continues to be
spent cleaning up pollution in the outdoor air. But air pollution can be a problem where you least
expect it, in the place you may have thought was safest -- your home. Many ordinary activities
such as cooking, heating, cooling, cleaning, and redecorating can cause the release and spread of
indoor pollutants at home. Studies have shown that the air in our homes can be even more
polluted than outdoor air. Does anyone in the family have frequent headaches, fevers, itchy
watery eyes, a stuffy nose, dry throat, or a cough? Does anyone complain of feeling tired or dizzy
all the time? Is anyone wheezing or having difficulties breathing on a regular basis?
INFECTIOUS DISEASES caused by bacteria and viruses, such as flu, measles, chicken pox, and
tuberculosis, may be spread indoors. Most infectious diseases pass from person to person through
physical contact. Crowded conditions with poor air circulation can promote this spread. Some bacteria
and viruses thrive in buildings and circulate through indoor ventilation systems. For example, the
bacterium causing Legionnaire's disease, a serious and sometimes lethal infection, and Pontiac Fever, a
flu-like illness, have circulated in some large buildings.

TOXIC REACTIONS are the least studied and understood health problem caused by some biological air
pollutants in the home. Toxins can damage a variety of organs and tissues in the body, including the liver,
the central nervous system, the digestive tract, and the immune system.

Prevention and Control

Today, infectious diseases present new challenges and new potential for epidemics.
Globalization, the resurgence of long-standing infectious diseases and the emergence of new
diseases have forced us to re-examine strategies to protect health. Timely recognition of
emerging infections requires early warning systems to detect such problems so that they may be
promptly investigated and controlled before they evolve into public health crises. In addition,
professional expertise, laboratory support and research capabilities are required to address the
changing threats from emerging infections. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are
on the front lines of the war on disease. CDC disease detectives battle the world's gravest health
threats as they occur throughout the world. Each year, the CDC's laboratories receive thousands
of specimens- blood, tissue containing unidentified disease-causing microbes in search of a
diagnosis. Some are so deadly that scientists wear contamination-proof spacesuits and enter the
maximum containment Level 4 Laboratory in order to investigate these killer microbes.

As with many issues of health, education is a vital part of the battle against the spread of
infectious diseases. By learning what threats are posed by emerging infectious diseases and by
changing our behavior we can reduce the risk. With all the hi-tech approaches used in combating
infectious disease causing microbes, it is important to remember that each individual can play a
critical role in preventing and controlling infection. While a healthy immune system is the best
defense, basic hygiene, such as proper hand-washing. and keeping the kitchen and bathroom
clean, can help defend against harmful microorganisms. Are you doing your part to reduce the
spread of infectious diseases'?
Quarantine

Quarantine comes from the Italian word for forty days and refers
to the period during which ships capable of carrying contagious
disease such as plague were kept isolated on their arrival at a
seaport. Since the 14th century quarantine has been the most
common organized response of the authorities responsible for
protecting the health of the public. It has been more a response to
popular demands to create boundaries between the sick urban
Observation Quarantine masses and the healthy segments of mainstream society than it
has been an effective means of controlling disease. Efforts to
quarantine sick persons in their households were dropped,
however when in the light of new knowledge it became apparent
that such measures were ineffective.

"Diphtheria-Until this notice is legally removed all persons not

occupants of these premises are forbidden to enter."

Scarlet fever was a dreaded disease prior to the discovery of

antibiotics. Dr. Stratton Woodruff describes what happened when
he contracted scarlet fever at the age of eight in 1931.

"A man arrived at our home to glue quarantine signs to the front
and back doors. Under the direction of the Health Officer our
home was turned into an isolation ward. My brother and father
had to live elsewhere in order to continue school and work. I saw
Scarlet Fever no one other than my mother, the visiting nurse and the doctor for
the next three weeks.

A long sheet hung from a pole placed across the top of the
doorway to my bedroom. The bottom of the sheet was immersed
in two pans of lysol solution, functioning as a wick to carry those
noxious germacidal fumes up to the ceiling as a barrier to the
spread of the disease.

When it was all over every book I had read and every toy I had
played with during that illness had to be either burned or soaked
 in lysol solutions. The house was evacuated for a few hours while
sulpher candles fumigated it."

How Safe Is Your Kitchen?

Foodborne diseases causes approximately 76 million illnesses, 325,000 hospitalizations, and

5,000 deaths a year in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention. The estimates vary because only a small percentage of cases are reported to public
health officials. The 24 hour stomach bug most of us call the flu isn't influenza, which lasts a
week or more, but is a mild food poisoning, usually from some common bacterium like
salmonella. Bacteria that find their way into your food are responsible for cholera, botulism, and
a dozen variations of diarrhea. Disease-causing microbes are appearing in foods long considered
safe and healthful such as eggs, lettuce, even alfalfa sprouts. With the nation's growing reliance
on food imports, there is continued concern about produce from countries with lax food
inspection standards.

These bacteria also appear on household surfaces. From there, they do harm by making their way
into unrefrigerated food. Viruses work more directly. One to ten particles off a tabletop can start
an infection. A person with a cold sneezes or touches a household surface and you in turn touch
that surface before the virus dries out and dies - which can take five weeks in a humid climate.
How quickly these microbes travel from one member of the family to another - in food or from
touching some household surface, depends on home hygiene.

Kitchens are hot spots for opportunistic microbes. "You'd be better off eating a carrot stick that
fell in your toilet than one that fell in your sink," said Charles Gerba, a University of Arizona
microbiologist who measured germ levels in 15 well tended homes. While scientists' caution that
people shouldn't overreact, there are steps you can take to defend yourself against food-borne
illness and the spread of infectious disease in your home. Just how safe is your kitchen?

Keep sinks and food preparation areas in the kitchen clean. Clean sink
with disinfecting cleanser daily or fill sink with hot water and bleach.
Sponges and neatly folded dishcloths, used to mop up food waste stay
eternally moist harboring billions of bacteria that spread germs over
counters, plates and hands. Wash sponges, dishcloths and other dish
cleaning implements in the dishwasher or washing machine every few
days, or clean them in a solution of one teaspoon bleach to one quart
of water. Clean counters with bleach or commercial cleaning agent.
Hot water and detergent may not kill all the bacteria.

 
 Dirty dishes and utensils should be hand washed within two
hours. Let them air dry to avoid contamination from
dishcloths or hands.

Don't leave food sitting out. Keep food out of the danger zone
of 40ƒF-140ƒF. As soon as possible (within two hours) put
cooked perishables in the refrigerator. Thaw meat in the
refrigerator or in the microwave, not on the countertop. Date
leftovers so they can be used in three to five days.

Cross contamination occurs, for example, when a knife used to

cut up a chicken, is also used to slice raw vegetables or fruit
for a salad. Or you wipe off the knife used to cut chicken and
potatoes with a sponge and then was a dish with the same
sponge. One out of three chickens are contaminated with a
newly evolved strain of salmonella called Salmonella enteritis.
Cooking kills salmonella.

As tempting as it may be, don't eat the cookie batter until it

comes out of the oven. Uncooked batter and other food made
with raw eggs or animal products carry a food safety risk.
 

Keep pets off counters and away from food preparation areas.

Keep clean to prevent bacteria from growing.

Food safety starts at the grocery store. Pick up frozen and perishable foods
last and get them into your refrigerator or freezer as soon as possible.

 
One out of three chickens are contaminated with a newly evolved strain of salmonella called
salmonella enteritis. Cooking kills salmonella.

Salmonella loves a warm moist environment. They double their ranks every 20 minutes. Keep
food out of the danger zone- 40ƒ -140ƒF span in which bacteria thrive for 5 or 6 hours. Don't
leave foods sitting out. Thaw meat in the refrigerator, not on the countertop.

Salsa- hot spices don't kill bacteria. On the contrary, many species love chili pepper. While
onions and garlic are antimicrobial, they won't save salsa that has been sitting out on a table all
day.

Be especially careful with ground beef. Sometimes, cows used to supply butchers with
hamburger will harbor harmful bacteria, including E.coli and salmonella. Burgers should be
cooked until no longer pink.

Hand Washing

It is normal to have microorganisms on our skin and in the air we breathe. Many are harmless
under normal circumstances. Others are pathogenic, disease causing. Many are passed from
person to person by a touch of the hand or from a contaminated surface to a clean one by the
things we touch and move around. It is especially important to wash hands thoroughly prior to
preparing food in order to reduce the risk of spreading pathogens from hands to food.

Rubbing Is Necessary To Remove Pathogens

It's the rubbing that really does it. Use soap and warm water with a rubbing motion for 20
seconds to clean hands. Don't forget your nails. Some scientists believe it is the rubbing rather
than the antibacterial properties of some products that truly clean hands. In fact, some scientists
speculate that use of antibacterial soaps in the home may simply cause the bacteria to mutate to a
resistant form, and recommend soap and water rubbing rather than the use of antiseptic soaps.
Whichever method you prefer, be sure to rub vigorously when you wash.

Pets Are A Source Of Joy In The Home,

but they do not belong on the kitchen counter or near food preparation surfaces, especially if they
are outdoor pets. Always wash your hands before preparing food and especially after you've been
playing with your pet.

Leave The Dishes In The Sink - Not!

Don't give bacteria or other possible pathogens time to settle and multiply on your dishes after
you finish eating. Hand-wash within two hours and let air-dry. Towels can move organisms from
one plate to another. Kitchen towels should be changed every few days. Clean your sponges or
washing cloths in the dishwasher or by hand in a solution of one teaspoon of Chlorine bleach to
one quart of cool water. Clean refrigerator handles and the shelves with this solution. Use it on
your telephone, the can opener, on your counter tops, the sink and to clean garbage pails. Then
discard the solution down the drain. It will disinfect the sink strainer on the way down.

Spare The Salmonella

Today, one chicken in three contains Salmonella eneritis. It can cause diarrhea or severe disease
and death. Disinfect the knife and the sponge used to clean the knife with the bleach solution
prior to using them again. Do not use the sponge to wipe up the counter top without first
disinfecting it. This spreads the Salmonella around.

It Takes Two

Use one cutting board to prepare meats, poultry, fish or seafood and a second one to prepare
vegetables, fruit or other foods that will be served raw. Disinfect both after use. Some scientists
believe that there are natural properties in wooden boards that fight the build-up of pathogens
and therefore they safer than plastic or glass.

Cool As A Cucumber

The "danger zone" for pathogenic build-up is between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Therefore,
put perishables in the refrigerator as soon as possible. Also, defrost food in the refrigerator or in
a microwave, not on the counter. Uneven defrosting can cause some portion to reach the danger
zone while waiting for the remainder to defrost. Make sure that the eggs used for home-made
mayonnaise, Caesar dressing, or other raw egg recipes have been heated to an internal
temperature of 160ƒF. Refrigerate cooked eggs. Use leftover foods within three to five days. In
the refrigerator, make sure that raw meats, poultry, seafood or any of their juices do not come in
contact with ready to eat foods.