#1 – Dish Soap
Dish soaps can cause many problems, from stripping wax to degrading the waterproofing on fabrics. In some cases, these chemicals are harmful to the environment and shouldn’t ever be dumped irresponsibly.

#2 – Windex
Most boat mirrors and windows are made of plastic, not glass. Since Windex and other glass cleaners contain ammonia, they can cause yellowing, cracking and many other issues.

#3 – Paper Towels
Paper towels are not actually a very soft material. They’re too harsh and scratch many soft plastics. Additionally, paper towels fall apart easy and can become very costly over time.

#4 – Limited Storage
Since storage is limited, don’t waste it all on your cleaning tools. Most maintenance tool manufacturers market a product for every potential type of surface, stain, or area of the boat/car/RV. These chemicals and tools become very costly and causes fast overcrowding in the limited storage areas.

#5 – Soft Scrub
Abrasive household cleansers like Soft Scrub are too strong for boat/car/RV material. Fiberglass, clear coat and gelcoat surfaces easily loose their protective coatings to these harsh cleaners. Bleach-based products will have a tendency to discolor fabrics and break down their integrity.

#6 – Pledge
Pledge is great on wood, not on clear vinyl like isinglass. Pledge contains solvents that removes the plasticizers from the plastic. This causes the material to become brittle and yellow.

#7 – Procrastination and Neglect
Environmental build-up can quickly damage anything. Overlooking or neglecting the right maintenance items and schedule will not only reduce the value of your investment over time but will also make maintenance much harder

BOSTON – An infectious-disease nightmare is unfolding: Bacteria that have been made resistant to nearly all antibiotics by an alarming new gene have sickened people in three states and are popping up all over the world, health officials reported Monday.

The U.S. cases and two others in Canada all involve people who had recently received medical care in India, where the problem is widespread. A British medical journal revealed the risk last month in an article describing dozens of cases in Britain in people who had gone to India for medical procedures.

How many deaths the gene may have caused is unknown; there is no central tracking of such cases. So far, the gene has mostly been found in bacteria that cause gut or urinary infections.

Scientists have long feared this — a very adaptable gene that hitches onto many types of common germs and confers broad drug resistance, creating dangerous “superbugs.”

“It’s a great concern,” because drug resistance has been rising and few new antibiotics are in development, said Dr. M. Lindsay Grayson, director of infectious diseases at the University of Melbourne in Australia. “It’s just a matter of time” until the gene spreads more widely person-to-person, he said.

Grayson heads an American Society for Microbiology conference in Boston, which was buzzing with reports of the gene, called NDM-1 and named for New Delhi.

The U.S. cases occurred this year in people from California, Massachusetts and Illinois, said Brandi Limbago, a lab chief at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Three types of bacteria were involved, and three different mechanisms let the gene become part of them.

“We want physicians to look for it,” especially in patients who have traveled recently to India or Pakistan, she said.

What can people do?

Don’t add to the drug resistance problem, experts say. Don’t pressure your doctors for antibiotics if they say they aren’t needed, use the ones you are given properly, and try to avoid infections by washing your hands.

The gene is carried by bacteria that can spread hand-to-mouth, which makes good hygiene very important.

It’s also why health officials are so concerned about where the threat is coming from, said Dr. Patrice Nordmann, a microbiology professor at South-Paris Medical School. India is an overpopulated country that overuses antibiotics and has widespread diarrheal disease and many people without clean water.

“The ingredients are there” for widespread transmission, he said. “It’s going to spread by plane all over the world.”

The U.S. patients were not related. The California woman needed hospital care after being in a car accident in India. The Illinois man had pre-existing medical problems and a urinary catheter, and is thought to have contracted an infection with the gene while traveling in India. The case from Massachusetts involved a woman from India who had surgery and chemotherapy for cancer there and then traveled to the U.S.

Lab tests showed their germs were not killed by the types of drugs normally used to treat drug-resistant infections, including “the last-resort class of antibiotics that physicians go to,” Limbago said.

She did not know how the three patients were treated, but all survived.

Doctors have tried treating some of these cases with combinations of antibiotics, hoping that will be more effective than individual ones are. Some have resorted to using polymyxins — antibiotics used in the 1950s and ’60s that were unpopular because they can harm the kidneys.

The two Canadian cases were treated with a combination of antibiotics, said Dr. Johann Pitout of the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada. One case was in Alberta, the other in British Columbia.

Both patients had medical emergencies while traveling in India. They developed urinary infections that were discovered to have the resistance gene once they returned home to Canada, Pitout said.

The CDC advises any hospitals that find such cases to put the patient in medical isolation, check the patient’s close contacts for possible infection, and look for more infections in the hospital.

Any case “should raise an alarm,” Limbago said.

By MARILYNN MARCHIONE, AP Medical Writer Marilynn Marchione, Ap Medical Writer – 1 hr 27 mins ago

Online:

Conference: http://www.icaac.org

Familiar Scenarios We Hear About…
“Our janitorial service started out great, but now…..”
“They just don’t do what their contract says they’ll do.”
“I shouldn’t have to deal with cleaning issues so often.”

The 3 Minute Test:
* Do windows and glass doors have smudges and smears ?
* Is there dust on ledges, window blinds, backs and tops of computers etc. ?
* Are there spill marks and splashes on walls, trash cans and the sides of desks ?
* Will you find bits of paper and paper clips under desks that have been there for weeks ?
* Are there coffee cup rings on desks and ledges ?
* Are your carpets and floors spotted and dirty looking ?
* Bang out your keyboard, does crumbs, dust / debris come out ?

If you answered yes to any of these questions it is time to tell your current cleaning company to improve their service. If you yes to more than two maybe you should consider a new janitorial service.

Call CLEAN-O-RAMA Today For A Free No Obligation Quote: 561-512-8871

Dust mites are found in most homes / businesses. They are microscopic, eight-legged creatures closely associated with us, but they are not parasitic and do not bite. They don’t burrow under the skin, like scabies mites or live in skin follicles, like skin follicle mites.

Managing Dust Mites

by Barb Ogg, PhD, Extension Educator

The concern about dust mites is people are allergic to them. Symptoms associated with dust mite allergies include sneezing, itchy, watery eyes, nasal stuffiness, runny nose, stuffy ears, respiratory problems, eczema and (in severe cases) asthma. Many people notice these symptoms when they stir dust during cleaning activities. But, dust also contains other allergens, including cat and dog dander, cigarette ash, cockroach droppings, mold spores and pollen.

How can you find out if you’re allergic to dust mites? An allergist, a medical doctor specially trained to treat allergies, should be consulted for proper diagnosis.

The dust mite allergen is their tiny feces and body fragments which are components of dust. These particles are so small they can become airborne and inhaled when dust is disturbed.
Biology:

There are two species of house dust mites found in North America. These mites are so small they are virtually invisible without magnification. Female mites lay cream-colored eggs coated with a sticky substance so eggs will cling to the substrate. These mites have two distinct immature stages. Under optimal conditions, the entire life cycle from egg to adult takes three-four weeks.

House dust mites feed on human skin scales, pollen, fungi, bacteria and animal dander. Dust mites do not drink free water, but absorb water from the air and the environment.

To thrive, dust mites need very warm temperatures (75-80 degrees F) and high humidity levels — 70-80 percent relative humidity. One study showed when humidity is 60 percent or lower, the mite population stops growing and dies out.

Humans continually shed skin and lose about 1/5 ounce of dead skin each week. We also spend about one-third of our lives sleeping so high levels of dust mites are often associated with the bedroom, especially bedding and the mattress. Dust mites also eat animal dander so allergens will be plentiful in areas where family pets sleep.
Dust Mite Management:

To eliminate dust mite allergens, first, take actions to reduce dust mite populations and second, reduce exposure to dust. No one method has been found for reducing mites and relieving allergy suffering.

LOWER HUMIDITY — Reduce humidity levels to less than 50 percent inside your home, especially in the bedroom. This isn’t hard to do in the winter, but can be a challenge in Nebraska during summer months, especially in homes without air conditioning. Studies have shown air-conditioned homes have ten times fewer dust mite allergens than non-air-conditioned homes. In addition to cooling the house, air conditioning reduces the humidity dust mites need to thrive. A study has shown using an electric blanket for eight hours each day reduced dust mites by 50 percent in one month.

AVOID FURRY OR FEATHERED PETS — Pets with fur or feathers contribute to the dander in the dust and increase food source for mites. If you are a pet lover, locate their sleeping quarters as far from yours as possible and furnish their sleeping area so it can be cleaned easily. Hardwood or vinyl floors with washable area rugs are ideal.

REDUCING AIR INFILTRATION — Airing out the house with open windows allows entry of pollen, which is another allergen as well as food for dust mites. In some climates, incoming air may be humid, which promotes dust mites.

CLEANING/HEAT TREATMENTS — Wash all bedding weekly. Research has shown laundering with any detergent in warm water (77 degrees F) removes nearly all dust mite and cat allergen from bedding. If you cannot launder blankets, dry clean them once a year. Shampoo, steam clean or beat non-washable carpets once a year.

SELECT APPROPRIATE FURNISHINGS — Avoid overstuffed furniture because it collects dust. Also avoid wool fabrics/rugs because wool sheds particles and is eaten by other insects. Use washable curtains and rugs instead of wall-to-wall carpeting. If you cannot replace carpeting, have it steam cleaned at least once a year, springtime is best. This will prevent a build up of dust mites feeding on skin cells in the carpet during the summertime. Enclose mattresses and pillows in plastic to decrease mite populations in the bed. Replace feather pillows with synthetic ones.
Dust Management:

Eliminating dust from the environment is important in reducing allergens in sensitive people.

VACUUMING — The most important tool for managing house dust and dust mites is the vacuum cleaner. Regular, thorough vacuuming of carpets, furniture, textiles and other home furnishings such as draperies will help keep dust mite populations low. Vacuums with a water filter are preferable to those with a disposable paper bag because a water vacuum removes a greater range of particle sizes than paper-bag types. There are vacuums with highly efficient filters (HEPA) designed for use by people with allergies to dust. It is better to vacuum thoroughly once a week rather than lightly on a daily basis. Vacuum mattresses and padded furniture thoroughly; 20 minutes for each mattress is not too long.

DUSTING — Dust furniture before you vacuum so the dust has time to settle on the floor, where it can be picked up by the vacuum. Do not scatter dust. Instead, dust with a damp cloth rather than dry dusting. Spraying furniture polish/dusting liquid directly on surface reduces airborne particles by 93 percent compared with dry dusting.

AIR PURIFERS — A researcher at the University of Texas-Austin found a HEPA air filter was much more effective at removing dust than ion-generating air purifiers which make particles electrically charged to remove them from circulating air. For more information on this research, visit HERE

The problem with ion-generating air filters is they emit significant amounts of ozone. Ozone irritates the lungs and can cause chest pain, coughing, shortness of breath and throat irritation. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), ozone may worsen chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma and compromise the ability of the body to fight respiratory infections. The EPA also states manufacturers and vendors of ozone devices often use misleading terms to describe ozone. Terms such as “energized oxygen” or “pure air” suggest ozone is a healthy kind of oxygen. Ozone is a toxic gas with vastly different chemical and toxicological properties from oxygen. For more information about health problems associated with ozone, check out http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/ozonegen.html
Chemicals:

No acaricides are registered for dust mite control, but benzyl benzoate or tannic acid may reduce levels of dust mites. Be careful if you decide to use these chemicals. According to the Mayo Clinic, these chemicals worsen allergies in some people. It is wise to use non-chemical dust mite control measures around people with serious allergies.

Cleaning and non-toxic approaches listed above should give adequate control, except in humid, tropical regions of the world.

What May Be Found in House Dust:

cigarette ash, incinerator ash, fibers (wool, cotton, paper and silk), fingernail filings, food crumbs, glass particles, glue, graphite, animal and human hair, insect fragments, paint chips, plant parts, pollen, polymer foam particles, salt and sugar crystals, human skin scales, animal dander, soil, fungal spores, tobacco, wood shavings.

For more information The following references contain technical information on house dust mites:

* Alexander, J, O. 1984. “Arthropods and human skin.” Berlin: Springer-Verlag. 442 pp.
* Bronswijk, J. H. , Van. 1981. “House dust biology, for allergists, acarologists and mycologists.” Zeist, The Netherlands: NIB Publishers, Box 144, 3700 AC Zeist, The Netherlands.
* Olkowski, W., S., Daar, and H. Olkowski, 1991. “Common-Sense Pest Control.” The Taunton Press, Newtown, CT.

Photo credits:

* American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology