Why perfect cleanliness in the house can lead to the multiplication of dangerous microorganisms

Hoarding things is the worst of evils

Once a sign of wealth was the ability to eat a lot and gain weight. When this became possible for almost everyone, saturation was no longer a desirable goal. The same is true for the quantity of goods. For a long time we no longer need to accumulate something out of fear of remaining in bare walls. Things don't really matter that much in our lives.

Minimalism is in fashion right now. Managing the abundance of goods is the management of life and a way to increase the status. Now there are a lot of things that are easily available, so owning and keeping them doesn't matter anymore.The accumulation of goods is even associated with mental health problems. It is believed that the management of life has failed if you cannot control the amount of things in your home.

Which items have the most germs?

Following a simple logic, it can be argued that most of all bacteria are on items that are often used and rarely washed. 99% of people consider the toilet the dirtiest place. However, this is not entirely true. In most homes, it is cleaned regularly and the feces are washed away. But other areas of common use are not given so much attention.

7 items that are teeming with germs:

1. Handles (door, from the refrigerator and tap). Everyone touches them, and not everyone has clean hands. Bacteria accumulate and then spread throughout the premises. Sometimes it is enough to touch the doorknob, and then to the face, to catch the infection.
2. surfaces in the bathroom. A fungus loves warm places with high humidity, the spores of which cause various respiratory diseases and allergies. In addition, such an environment is optimal for the reproduction of viruses and bacteria that enter the bathroom with dirty clothes and towels.
3. Landline phone. Hundreds of different microbes gather on the handset. She is in contact with a person’s face, particles of saliva fly at her when talking, not always clean fingers touch her.
4. Buttons on the microwave, multicooker and other kitchen appliances. Fingerprints and food splashes are a concentration of germs. The buttons of household appliances, as a rule, are pressed by all family members, and they are rarely wiped.
5. TV remote. Refers to objects that accumulate germs, dirt and dust.A particularly dirty remote in the family where it is customary to eat in front of the TV and switch channels while watching.

Toilet. Even with careful use of the toilet, its contamination with bacteria remains high. It is necessary to regularly wash it with a disinfectant, not only inside, but also outside.

Keyboard. While typing, many drink coffee or eat something along the way. Food particles encourage bacteria to multiply. The keyboard is one of the dirtiest items in the home and office. One square inch contains about 3,000 microbes. Do not touch your face and eyes after typing!

Everyone knows that the toilet is teeming with germs, but not enough attention is paid to other rooms and common items.

To reduce the amount of bacteria and viruses in the room, it is important to regularly clean the most polluted places. Using 5 reliable methods of disinfection will keep your home clean and safe

Germs in the home: recognize the threat

The main conditions for the favorable reproduction of bacteria are high humidity and the presence of nutrients. All this is present in your apartment. To successfully fight germs in your home, you need to know which ones are really dangerous.

Campylobacter

Source is meat, unpasteurized milk, game, cheese

Campylobacter infection leads to food poisoning, the symptoms of which are abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. The bacterium is able to survive even with heat treatment, especially if it was insufficient. Microorganisms can get on dishes, knives and sink taps. Therefore, after contact with potentially dangerous products, such as meat, thoroughly wash not only your hands, but also everything you have touched.

Salmonella

The main foods that carry Salmonella are raw eggs, meat, cheese, milk and game.

In mild cases, infection will lead to diarrhea and abdominal pain, in severe cases, death. Microorganisms die when exposed to high temperatures, but can live for several hours in a warm and humid environment. They even tolerate the temperature in the refrigerator, so do not keep cooked food and raw meat nearby. Before putting eggs in the refrigerator, wash them thoroughly under warm running water.

Escherichia coli

The source of infection is cheese, unboiled milk, veal, as well as infected people and animals.

You can “pick up” Escherichia coli by contacting a sick person or animal. Infection results in diarrhoea, often with blood, stomach cramps, and can lead to kidney damage, anemia, and neurological problems. To avoid illness, follow the basic rules of hygiene, do not eat meat dishes that have not undergone heat treatment.

Listeria

Found in blue cheese, shrimp, oysters and unpasteurized milk.

Listeria prefers cold to heat, so the refrigerator is her favorite place. The patient suffers from high fever, vomiting, headache. People with reduced immunity, children and pregnant women are especially susceptible to it.

Yersinia

Dangerous foods are meat, unboiled milk and fish.

The symptoms of Yersinia infection are sometimes similar to an acute attack of appendicitis, but mostly cause abdominal pain and severe diarrhea. Microorganisms are insensitive to cold, so it is better to choose a refrigerator with an antibacterial coating, and be sure to boil, steam or fry stale food, at your discretion.

Microbes in the home: bath and toilet area

Low risk: shower head, toilet seat

If you don't have shower lovers in your house and no one has used it for a long time, there is a chance that Legionella bacteria will multiply in the nozzle. In order not to get sick with legionellosis, first turn on a powerful jet of water for a few minutes, which will wash the “hanging” nozzle, and only after that get under the shower.

Recent studies have shown that, contrary to popular belief, the toilet seat is not at all such a dangerous source of germs in the house. The toilet becomes dangerous only if someone in the family has diarrhea or vomiting caused by a viral or bacterial infection.

High risk: washcloth, towels, soap dish

Due to the constant humidity, the washcloth is an ideal environment for “household” microbes. It is not enough just to rinse it under running water after each use, you also need to dry it properly. Put a washcloth on the heater. From time to time pour boiling water over to kill bacteria, and do not let it stale.

Towels, like washcloths, are a favorable place in which microorganisms are simply swarming. To effectively combat them, wash towels at a temperature of 60-90 ° C and iron them.

Soap is the main remedy for germs in the house, but it can also "let us down". The slurry formed in the soap dish resembles a soup of microorganisms. The soap that floats in it will not rid you of bacteria, but quite the contrary. The best way out of the situation is to use liquid soap with a dispenser, it is much more hygienic than usual. Or make sure that the soap bar is always dry.

Every hostess dreams of a comfortable and stylish kitchen, each element of which will be skillfully inscribed in the overall color of the room. Separately, I want to stop at the sink. Depending on the design of the kitchen, you can choose ceramic, granite, round, corner, square sinks and even antique sinks. Our choice is the blanco metra 45s granite sink with a deep bowl, wide functional surface and undeniably great design.

Sterile conditions - the mechanism for triggering allergies

Paradoxical as it sounds, but often the cause of allergies, especially in young children, is the perfect cleanliness in the house, which any housewife strives for. Sterile living conditions and existence, especially in children's rooms, can become an allergy trigger.

American allergists, together with sociologists, having examined the control group of children, came to the conclusion that in most cases, allergies were noted in families with medium and high incomes. Most often, children lived in homes where the rules of sanitation and hygiene were strictly observed with the use of new generation detergents containing chemicals that could provoke an allergic reaction.

The following fact had a significant impact on the formation of the immunity of each family member: the global trend to reduce the number of children in families also contributes to the development of allergies. Reducing crowding and tightness in homes, the possibility of more thorough and high-quality cleaning using chemicals, has led to frequent cases of allergies.

Laundry

The smallest particles of human excreta remain on clothes and underwear even after thorough washing.And along with them, bacteria also survive, which begin to multiply in a humid and warm environment already inside the washing machine. In general, when you take your laundry out to hang it to dry, germs can get into in your armsand from there to the mouth, stomach, and so on.

What to do. Most bacteria die at temperatures above 65 degrees, so this is the number that should be set on your washing machine. If you wash your clothes by hand, use a mild bleach: it will also kill up to 99% of microorganisms. Do not mix underwear with bedding and outerwear; it is usually the primary source of infection.

And, of course, wash your hands after washing and drying clothes.

Clostridium botulinum, or Another reason for careful cooking of products

In the process of growth and development, some microorganisms are capable of producing substances that are especially dangerous for human health - toxins. The bacterium Clostridium botulinum is the cause of botulism, which is most likely to be fatal. There are two types of bacteria:

• vegetative;
• spore.

The vegetative variant of botulism is not so dangerous. A microorganism with this form of existence dies after the product has been boiled for 5 minutes. But botulism spores will die only after a five-hour treatment, while the temperature must reach a certain point. Spores are a kind of protective shells that keep a dormant bacterium for a long time. After a few months, they germinate, and botulism "wakes up".

Spores reliably store their valuable cargo both in cold conditions and under the influence of ultraviolet radiation.A temperature of 80°C will be critical for the vegetative variety of botulism and a longer treatment at 120°C for the spore form. These conditions are not always observed by housewives when canning blanks, so you can also become infected from improperly prepared home-made canned food.

The first signs of botulism are:

• pain in the central part of the abdomen;
• bouts of diarrhea (from 3 to 10 times a day);
• headache;
• feeling of weakness, malaise and fatigue;
• periodic vomiting;
• high body temperature (up to 40 ° C).

The onset of botulism is somewhat less common, but may still be accompanied by visual impairment, blurry vision of objects, the presence of fog or flies before the eyes, and farsightedness that has not manifested before. Respiratory failures and difficulty swallowing are another possible symptom.

Complications of botulism are manifested in the form of secondary bacterial infections, such as pneumonia, pyelonephritis, sepsis, purulent tracheobronchitis. Arrhythmia may develop, myositis affects the calf and femoral muscles. The disease lasts for about three weeks, and as a result of competent and timely treatment of botulism, the lost functions of vision, breathing are restored and the ability to swallow returns.

Order first!

There are many women in the older generation who have very strict and firm rules about how and when to clean the house, how to arrange things in the closet, how often to change underwear and more. They usually fulfill these requirements themselves, but sometimes they encourage loved ones to follow the “master plan” drawn by them and consider those who are not concerned with cleanliness to be “lost” people.

Remember that all cleanliness is relative - not only a leak from neighbors can happen, but also an earthquake, demolition of a house or a fire. Then all efforts to restore order will seem ridiculous. Try to look at them from this point of view, thank God that there is nothing like this in your life, and clean only as much as you have time and energy without compromising other interests.

Most germs are not in the toilet

Most people are sure that the largest concentration of microbes and dangerous microorganisms is located on the edge of the toilet and the restroom in general.

Of course, there are germs in these places, but the most favorable conditions for the reproduction of microbes are created where it is humid and warm.

Dishwasher

Not only food residues, grease and water droplets accumulate on the dishwasher door due to improper operation and hygiene. But also a huge number of disease-causing microbes.

After the washing cycle, the machine creates a comfortable temperature and humidity for the reproduction of pathogenic microorganisms. Therefore, after washing, you need to dry the filter, joints and the inside of the dishwasher and always keep the door ajar.

Washing machine

Microbes that survive after washing clothes get along well in washing machine drum and rubber bands. E. coli, fungus and even pneumonia - all this can infect your favorite au pair.

The sealing gum is considered the most dangerous place. On it are the bacteria of staphylococci, streptococci, Escherichia coli.

What to do:

• always wash at 60-90 degrees;
• once every two months, you need to apply Domestos to the sealing gum and drive an empty machine at a temperature of 90 degrees;
• wash the detergent compartment regularly with vinegar;
• wash socks separately from kitchen towels;
• keep the door and powder compartment open after washing;
• wipe the drum dry;
• wash hands after hanging laundry.

Cutting board

On a cutting board the number of germs is 200 times higher than the number in the toilet bowl.

What to do:

• use different boards for meat, fish, bread and vegetables;
• after washing, wipe the board with vinegar or alcohol;
• wash the boards in the dishwasher;
• change boards regularly.

How do bacteria reproduce in food?

Any food consumed by a person for food has its own microflora. It can divide by two type:

• specific - these are microorganisms that were added intentionally in order to give certain taste or aromatic qualities;
• non-specific - it is made up of bacteria that accidentally got on the product (the sanitary regime was not observed at the factory or in the store, storage periods, processing rules were violated).

At the same time, different representatives of pathogenic prokaryotes prefer their own specific type of products. Salmonella, for example, are avid eaters of eggs, meat, and milk. The danger of infection lies in the fact that the purity of the product cannot be verified by its appearance. Salmonella in infected meat, offal or minced meat does not change their color, taste or smell in any way. If dishes prepared from such raw materials do not undergo proper heat treatment, then the disease is inevitable.

Salmonella sticks need a temperature of 37 ° C for development, they do not form spores and capsules, but they are very resistant to environmental conditions.Even in meat chilled to 0°C, they are able to survive up to 140 days. At the same time, the ability to divide is not lost. Salmonella will remain viable in open water for about 4 months, and in bird eggs for about a year. Most strains are able to survive after exposure to antibiotics and disinfectants.

Salmonella, which serve as causative agents of infection, most often live in the body of farm animals. The disease in cows, horses, sheep, pigs or birds is asymptomatic. The pathogens are shed in urine, saliva, feces, and nasal mucus, but people are most often infected through milk, meat, or eggs (food). Salmonella can also be transmitted from an already sick person (contact-household transmission route).

Bacteria Salmonella (Salmonella)

Poultry or animal meat may be contaminated during transport or handling. So that salmonella does not become the cause of the disease, at home you can only follow simple rules for the prevention of any intestinal infections.

• high-quality processing of meat, fish, eggs and milk;
• purchase of meat semi-finished products, unprocessed products from private farms only if there is a conclusion of the SES on safety;
• compliance with the rules of personal hygiene;
• separate equipment for cutting raw and cooked foods will help to avoid becoming carriers of salmonella.

On the part of farms and relevant supervisory authorities, constant monitoring of the conditions of animals, their health and the quality of products (especially meat) at the exit should be carried out.

The disease proceeds as follows. Salmonella sticks enter the digestive tract. In the upper intestines, they destroy part of the beneficial microflora, then they begin to multiply in the small intestine.At the same time, the work of this department of the gastrointestinal tract is disrupted, peristalsis suffers. Then the disease becomes acute, intoxication of the body, dehydration, convulsions and acute renal failure begin. So underestimating salmonellosis is very reckless.

Danger of tap water

Recently, a great tragedy occurred in the US state of Texas. A six-year-old boy named Josh McIntyre died from primary amoebic meningoencephalitis. This serious disease occurs when the amoeba Naegleria fowleri enters the nose. Through the olfactory nerves, it enters the brain and begins to actively multiply. Because of this, hemorrhage and tissue death begin in the brain. Based on the fact that dangerous microorganisms mainly live in fresh water at a temperature of about 30 degrees Celsius, it is believed that the boy became infected with an amoeba through tap water.

Amoeba Naegleria fowleri

But it may also be that the amoeba got into his nose while swimming. Be that as it may, running water in some areas of Texas has proven to be potentially dangerous. Therefore, the authorities have advised people to use tap water only to flush the toilet. It is advised to use only bottled water for drinking. If it is not possible to buy it, it is necessary to boil the water thoroughly. Although, some scientists are sure that an amoeba cannot harm a person if it enters the gastrointestinal tract.

The author Daria Yeletskaya also spoke about the potential dangers of tap water. In the material for 2019, she talked about what substances are usually used to purify water and what harmful substances it may contain.Only the emphasis in this material was on studying the question of whether tap water can cause cancer. It turned out to be a very interesting article, so I recommend reading it!

how to teach a child to be careful.

Accuracy - love for cleanliness, order, neatness. The formed habit of being neat does not allow the appearance of such qualities of character as carelessness, optionality, slovenliness, lack of punctuality, negligence. From this it is clear that a neat child has a chance to grow up more responsible, more diligent, cleaner, more obligatory than the one who was not taught this in childhood.

There is an opinion that a sense of neatness kills creativity in a child. It's not like that at all. Very often, people of creative professions like to create a clean, harmonious space around themselves, and, on the contrary, people deprived of any creative principles surround themselves with dirt and chaos. questions that parents often ask.

One priest once said that before you start raising a child, educate yourself first! And there is a deep truth in this. All the actions of parents are accurately copied by children, and not necessarily immediately. Sometimes children, in the form of a protest, deliberately do everything in defiance of parental requirements. But later, after 10-15 years, when the protest riot subsides, they, without noticing it themselves, begin to repeat the actions and habits of their relatives. Hence the conclusion: if you want your child to be neat, become neat yourself.

At what age should one begin to develop this quality in a child? Since birth.If everything is turned upside down in the room where the baby is located, and instead of washing the wet diaper, the mother simply dries it and uses it again, the child’s things are in a mess, and there is a mess on the changing table, where does the baby grow up with a sense of love for cleanliness and order.

As the baby grows up, he absorbs the atmosphere of the surrounding mess around him, considering this state of affairs to be the norm. And then at the age of 5 - 6 years old, his mother suddenly starts to scold him for scattered toys or unfolded pajamas ... Agree that this is at least strange.

Very often after the games, children forget to put their things away. It's not scary. The main thing is that you do not forget that they must do this. Gradually, this fact should become a mandatory ending to any game. Played - clean up after yourself! But the baby will be able to do this only after 3 years, and before that, poor coordination of movements will interfere with him. Help him if he doesn't succeed, but don't do it for him. You can put away toys together, put things together, but not instead of him.

The kid should know that cleaning his things is his cleaning. In order for all his toys to be in order and in their place, buy him a children's locker or highlight in your closet place for him things and toys

It is very important that the child is well aware that after all the games his room should be cleaned, clean and prepared for bed. And this needs to be explained as early as possible. At the moment when he goes to school, this skill should be well formed.

At the moment when he goes to school, this skill should be well formed.

If, for example, mom or dad forgot to put something back in place, you can draw the child's attention to this fact, and in this case, criticism should only go to yourself! Such an example: the mother forgot to remove some object and draws the attention of the baby to this: “See, I forgot to put this in the closet. How not good

You can't do that." This method is very efficient. So to speak, visual work on the mistakes by the parent himself

How not good. You can't do that." This method is very efficient. So to speak, visual work on the mistakes by the parent himself

Such an example: the mother forgot to remove some object and draws the attention of the baby to this: “See, I forgot to put this in the closet. How not good. You can't do that."

This method is very efficient. So to speak, visual work on the mistakes by the parent himself

You can't do that." This method is very efficient. So to speak, visual work on the mistakes of the parent himself.

Such situations in no way lower your authority, but only show that you can also make a mistake, but correct this mistake. At such moments, the main thing is not the infallibility of the parents, but a clear demonstration of compliance with the rules and norms of behavior that you are trying to accustom your baby to.

However, you should never fall into fanaticism and throw tantrums if the child has stained or soiled something. Otherwise, the child may grow up as a cleanliness-obsessed subject who will try to look for the slightest speck on the floor. There must be a measure in everything. The main thing, it seems to me, is that the baby sees from childhood that order and cleanliness in the house create comfort, and neatness is one of the sides of beauty. After all, a mess, you see, cannot be called beautiful, even “creative”.

Where does water come from?

As mentioned above, in taps of our houses water comes from reservoirs and lakes. First, it is collected in the so-called water treatment plant. There it goes through several stages of purification. First, it is mechanically cleaned of large debris. Then a chemical cleaning method is used - with the help of chlorine, dangerous bacteria and viruses contained in the water are killed. It is believed that the concentration of chlorine in the water entering our apartments is safe and cannot cause health problems. But in some cases, the above cleaning methods are too few.

This water is definitely not worth drinking.

According to the World Health Organization, tap water can contain the following types of microorganisms:

• bacteria, including salmonella, E. coli and shigella;
• viruses, which include adenoviruses, rotaviruses and hepatitis viruses;
• protozoa in the form of amoebas and so on.

All these microscopic organisms can cause great harm to the human body. Salmonella, E. coli, and Shigella can cause diarrhea, vomiting, and other unpleasant symptoms. The diseases they cause are cured, but they cause a lot of pain and require several days to recover. Viruses are more dangerous because they can cause hepatitis A, a viral liver disease. Fortunately, many of us have already received a safe and effective vaccine from her. You might think that single-celled organisms called amoebas cannot harm us, but in some cases they are deadly.

reproduction

The main mode of reproduction of bacteria is cell division. But for its implementation it is necessary that certain conditions are observed.They differ for different types of bacteria. Some die when boiled, others can multiply even in an acidic environment. Under ideal conditions, bacteria can increase their population to 34 trillion individuals.

There are several factors that affect the reproduction of bacteria:

• sunlight;
• the presence of water;
• ambient temperature;
• oxygen;
• the level of acidity / alkalinity of the environment.

In the presence of favorable factors, bacteria begin to multiply actively. In their absence, they hibernate or die.

Binary division

When a bacterium reaches a certain size, it begins to divide. First, DNA replication (division) occurs, then the division of the cytoplasm. The last step is the formation of a new cell wall. The process of division of bacteria in favorable conditions is very intense - every 20-30 minutes. in one cell. This is due to the fact that a large number of cells die very quickly under the influence of various factors.

Budding (vegetative propagation)

An outgrowth appears on one of the walls of the bacterium and grows until it reaches the size of the "mother". Next comes the separation of the kidney. One bacterium can produce up to four buds. This method of reproduction is characteristic of cyanobacteria.

Multiple division

It is a binary division of cells inside the mother's body. The number of such cells varies from 4 to 1000. All of them undergo successive division, then the shell breaks, and new cells come out.

Reproduction by spores

If a bacterium falls into negative conditions, it can go into a special state, in which it can stay for a very long time (more than a hundred years). The spore matures inside the cell and occupies a special position in it.Then the mother cell dies off, and the spore is covered with a special shell that is more resistant to temperature effects, the influence of various enzymes and other conditions that are fatal for a normal cell.

When a favorable moment comes, a full-fledged individual sprouts from the spore. The reverse process begins: the destruction of the stable shell, the filling of the cell with water, the ability to divide appears.

Note

The resistance of spores of pathogenic bacteria explains the long persistence of infectious diseases that are dangerous to humans.

Cell fragmentation

During fragmentation, the division of the mother cell occurs, and then the regeneration of individual parts to a full-fledged bacterium.

sexual method

Some types of bacteria can reproduce by conjugation - the exchange of genetic information between two cells. The subject of transfer are plasmids containing genes for resistance in adverse conditions.

Note

Many types of bacteria that are dangerous to humans reproduce sexually. In this way, for example, bacteria are able to develop resistance to antibiotics.

Transformation

Compared to others By means of reproduction, transformation is less common. During it, a separate piece of DNA is embedded in a third-party cell and exchanges information with it. It is noteworthy that this phenomenon occurs without the participation of viruses.

transduction

A method of reproduction that is close to transformation, but with the participation of an "intermediary" - a bacteriophage, which transfers genetic information from one cell to another.