Is It Clean? Is It Too Clean?

But decades later we still haven't won our war on germs. In fact, in many ways the germs are winning the battle.

Is It Clean? Is It Too Clean? - (By BeiBei): "Is it clean? Is it too clean?" Those are also questions that I ask myself many times every day. When I was little, the one question concerning sanitary conditions was, "Is it clean?" If the answer was "No", then we used water, soap, laundry powder or teeth cleaning powder. When I was three or four years old, my mother bought this fancy new item called shampoo paste. I even remember it was a brand called the Seagull. It was so new and expensive that I took a picture holding the bottle, smiling while scratching my head.

Then there came liquid shampoo that looked just like beer and even foamed too! Then toothpaste that tasted rather sweet but I still hated to use. And then soap that was so fragrant you would want to take a bite. I don't quite remember how old I was when dish detergent came into our household. Maybe it wasn't necessary since there wasn't much grease in the diet back then anyway.

Was it all of a sudden that the sanitary issue became so serious? There came shampoos of all colours and tastes, yes, as a kid I tasted the shampoo that smelled so delicious. There was dish detergent that could make your dishes squeak and shine. And then came shower gels and facial cleansers.

When I went to the States things got really complicated. There was soap, yes, I knew that. But liquid soap? Hmm…There was Windex. What's that for? For cleaning the window, making the glass so clean that poor birds would fly right into it and slide down from a concussion. There was bleach, oh, so pungent! My mother dissolved a pair of her jeans while trying to make it cleaner.

Someday, someone decided that all of these and a whole lot more were not making our world clean enough. There were little bugs you couldn't see. There were germs everywhere. There were viruses and other dangerous things that we must fight, fight, fight!

Then one day, the word "anti-bacterial" came flashing onto the stage. Bling~ Bling~ Flash~ Flash! We can now be saved, from all the bad germs! Anti-bacterial soap. Anti-bacterial wipes. Anti-bacterial detergent. Anti-bacterial mouthwash. The list goes on.

But decades later we still haven't won our war on germs. In fact, in many ways the germs are winning the battle.

In an article by microbiologist and science writer Jason Tetro, he said most germs are not interested in us humans and the majority of them are beneficial. Only a very small portion of germs is harmful and we only come in contact with a dozen of those. Yet, we've declared a full war on germs, a war that we can't seem to win.

But germs are tiny, why can't we win the war?

Tetro explained that germs can evolve about once every 20 minutes while human beings evolve about every 20 years. They have the power to change and change and they change fast! Every measure we take, every new cleaning product that we create, will eventually make them stronger. Besides, germs can live anywhere! You can clean your hands, steam your bottles and boil your food. But can you sanitize your whole house, your whole office, every nook and cranny? The worse thing is, while we are trying to kill off the bad germs, more of the good ones die along the way. Sigh!

This is not the only indication that our war on germs is coming back to bite us instead. Have you noticed the increase in cases of allergies, asthma and eczema in today's world?

Allergies were rare when I was a kid, but nowadays, it seems like everybody is allergic to something. When I went to the States, I learned that some people would swell up and die from eating a peanut! I've even heard of cases where some kids are allergic to things like eggs, rice and even water! I have to admit that I start my days with a stuffy nose and about a dozen sneezes, not knowing exactly what I'm allergic to. What is wrong with us?

One explanation is the hygiene hypothesis. It says that we've learned to clean our environment and ourselves so thoroughly that our immune system is left idle. But our immune systems were born fighters. They don't want to sit there doing nothing and grow fat, so they start attacking harmless substances, such as pollen and dust.

Many studies have shown that children who grew up with older siblings, who are always bringing home free germs to smear over their younger siblings, and children who have early exposure to pets or live in the rural area, have lower cases of developing allergies and asthma.

In my own family, the person who is the clean freak can get severe stomach pains from drinking a bottle of spring water that's been left open for just one day. But the person who would come home and sit on her bed without changing into indoor clothing (which freaks me out) can eat a rotten apple and not have any issues.

I myself am somewhere stuck in the middle. Yes, I want to live in a perfectly clean world. I can't stand the thought of bringing germs back home from the subway or putting money directly in my pockets. But the question "Is it too clean?" rings in my head more and more often now. I've learned to pull my hand back from the bottles with the word "anti-bacterial" on it. But yes, I still wash my hands and change my cloth the moment I get home.

I tell myself that in the relatively safe environment that I live in, soap and water would be sanitary enough. I've also realized that the action of cleaning is more important than the product. It's the "running" in running water and the "rubbing" in washing our hands that carry away most of the germs. So don't idolize the fancy products. Most of them were created to make money, not to make our world a better place. If you really want to kill off germs, here is a tip from the experts: Instead of using harsh chemicals, use the most natural disinfectant, steam. Simple, clean and almost for free.

But really, my point is, let's not get overly anxious about germs. Most of them have been our neighbors and friends for as long as we've existed. Instead of turning all of them into enemies, let them play with our immune systems so they stay weak and we grow strong.

It can all be summed up by that old Chinese saying: Some germs a day will keep the doctors away!

Cleaning without making use of any detergents or soaps may be time consuming for most of the time.

Washing and cleaning products market - global industry size, growth, share analysis and outlook to 2020 outlined in new market research report: Washing and cleaning products are the substances generally liquid, powder, sprays or granules which are used to remove dirt, including dust, stains, bad smells and clutter on surfaces. Cleaning agents are normally in the form of acidic, alkaline or neutral depending on the use.

The acidic washing agents are mostly used for cleaning deposits such as scaling. The active ingredients are usually strong mineral acids and chelates. 

Alkaline washing and cleaning products consist of strong bases like sodium hydroxide as it dissolves oil, grease, fats and proteins based deposits. Whereas, neutral washing products are those whose pH value is neutral and are made from different ionic compound which are used to clean different types of dirt.

Washing and cleaning products are used in wide range of applications such as Sanitation & Janitorial Cleaning Products, Industrial Cleaners, Kitchen & Catering Cleaning Agents, Food & Dairy Processing Cleaners, Laundry Agents, pulp & paper, chemical processing, agrochemicals and others. Soaps and detergents have become a necessary product in our daily lives. 

End-users include various industries such as manufacturing units, food & lodging, building service contractors, food & drinks processing units, retail, healthcare and others commercial facilities. However, the needs and requirement for cleaning products used by these industries differ vastly. 

Products, which are used by building contractors, include those products which are used for cleaning soiled floors, carpets, restrooms, window glasses and furniture. The global demand for washing and cleaning products in the market is driven by rise in population and increasing usage norms impacted as it is by greater concern for hygiene. Cleaning without making use of any detergents or soaps may be time consuming for most of the time. 

Therefore, products, which make the task easy, quickly and to a high standard, are favorable. However, consumers are more likely to pay for such products. 

Raising awareness of personal hygiene, increased focus on communal hygiene and growing concern over the spread of infectious disease are some of the other factors which are driving the market for washing and cleaning products. Increasing concern about ensuring the safety, social and self-actualization needs by enabling safe food storage, sterilizing household surfaces and controlling garbage in a hygienic manner are also driving the washing and cleaning market at some extent.

In less developed countries, price becomes the major factor as consumers have less money to spend. Therefore, manufacturers of cleaning products must work on this aspect in order to succeed in the washing and cleaning product market. 

Strict government regulations about use of cleaning agents as many of them consist of certain chemicals which affect the environment in one form or the other. These are some of the factors which are hampering the growth of washing and cleaning products market to some extent.

Introduction of new, innovative and technologically advanced products, efficient research and development activities and development of product to meet the needs of the consumer are some of the growth opportunities which is likely to drive this market in the year to come. Improved lifestyle and tip from cleaning experts are some of the trends contributing the growth of this market.

Asia Pacific is the largest market for washing and cleaning products attributed to a large population of the emerging countries such as China and India. It is then followed by North America and Europe. 

Asia Pacific is also the fastest growing region for washing and cleaning products market owing to the rising population of this region. Moreover, rising leaving standard, growing disposable income of the consumer of this region has contributed to the overall growth of the washing and cleaning products market.

Some of the major companies operating in washing and cleaning products market include Henkel KGaA, Colgate-Palmolive Company, Procter & Gamble Co., Reckitt Benckiser Plc, The Clorox Company, Church & Dwight, The Dial Corporation and Unilever N.V. 

Greatest Global Explorer Was Window Cleaner

A former window cleaner who became one of the world’s greatest explorers.

Former window cleaner turned global explorer links up with Royal Scottish Geographical Society: A former window cleaner who became one of the world’s greatest explorers will talk about his life and career in Perth.

Jason Lewis spent 13 years travelling around the world under his own steam — the first person ever to achieve the feat. Now the 47-year-old will be plotting a course for Perth to take part in a series of talks for the Royal Scottish Geographical Society. He will discuss his adventures and struggles at a presentation in the Station Hotel on January 13.

Society spokeswoman Gemma McDonald said: “We are very excited to have Jason speak for us. “He has had some crazy experiences, from arriving in countries only to discover a military coup, to spending two and a half weeks stuck in the doldrums in the Pacific. “We can’t imagine how he is going to pack everything into one hour.”

Mr Lewis said his goal as a 24-year-old window cleaner was to avoid settling for a “mediocre life” so he embarked on his global challenge, which saw him travel more than 46,000 miles. The idea of circling the planet was certainly not a new one but Mr Lewis was the only person to do it without motors or sails. His talk, which is part of the 130-year-old society’s Inspiring People season, will go some way to explain how he walked, cycled, skated, kayaked swam and pedalled through 37 countries, risking death on several occasions.

Jason Lewis was 26, broke and cleaning windows when he and a college friend decided to embark on an adventure around the world using only human power, one of the last great firsts to conquer.

A new record - around the world in 13 years, by muscle power alone: Traveller survives pirates, bandits, crocodiles and US drivers in epic journey. Jason Lewis's journey is almost better defined by the mishaps than by its scale. It almost came to a premature end when he was pursued by a salt water crocodile in Australia and again after he was knocked over by an elderly driver as he rollerbladed across the US and almost lost a leg.

He was questioned as a spy in north Africa and has dodged more pirates and bandits than he cares to mention. No yacht for him when he crossed oceans and seas - that feat was achieved in a cramped and battered pedal-powered boat. And it is in that craft, after an expedition spanning 13 years, two months and 23 days, that Lewis will today cross the meridian line at Greenwich in south-east London and become the first person to circumnavigate the world using only the power of his own muscles.

For most of the 46,000-mile journey through 37 countries, Lewis has refused to think about the finish line, but as he slowly pedalled the last few miles up the River Thames, he admitted he was allowing himself to become a little excited. "All these years, I've kept myself going at times with the adage that it's the journey not the destination that is important. Pedalling across the oceans I tried to immerse myself in the present but I can't deny that I'm excited to be at the destination."

He also admits to feeling a little melancholy. "This has been a huge portion of my life and I feel I'm closing the final chapter on this enormous project, and I wonder what there will be after it. Will there be a big hole now I'm not pedalling towards some geographical point?" The Guardian joined Lewis, lean and tanned, on the final leg of his journey. As on almost all of the stages, there were one or two hitches. The pedalo, Moksha (which means liberation in Sanskrit), almost came a cropper when it was pushed out through heavy surf in northern France. "That would have been a bit of a blow, so close to home," he said.

He then managed to avoid the French authorities, who were not keen on the eight-metre craft being pedalled across a busy shipping lane. Back on home soil, Lewis cycled across Kent while his back-up team towed Moksha to the banks of the Thames in Gravesend. There was another sticky moment when a suitable slipway to get the craft into the water could not be found, until the Port of London Authority helpfully lent him one of its cranes to hoist Moksha into the river.

And he was off again, pedalling past the belching Tilbury power station, the QEII bridge, teeming with cars and lorries, and through the Thames Barrier. Lewis, 40, said he had learned a lot about himself. "I would highly recommend to anyone who wants to find out who they are as a person to put themselves in a situation when you are on that narrow knife edge between safety and all things going south. It's at those moments when things are going wrong that you learn who you really are."

But Lewis, the son of a Dorset colonel, has also learned about other people and the world. One of the raisons d'être of the journey was to raise awareness of environmental and human rights issues - Lewis has given scores of talks and taken part in school projects across the globe. "I think I have a better grasp now of human nature. I was very idealistic when I started out but I've become a little more realistic. I've been to a lot of places where people aren't living together in a humane way and are exploiting the environment around them."

Lewis's belief in the goodness of human nature was also tested when a former travelling companion, Canadian Colin Angus, suddenly claimed he had already successfully circumnavigated the world by human power - using a different set of criteria. "I think the adventure community has accepted that I will be the first," said Lewis. The explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes, no stranger to feats of endurance, has supported Lewis, describing his expedition as a remarkable feat.

As well as the run-ins with crocodiles and pirates, Lewis has lacked funding. It is only in the last year that a major sponsor has helped out. Before then it was a matter of raising cash on the hoof. He has worked as a cattle drover in the US and in a funeral parlour in Australia but is still up to £5,000 out of pocket. Now he is looking forward to getting on with the rest of his life. "I'm not sure what I'll do but I don't want to be talking about this in a year's time. I want to move on."

Diabetes, Global Prices & Other Window Cleaning Revelations

John Batterbee, of Lakenham, who has lost 8 stone and been able to stop treatment for his type 2 diabetes.

Major diabetes study launched in Norwich: The £2.2m research study, funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), will screen 10,000 people in Norfolk who are at risk of developing type 2 diabetes and then prescribe dedicated lifestyle education on diet and exercise that could prevent hundreds of people developing the condition. Diabetes is one of the biggest public health challenges facing the country and, if successful, the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital and University of East Anglia study could lead to mass screening and intervention programmes and substantial savings for the NHS.

In England it is estimated 2.4m people have the condition. About 80pc of those with diabetes in England have type 2 diabetes. In Norfolk there are about 30,000 people with diabetes and about 2,500 are newly diagnosed each year. Type 2 diabetes is most commonly diagnosed in adults over the age of 40, although increasingly it is appearing in young people and young adults. Glucose builds up in the blood, as in people with type 1 diabetes, but symptoms appear more gradually and the diabetes may not be diagnosed for some years.

John Batterbee before he lost 8 stone.

Study participants will undergo a simple blood test to check the level of glucose in their blood. Higher than normal glucose (known as Impaired Fasting Glucose or IFG) could mean they are in a “pre-diabetes” phase and are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes. A group of those at risk of developing type 2 diabetes will then be given help to improve diet and exercise levels in order to see if preventative changes to their lifestyle can help reduce the risk of them developing the condition.

The research has been welcomed by Lakenham man John Batterbee, who now no longer needs treatment for type 2 diabetes after he lost eight stone. The 38-year-old, who used to take eight tablets and two insulin injections a day for his diabetes, said: “I was signed off from the hospital last month because my diabetes has completely gone. “My blood pressure is now perfect and my sugar levels are perfect.” Mr Batterbee, who has his own window cleaning business, had been due to have a gastric bypass, when one of his customers suggested he join her Slimming World Group in Poringland. In 28 weeks he lost 5st 3lb and went from 20st 5lb to 15st 2lb. Now, nearly eight months later, he has reached his target of shedding eight stone in total and has found that his sleep apnoea has also gone.

Mr Batterbee, who lives in Huxley Close, said: “I believe that many people don’t realise how big they have got - I didn’t until I saw a photograph of myself and couldn’t believe that was how I looked. “You just don’t believe it’s your weight that is the problem. “For me it was my high blood pressure that really got me thinking about making a change because my doctor scared me by telling me how it was a silent killer. “The help and support I have had from the Slimming World Group and the doctors at the hospital has been unbelievable - I couldn’t have done it without them. “Some scare tatics along with some support would really help. 

If they could show you a chart and say you are going to get diabetes then perhaps people will make a change. “People need to be told the reality. I’m annoyed I let myself get to that stage. “I don’t think people realise how awkward being diabetic is - you have to watch what you eat and it really is a pain.” Mr Batterbee, who is married to Sharon and has an 11-year-old son and two adult stepsons, said: “I believe a little bit more education is the key to helping people.” If you or a friend has diabetes & you would like a cure - go here or here.

Families find ways to combat rising grocery prices: With a wife and two teenagers, Rafael Andrade says he is doing all he can to combat the rising prices of food and other grocery store commodities. Experts forecast a 3 percent to 5 percent increase in the months ahead due to a spike in the costs of grain and gasoline. So what is Andrade, who owns a window cleaning business, doing to make sure he, his family and his bank account don’t look like they’re beginning to starve?

The jump in prices has caused shoppers to scour grocery store ads, flock to the warehouse and thrift bakery stores and ranch markets and cut back altogether. “I’ve noticed that the prices have gone up,” said Andrade, as his family loaded up bags of groceries in front of the Fry’s at 825 W. University Drive in Mesa. “So, I look at the sales ads from all of the grocery stores. Fry’s, Bashas’, Safeway, Albertson’s. I used to be able to buy orange juice for 99 cents, now it’s $1.19. Fruits and vegetables are going up, too. We’re starting to go to Sprout’s or a Ranch Market because the produce is cheaper and it’s just as fresh. We go to Costco to buy soap and toilet paper. We’re using coupons, too.”

Andrade, who grocery shops with his family once a week, estimates they are saving $80 per week by scouring the ads to look for deals and using coupons. And, he still buys snacks — “if they’re on sale,” he said. According to the United Nations, global food prices hit a record high in February due to upward-spiraling gas prices and stockpiling by importers. These factors are hitting the already volatile cereal markets. Wheat, corn, sugar and edible oils have seen the sharpest price increases in the last six months, with a relatively smaller increase in rice. Produce has already skyrocketed, with prices expected to rise by roughly one-fourth to one-third in the next year. The rising costs of corn, wheat and other commodities, including gasoline, is causing increases in virtually everything we buy. Wheat is needed for loaves of bread while corn feeds cows, pigs and chickens for our meat. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices of fruits and vegetables already are up 3 percent, milk is up 10 percent and beef up 13 percent from a year ago.

Window washer looks forward to spring: Everyone looks up to Bing Mulder. That's because he spends a good deal his time at the top of a 24-foot ladder washing windows with a squeegee. The 54-year-old from St. Louis works for Sunshine Window Cleaning, and does windows for businesses throughout the metro-east. How did you get into the window washing business? "I was a welder till the recession in the '80s. There was no work. I looked around because I still had bills to pay. I started this in '84."

You wash windows all year long. Would you rather work at 0 degrees or 100? "I prefer the warm. At my age, these bones don't like the cold." It was a sunny 40 degrees on Friday morning, when Bing was working in a knit cap, flannel shirt jacket but no gloves. "We wash windows in ice and snow. Whatever it takes. At this time of year, oh yeah, I'm ready for spring." Did you wash windows Monday in the snow and rain? "Yes. Some customers have windows under awnings or overhangs."

Do you ever wash windows suspended from ropes on skyscrapers? "I used to. I was working at St. Louis Center. It was a calm day but the tall buildings catch the wind like a wind tunnel. Up there, a gentle breeze feels like 15-mph winds. All of a sudden, the wind lifted me up like a kite and slammed me into the wall. I never went back up. This ladder's high enough for me now."

Are you afraid of heights? "Heck, no. I go sky diving." Are you afraid of anything? "My wife (Barb)," he joked. Do most of the people walking on the sidewalk below you walk under the ladder or go around it? "Most people are OK walking under. You just have to make sure the person up above likes you," he said with a mischievous grin.

In praise of … window cleaners: The HMS Window Cleaner has been launched on the Calder to clean the panes of the Hepworth Gallery - Clarity and transparency are buzzwords nowadays, and honour for those who guarantee both in everyday life is overdue. Events last week at the Hepworth gallery, which opens in Wakefield in mid-May as a showcase for the Yorkshire sculptor and a new civic art gallery combined, provide an excuse. The riverside position of David Chipperfield's building means that land-based teams are not practicable: dangling from the multi-angled roofs would risk a dip. 

HMS Window Cleaner has thus been launched on the Calder, bobbing below the weir as her crew squeegee above. Their voyage is understandably a spectator sport, as window cleaning increasingly is, especially in cities. Cradles high on tower blocks are as awesome in their way as climbers on rock faces, from Yosemite's El Capitan to Kilnsey Crag. The teams on the wavy glass that encases the Guardian's own Kings Place building work like synchronised swimmers with their sweeping, soap-and-rinsing arcs. 

A modest new market for telescopic poles and other cunning gadgets has been created by houses whose basement areas, converted into separate flats, are no longer accessible for footing ladders. Arrangements on London's Shard are going to be well worth the wait. All this is welcome attention for a brave and skilled craft and also a satisfying complement to George Formby's twinky-twanky ukulele song. In his day it was what the window cleaner saw indoors that could be intriguing. Now the action outside promises just as much.