9 things you’d better get rid of
9 things you’d better get rid of
1. You may already know which foods you should not eat (ever) if you find mould spots on them. It’s not enough to cut off the mouldy part: do not ever eat bread, biscuits or pastries if you have found green/white and fluffy patches on them.
2. Rid your fridge of old food residue and stuff that has passed its sell-by date – as these may be hotbeds for diseases. If your fridge is ‘smelly’, a halved lemon or a small tray of bicarbonate soda will deal with the odours.
3. A similarly important safety measure is to change your washing up sponge at least weekly and to buy a new toothbrush at least monthly. Over time, these objects may be covered with a lot of bacteria that won’t be wiped out completely even by a hot-water rinse.
4. Chloride-based detergents: replace them with natural or even home-made detergents. There is more and more scientific evidence that that these industrial chemicals harm the immune system. It’s all the more important to lose them if you have a small child in the family.
5. Antibacterial soaps: most of them contain Triclosan, a chemical with a dubious reputation. Scientific research has also shown that chemicals used in antibac products are not much more effective than a thorough hand wash with soap.
6. Plastics are not entirely safe either: the older generation of plastic boxes and bottles may contain BPA which, when heated, may enter into chemical reaction with the food/drink that is in the container. These compounds may upset the healthy balance of your hormone system. The safest option is to replace those plastic containers with sealable glass (jam or compote) jars.
7. There’s an issue with plastic chopping boards too: they are not very healthy to use either. So my advice is to stick with the good old wooden chopping board. It’s practically impossible to completely remove the food residue from the cutting marks that will inevitably cover your chopping board. However, wooden chopping board have a natural way of neutralising the bacteria that may breed in those food traces.
8. Air fresheners: they all contain artificially produced scents that many people are sensitive to. Those people often complain of headaches, sickness and vertigo when they come into contact with the chemicals used to scent the house, car, toilet or their clothes. What’s more, many studies have established that air fresheners are bad for your health. It’s better to open the window more often, decorate your rooms with more house plants and, if you really find it necessary, to vaporise pure, natural essential oils.
9. And finally, let’s turn to cosmetics: the packaging of most personal hygiene products and cosmetics has a common graphic: the sketch of a pot with the sign 3, 6, 9, 12 or 24M next to it. That number shows the number of months you can use the product for after opening the box/pot. It’s important to know that you can do yourself great harm if you don’t replace the products after their use-by date – that’s especially true for eyeshades, makeup foundations and other products that come with a spongy applicator. Just like in the case of a dishwashing sponge or a toothbrush (see above), these applicators may become awash with bacteria that can cause inflammation and spots on your skin and even infect your eyes.
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