UV lights come in a variety of different wavelengths, but not all are equally effective at disinfection. Researchers tested a number of commercially available lights to find the best.
Carey Wilson, The University of Melbourne and Thibault Renoir, Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health
Early reports suggested an apparent increase in OCD relapse rates and symptom severity during the pandemic. But a year on, we’re learning this may not be the case.
A deep clean involves cleaning objects or surfaces that may not be routinely cleaned, such as walls, ventilation ducts, curtains, carpets, and hard-to-reach places.
The outsourcing of domestic work contributes to the race, class and gender stereotypes of domestic work. It has neither elevated the status nor improved the working conditions of domestic workers.
What once looked like obsessive-compulsive disorder has become normal when faced with a deadly pandemic.
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Many of our cleaners have neither the time nor the resources to do the job properly, yet some do the job really well. The difference points to a way forward.
How many times a day do you use soap?
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With hand-washing top of mind, soap is an integral part of keeping clean. But people through the ages relied on earlier forms of soap more for cleaning objects than for personal hygiene.
Sunlight, ventilation and relative humidity all affect the microbiome of indoor spaces.
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We spend 90% of our lives indoors, and every building has its own indoor microbiome. Can we learn to manage them in ways that support helpful microbes and suppress harmful ones?
The coronavirus, like many infectious diseases, can live and spread on inanimate objects in the world around us. An epidemiologist explains how and gives some advice on how to minimize the risk.
Be skeptical of organic claims on cleaning products and other nonfood goods.
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If hospitals are not thoroughly cleaned, patients may be at higher risk of infection. We tested a new approach to hospital cleaning, and found it could reduce infections and save money.
Does this look messy to you?
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Public schools in some states outsourced their cleaning services to private companies as part of a neoliberal experiment starting in the 1990s. This has had a host of impacts, including on students.
Do you know what have your clothes been soaking in?
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Dry cleaning isn’t really dry – it uses chemical solvents. Perc, the most common option, has contaminated soil and groundwater and poses serious health risks, but safer choices are emerging.
Decluttering, spearheaded by Marie Kondo and Japanese minimalist consumerism, has taken on quasi-spiritual connotations. What are we actually trying to get rid of when we throw out all our stuff?