Every week Mary Ellen Burris writes an article on a subject relating to food, health, reader questions and concerns, and other important subjects. Most microscopic hitchhikers are harmless creatures, even helpful. There are bad ones though whether it s sore throat, flu, or the types that cause food-borne illness, they re there. We can t do too much about the number of germs or the fact that they invade our homes and workplaces, but we can fight them once they arrive.
New research adds commonly-touched objects to the list of germ hideouts.
A new antibacterial product called Mr. Clean WipeUps is now on the household cleaning aisle. Bacteria kill occurs within 10 minutes. Fingerprints, dirt and grime are also removed, although if the surface is heavily soiled, you ll want to clean it before using the WipeUps. However, it is irritating to your eyes, so rinse your hands after each use. I learned that myself, by rubbing one corner of my eye which began to sting.