Make it pretty

I prefer using liquid hand soap for several reasons. One, there's nothing to get soft and mushy with frequent use. Two, I can dispense just the right amount of soap I need so there's no waste. And three, I don't have to worry about the person before me not rinsing the bar of gunk and stuff that can get stuck on it.

The only problem with liquid soap is the dispenser that they come in. It's such a waste to throw them away when they're empty. Aside from being still perfectly usable (unless it gets broken for some reason), they're usually made of plastic which isn't biodegradable. So I've taken to reusing them.

But first, I try to make them a little prettier. I remove the labels then use scrapbooking plastic and foil stickers to decorate the body all around. Unlike paper stickers, these won't rub off when they get wet, which makes them ideal for the project.

But now, I have a different kind of problem. Unless our stores begin selling liquid soap refills, I'm going to have more dispensers than I know what to do with.

I feel almost edible

• Coconut scalp care cream
• Brazil Nut intensive hair treatment
• Beer shampoo
• Lemon and Honey bath soap
• Cucumber and Avocado facial scrub
  
• Raspberry and Pear body lotion
• Orange cologne

Eeew!

After finding this article, my husband said, "I wonder what our cellphone keypads are like." Double Eeeeew!


Keyboards 'dirtier than a toilet'
Some computer keyboards harbour more harmful bacteria than a toilet seat, research has suggested.

Consumer group Which? said tests at its London offices found equipment carrying bugs that could cause food poisoning.

Out of 33 keyboards swabbed, four were regarded as a potential health hazard and one harboured five times more germs than one of the office's toilet seats.

Microbiologist Dr Peter Wilson said a keyboard was often "a reflection of what is in your nose and in your gut".

During the Which? tests in January this year, a microbiologist deemed one of the office's keyboards to be so dirty he ordered it to be removed, quarantined and cleaned.

It had 150 times the recommended limit for bacteria - five times as filthy as a lavatory seat tested at the same time, the research found.

The equipment was swabbed for bugs, such as those that can cause food poisoning like E.coli and staphylococcus aureus.

Dr Wilson, a consultant microbiologist at University College London Hospital, told BBC Radio 5 Live sharing a keyboard could be passing on illnesses among office workers.

"If you look at what grows on computer keyboards, and hospitals are worse, believe it or not, it's more or less a reflection of what's in your nose and in your gut," he said.

"Should somebody have a cold in your office, or even have gastroenteritis, you're very likely to pick it up from a keyboard."

Which? said one of the causes of dirty keyboards was users eating lunch at their desk, with crumbs encouraging the growth of bacteria.

Poor personal hygiene, such as not washing hands after going to the toilet, could also be to blame, it said.


Cleaning techniques

Which? computing editor Sarah Kidner advised users to give their computer "a spring clean".

"It's quite simple to do and could prevent your computer from becoming a health hazard," she said.

She said dust and food crumbs should be shaken out of keyboards and they should be wiped with a soft, lightly dampened, lint-free cloth. They should also be disinfected with alcohol wipes.

Research by the University of Arizona last year found the average office desktop harboured 400 times more bacteria than the average office toilet seat.

They also found that, compared to men, on average women have three to four times the amount of germs in, on and around their work area.

Caring for sensitive eyes

Mine, this time.

I stopped wearing contact lenses almost a decade ago, and I do not touch my eyes with my fingers, yet every few months or so, I get a darned irritating eye infection—a stye. The curse of oily, bacteria-prone skin. (There is a blessing that comes with it, though: I'm not going to get wrinkles any time soon.)

Yesterday morning, I woke up with a sore right eye and sure enough, when I checked in the mirror, there was a little red spot on my lid. So now, after bathing or washing my face, I have to go through the extra step of cleaning my lid with Blephagel on a cotton bud. Sigh. It's not as if my morning and evening rituals aren't long enough! But a girl friend told me this morning that her daughter's ophthalmologist recommended Johnson's Baby Shampoo for everyday eye washing. (Her daughter's prone to styes too—way worse than me.) I have no idea why it should be any better than plain soap, but I'm willing to try it if it means no more mysterious eye infections.

Caring for sensitive ears

Last year, our 13-year-old dog developed an ear infection from ear mites, poor thing. So our vet prescribed two kinds of ear drops for him, applied two times a day.

Dexoryl is a broad-spectrum anti-bacterial and anti-fungal preparation which can kill ear mites too. It also has anti-inflammatory properties, which helped relieve his pain. I don't remember now how long we had to apply it, but we were instructed to stop as soon as the vet gave the all-clear.

The second item, Epi-Otic, is a general skin and ear cleanser. Its active ingredients are only lactic acid and salicylic acid. It's good for cleaning moist, waxy and stinky ears (watch out for stink—it's always a sign that something's wrong), and the literature says it also helps remove dead tissue from the skin. This one, we have not stopped using, but since it's for care and maintenance rather than treatment, we only have to apply it twice a week. I also put a few drops on a cotton swab for cleaning his ears.

Our vet says that pet cats and dogs are really prone to ear infections so we have to pay special attention to them. One instruction she gave to help avoid future infections, and which I follow religiously, is very simple: put cotton balls inside his ears when bathing him. As much as possible, water should not be allowed to get inside the ears. Bacteria and fungi thrive in moist environments, which is what happens when water gets in.

Sensual mint

My love affair with mint and eucalyptus is not limited to shampoo. I especially love it in soap. Unfortunately, I have yet to see any in supermarkets. I am lucky that we have a friend that makes handcrafted soap—Annomi Soapworks—and several of his variants have mint or eucalyptus: Eucalyptus Lavender, Peppermint Scrubby, Minty Lavender and Blue Mint Swirl. Some are smooth, some scrubby. He usually only frequents bazaars, but he lives close enough to us that we can go to his house if I want to buy some.

Like the shampoo, it's the sensation of coolness that I adore. Especially in one particular area. Which area, you'll have to try mint soap yourself because I am not mentioning it here. Let's just say that sensual is definitely the word you'll be using to describe it too.

Keep a cool head

Literally.

I suffer from seborrhea / seborrheic dermatitis, thankfully only on a particular spot on my scalp, near the nape. (For you lucky ones who have no idea what seborrhea is, read the article on MedicineNet.com—just don't laugh!)

Late last year, Unilever launched it's newest shampoo and conditioner in the Philippine market, and it has quickly become my (current) favorite hair product. Clear, the Ice Cool variant (I think of them as flavors, actually, but then that's me). Even if I didn't need its anti-dandruff properties, I'd probably use it anyway because it has mint. Mint! I love the sensation of my head literally feeling cooler, especially from the conditioner because it has to be kept on for several minutes.

Out with the old, in with the new

Toothbrushes, that is.

My dentist only told me two things about toothbrushes (not about brushing—that's way more than two). One, buy brushes with soft bristles. Not medium, and definitely never hard. Hard bristles are not good for your gums. Two, change your toothbrush every six months. I forgot to ask why, but I can only think of two reasons for it—it either has something to do with the bristles or bacteria.

Just to make it easy for me to remember, I change our toothbrushes at the start of the new year, so that's what I did this morning. July 1 is harder to remember, but I get by. I usually make the mistake of changing brushes on June 1 though—easier for me to remember because that's our wedding anniversary.

Liquid or solid?

Soap, that is.

Only two years ago, I discovered that liquid hand soap is actually more cost-efficient than bar soap because they dispense a limited amount of soap (but not when you have little kids—they just love playing with the pump!). But for the feeling of a good scrub, nothing beats bars (though that's probably just psychological).

So now, I have both kinds in the house. For the kitchen sink, it has to be liquid, and anti-bacterial. I spend so much time there, bars never get enough time to dry out. They get all soft and mushy that so much of it goes to waste. Sometimes, too, little bits and pieces of yicky whatever get stuck on the bar if you don't pay attention. For the bathroom downstairs (which also serves as the guest powder room), the lavatory has both liquid and bar. I really prefer liquid for lavatories, but the one there is old and it has a shallow indentation (with a groove for the run-off)—a built-in soap dish—and it looks funny without a bar of soap in it so I put one. I also tend to use the special, scented kinds there. The upstairs bathroom's lavatory only has the liquid kind. The shower, however, has both again. I usually just use the bar for my daily showers, but when I feel like I need a good exfoliating, then it's the shower gel on a loofah for me.

An answer to "What kind of chopping board?"

Astra Navigo's reply to my question about what kind of chopping board is best (see "What kind of chopping board?"):


I own a home-remodeling company specializing in home interiors. I'm often asked this question, and while the conclusions are much the same, there are some very important caveats:

1. Plastic is the cleaner of the three materials—if it's cleaned properly: (a) Scrub with a bleach solution, then (b) rinse with hot water—the hottest you can—prior to (c) putting it in the dishwasher.

2. Wood is good if your hygiene habits are, should we say, casual. Disinfectants are not necessary; standard detergents is fine. A quick scrub will do the trick. However—and this is the big thing about wood boards—all wood boards are not created equal.

All trees create a more-or-less toxic substance. Some are more toxic than others. Maple, birch, and other dense hardwoods are best, as they are naturally toxic to most bacteria, and non-toxic to humans. Walnut is very toxic—to the point that masks must be worn at all times when working walnut—human allergy to walnut oil is quite common; it's also the most toxic to bacteria, but you'll have to ensure that no one in the household is allergic to it, either.

3. Stone has no antibacterial/toxic qualities—which is why its use as cutting boards is not recommended.

Hope this helps!


Yes, Astra, this helps a lot. Thank you!

What kind of chopping board?

Yesterday, when I Googled "chopping board" to get an image for my post (there was bound to be one on the web, so I didn't bother taking out the camera and boards), I came across an actual article (not just sales and supplies) about chopping boards. The title was "Which chopping board is worse for spreading germs?" With a title like that, I just had to go to the ninemsn (an Australian media company) website to read it.

I suggest that you read the entire article, but essentially, their reporter got a microbiologist to find out which material is best for chopping boards—plastic (polyethylene), marble or wood? The answer: wood. Tight-grain hardwood, to be exact.

Yet another item to add to my shopping list. And I have to do some research about hardwoods first.

One for animals, one for plants

I use two chopping boards in my kitchen, one for meat, chicken and seafood, and one for fruits and vegetables. A friend said it showed my OC-ness, but it makes perfect sense to me. Meat contains more bacteria than plants, and no way can anyone chop meat on my fruit and vegetable chopping board! The other way's alright, especially if the vegetables are meant to be cooked. But for salad vegetables and fruit, meant to be eaten raw, I will only use the chopping board that has never been touched by meat.