Bad Bugs
When you come in watch out for:
Doorknobs: Doorknobs are the prime suspect in the transmission of cold and flu virus and fungal infections via sweat.
Fix it: "Wash your hands after touching a doorknob or touch it with a tissue," suggests Majumdar.
Floor Carpet: Studies show that carpets give shelter to at least 200,000 bacteria particles per square inch, courtesy shoe soles. Most of them are faecal bacteria causing anything from diarrhoea to urinary tract infection (UTI).
Fix it: Take off your shoes before stepping on the carpet and ask your guests to do the same. Clean it with a disinfectant every week.
When you watch TV watch out for:
The remote: The TV remote harbors a cold virus named rhino-virus. It can stay on your remote surface for 2 days.
Fix it: Wipe it clean with a disinfectant every day.
The kitchen mop: Kitchen mops are infected with bacteria," says Dr Narender Saini, India representative, Global Hygiene Council. "They expose you to diseases like UTI, diarrhea and skin boils."
Fix it: Wash it with a good liquid detergent every day. Sun drying it, is also a must.
The kitchen sink: The drain of your sink is home to 500,000 bacteria per square inch. "It is the favorite hotpot for several kinds of fungi and bacteria since it offers them the ideal combination of moisture, oil and food crumbs," says Saini. So your sink may actually be the reason behind your UTI, pneumonia or lung infection.
Fix it: Scrub the basin daily. Pour a solution containing one tablespoon of bleaching powder and one litre of water down the drain. Keep the sink dry.
The cutting board: Pathogens, worms and fungi hide in the leafy greens and raw veggies that you chop on your cutting board. When transmitted, these may cause typhoid, anemia and stomach problems like amoebiosis and diarrhea.
Fix it: Wash the vegetables properly before cutting them and use separate boards for chopping meat and veggies. Clean the cutting boards with a potassium permanganate solution.
When you eat watch out for: Refrigerated food Food kept in the fridge for several days indulges bacteria and fungus, exposing you to a great many infections including diarrhea and UTI.
Fix it: "Refrigerate food at 4°C-5°C but not for more than 2 days. Heat it at 70°C for at least 3 mins before having it. Avoid reheating," says Saini. Throw the food if there is any smell or froth, or if the taste of the food changes after heating. It means some spores are still left behind.
Uncovered, Kept-out for-long food: Food rots quickly in summer and can cause stomach infection. "Also, flies transmit germs that may cause dysentery, typhoid and even cholera," says Dr Sandeep Budhiraja, director, internal medicine, Max Medcentre, Delhi.
Fix it: Cover all food, even salad. "Don't leave food out overnight outside the refrigerator," says Budhiraja. "And once heated, consume it quickly."
When you bathe watch out for:
Bath towels: Wet towels can give you skin irritation and fungal diseases (like Jock Itch). The chances of contamination increase if you share your towel.
Fix it: Don't share towels. "Sun dry all the towels every day and make sure they are not piled on each other. The towel of an infected person should be washed esp.
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