Harmful Bacteria Found on 1 in 4 Items of Washed Clothes!!

With so many of us using cool wash programs for our laundry, it is a disgusting fact that a quarter of our washed laundry items contain bacteria related to faeces!  Germs are just being swished around in the washing machine creating a bacteria soup that is soaking into our washing.  Ewww!  This means that our 'clean' clothes are often harbouring  potentially dangerous bugs.

Washing clothing in a hot wash is expensive, environmentally unfriendly and damaging to some fabrics, so what is the solution?  How can we kill the germs?

Dettol has a new anti-bacterial Laundry Cleanser which kills 99.9% of bacteria, even at low temperatures.

Putting two capfuls into your fabric softener drawer ensures that the bacteria is killed, even at low temperatures, keeping our families clothing hygienically clean, avoiding contamination and possible infection.  I have been sent a bottle to try out.  It has a Fresh Cotton  fragrance, which is a pleasant and light scent making the laundry smell fresh.  It's easy to use (although you must avoid contact with skin when in it's neat form as it's an irritant) and if we get into the habit of popping it in a wash, we can be confident that we are not transferring germs through the laundry process.  It's really useful when washing towels, underwear, bedding and heavily soiled garments. When using the cool wash economy settings on the washing machine for the family's laundry, I think it's better to be safe than sorry!

                            

A 1.5 litre bottle costs around £4.00 from good supermarkets.

What's Hot, What's Not - January Edition

What's Hot

TV  The new year heralds the start of a lot of great new TV shows and the return of many favourites that disappeared over the festive period.  American Horror Story - Asylum is one of the best things I've seen on TV for a while.  I love the bravery of the producers to use the same cast from the first series, throwing them into different roles and settings.  Genius!  It's very scary with great special effects and incredibly creepy music.  Other favourites include Pram Face, Revenge, Glee, Dancing on Ice (don't judge me) and the imminent return of series 7 of Dexter!  I know I am a bit of a telly addict but I love sitting on my sofa with the kids being entertained.  I am so easily pleased :)

My Crock Pot Slow Cooker this has been a bit of an under used product in my kitchen until recently.  I don't know why it has taken me so long to appreciate the benefit of chucking in the ingredients in the morning and having a warming dinner ready to serve up in the evening.  I guess Freddy being at nursery has made this easier as prior to that I would have a demanding toddler trying to 'help' (or attempting to wield knives and throw vegetables).  Warming stews with dumplings are the perfect antidote to this cold weather.

JooMo It may only be a face wash but it has been quite life changing!  This is the first winter that my face hasn't flared up with an attack of red, inflamed and itchy dry skin.  I put that down to using JooMo which is made of all natural ingredients.  It's all I use now and it works.

Being A Grandma I get to have cuddles and feel all the love in the world, but I have none of the responsibility.  Holding newborn Ted I wondered how I ever coped with a baby.  It suddenly felt like an enormous task to have to look after an infant.  I knew at that moment that my own baby producing days are over.  Plus I know the joy of welcoming the next generation into our family and it's wonderful.

What's Not

This Weather It's cold...but not impressively so.  It is still wet and the waterlogged fields and high rivers are not subsiding giving rise to a lingering degree of worry and concern.  We are told it will snow but then it doesn't.  A few weeks ago it was unseasonably mild and many flowers started to make a tentative appearance. They have all died.  I guess this is typical UK weather with its non-distinct seasons, where our little island is at the mercy of the weather fronts that come in from around the planet.  But it is still suckish not knowing what will happen from one week to the next.

Bugs The kids have only been back at school for 5 minutes and both Ella and Kizzy have got poorly.  Ella was off yesterday and Kizzy was sent home today.  The post Christmas spread of germs is always a problem and is a reminder of how easily serious epidemics can occur.  I don't feel right, but I just have to get on with things whilst feeling slightly sick, slightly coldy and slightly dizzy.  Oh the joys!

Sponsored NSPCC Event I am all for helping out charitable causes when I can.  Yesterday Kizzy came home really excited about the assembly she had had at school that morning.  A woman from the NSPCC had come to their school to talk about the work of the charity.  It included some very emotive material which pulled at Kizzy's heart strings.  Her school is taking part in some sponsored sporting events on behalf of the charity.  I usually sponsor her for a few pounds as do her grandparents. However, the NSPCC encourage kids to get as many sponsors as they can by offering a reward system.  A green badge for up to three sponsors, escalating to a gold medal for those who fill the whole sheet with sponsors.  The kids were told to get their parents to take the form to work to ask colleagues to sponsor them to get as many names on the form as they could to get the gold medal.  When I said to Kizzy that this wasn't happening she was disappointed. Am I just mean or is this method of fundraising just fundamentally flawed?  How much of the much needed funds are spent producing badges and medals (which will probably wind up in the bin eventually anyway)?  Why should children be made to feel like they have let the charity down if they don't get a gold medal?  Why do the children contributing need a reward at all?  This is to raise much needed cash for underprivileged and at risk children. Knowing you have contributed in any way should be reward enough.  Do we live in a society where nobody will do anything unless they are personally rewarded?  I just think it is all wrong and don't understand that in an economical situation where every penny counts why this charity is wasting our donated cash unnecessarily and turning the fundraising into a competition which causes division and disappointment.  Shame.

Cuticura for Healthy Hands

Ever since the Swine Flu pandemic swept across the UK, we have been far more vigilant with our hand hygiene!  So much so that my teenaged daughter won't leave home without hand sanitizer in her bag or pocket!

When we were sent a selection of Cuticura products, Ella was overjoyed!  More of her favourite product to test out for hand hygiene on the go.  It claims to kill 99.99% of bacteria so it is perfect for keeping you safe, clean and refreshed wherever you are.  They come in a variety of formats with prices starting at just £1.  A small price to pay for protection from bacteria and viruses offering the ultimate weapon against them.

We were sent the Hand Hygiene Wipes, Hand Hygiene Lotion, Hand Hygiene Foamer and the Hand Hygiene Gel.  They are all a convenient size which is perfect for a handbag, changing bag, pocket or glove compartment.  They are ideal for travelling, eating out, for use in public toilets, on days out or on holiday and anywhere where access to soap and water is limited.  With Festival season approaching, they are a must have!

I was particularly pleased with the wipes.  On a day out with Freddy he often ends up with mucky hands from  picking up sticks, playing in dirt or generally doing what little boys do.  Baby wipes clean off the dirt, but don't kill the germs.  Hand Sanitizer is tricky to administer to a squirming toddler intent on licking it off!  The wipes are the perfect solution, killing two birds with one stone giving him hygienically clean hands.  It puts my mind at rest knowing that he is germ free!

Cuticura do a Kids' Range especially for little people but I was perfectly happy using the same products for us all, as they are suitable for the entire family.

The pleasant smelling lotion, gel and foamer were not at all sticky and dried in seconds.  The Aloe Vera enriched Foamer is alcohol free and has up to 125 applications per pack.  That is a lot of hand sanitizing!

Cuticura is perfect for everyday hand hygiene keeping hands healthy anytime, anyplace, anywhere!