FitSugar

Keep Your Hands Clean on the Go

FitSugar — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 03:00:00 PDT

Labor Day is fast approaching, which means it's time to start planning your last Summer hurrahs. Everyone I know in San Francisco seems to be attending music festivals and heading off on camping trips. In my mind, there's one thing that unites these two activities, and that's the need for hand sanitizers on the go!

Whether you're camping far from any running water or using questionable public bathrooms, you can find lots of ways nowadays to keep your hands clean. I'm a big fan of soap leaves - little petals of soap that lather when you put them in water - as well as this Clean Well Hand Sanitizer Spray I recently started carrying around. From plain old Purell to fancy-smelling foams, there's no excuse to walk around with dirty hands. Here are some of my favorite finds for picnics, backpacking, big festivals, and more.

Source

Don't Drink Hand Sanitizers (Duh)

FitSugar — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 02:00:00 PST

I am sure you all already know this...but it is such a bizarre story that I had to share. So I just read an article about a prison inmate being hospitalized for drinking hand sanitizer gel. Yes, it does contain alcohol, but not the same kind found in alcoholic beverages.

The other inmates reported that they saw the man drinking from a "gallon container of Purell hand sanitizer." When the man was questioned as to why he was drinking it, he pointed to the label which read "Active ingredient 63% isopropyl alcohol (isopropanol)." He explained that this percentage was higher that that in vodka.

But this kind of alcohol won't get you drunk. It only takes a small amount of isopropyl to kill someone, by depressing the heart and central nervous system.

The doctors involved with this man are suggesting that the makers of these hand gels change their labels. I'd have to agree because we don't want to walk into a store one day to see that you're getting carded for Purell.

8 Cool Uses For Lemons

Emily Co — Wed, 16 May 2012 03:05:41 PDT

You can make more out of lemons than lemonade. In fact, lemon juice is a really useful liquid that can be used to clean your home, can treat cold symptoms, and can even be part of your beauty regimen. Here are a couple of other uses for the yellow fruit:

Wash your hands: When you're serving messy food like crabs or ribs, put out little bowls of lemon water for guests to wash the smell and gunk off their fingers.
Relieve flu symptoms: If you have a sore throat or a cough, mix lemon with honey and water for a drink that will soothe your throat.
Clean a chopping board: Add some lemon juice or use a lemon slice to wipe the chopping board to deodorize and sanitize it.
Lighten blemishes: If you have some blemishes or you notice your face darkening in pigment in some spots, put some lemon juice on it every day until it lightens.
Brighten white loads: To make the whites even brighter, add a quarter cup of lemon juice with the clothes that you throw into the washing machine.
Brighten fingernails: Soak your fingernails in a lemon water mixture to whiten and brighten them.
Freshen household equipment: Make your appliances fresh by adding lemon juice or lemons to them. For example, microwave slices of lemons to freshen it up. Add lemon juice to the dishwasher when it's empty and let it run a cycle and clean itself with the lemon juice. Add a bit of lemon juice to the humidifier or vacuum bag if those appliances are getting a little smelly and old.
Disinfect wounds: Stop bleeding and clean small cuts and scrapes with lemon juice.

Make Your Own Hand Sanitizer

FitSugar — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 10:00:00 PDT

Everyone around me is sick lately, and it has me washing my hands in overdrive, but if I'm not near a sink I use hand sanitizer. The problem is that those little bottles start to add up financially, and I feel bad throwing out so many plastic containers. Recently, my friend shared her recipe for homemade sanitizer with me and I've been a convert ever since.

What's cool is that the basic ingredients are things I already keep in my medicine cabinet: aloe vera gel and rubbing alcohol. You can make as little or as much as you want, but always use a ratio of six parts alcohol to four parts aloe vera gel for it to be effective. If you're a big germaphobe like I am you can also add tea tree oil - nature's antiseptic - to the mixture. I put about five drops into every half-cup of sanitizer I make. I also add lavender oil to the mix to kill the medicinal smell. From there, just add your mixture to a small bottle that you can always keep with you.

I still think that washing your hands trumps sanitizer, but this recipe is a great alternative to the store-bought stuff.

Give Your Desk a Healthy Makeover With These Tips

Leta Shy — Wed, 02 May 2012 13:44:46 PDT

Since you spend so much time at your desk, it's important that you make it a healthy environment - especially since there are so many ways your job can make you fat. Here's how to make over your desk to stay healthy while you work.

Stash snacks: Vending machines and office candy jars can be too much temptation, especially when your grumbling stomach is egging you on. Instead, stock your desk drawer with a few filling snacks, like almonds, trail mix, all-natural homemade fruit and nut bars, and green tea bags to satisfy tummy and taste buds before you give up and reach for the leftover break room doughnuts.

Use a reusable water bottle: Nothing reminds you to drink more water than a filled water bottle living on your desk. Drinking enough water throughout the day is crucial for both your health and your mood, since dehydration can lead to fatigue and irritability, so fight that afternoon slump (or the urge to snap at your fellow co-workers) by drinking up. Find out how much water you should be drinking here.

Deal with germs: Many times, lunch at your desk is just inevitable. Those days dining in front of your monitor can make things a little messy at your desk. Keep your area germ-free with desk wipes and all-natural hand sanitizer (find out how to make your own hand sanitizer here).

Adjust that chair: You're sitting there for most of the day, so make sure you keep your chair and computer comfortably aligned with the position of your body to prevent back, wrist, and neck pain. Not sure if your monitor is too low or if you are sitting correctly? Read our tips for creating an ergonomic desk here.

FDA Warns That Hand Sanitizers Aren't Foolproof

Heather Dale — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 14:21:38 PDT

Do you ever find yourself narrowly escaping a bad cold during the Winter months and then come Spring, wham bam a cold knocks you off your feet? It's the absolute worst. Many of us try to protect ourselves by religiously applying hand sanitizer during cold-prone months, but you should also keep a bottle in your purse for the Spring and Summer months too.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) say that alcohol-based hand sanitizers help protect against MRSA and other germs, but the FDA is telling consumers not to buy hand sanitizers that claim to kill MRSA, E. coli, salmonella, flu, or other bacteria or viruses because over-the-counter antiseptic products may claim only that they "help reduce bacteria that potentially can cause disease." The CDC's advice? Wash your hands often with soap and water, and when you can't wash your hands, then use a hand sanitizer - you can even make your own.

Source: Flickr User bratha

Don't Drink Bacteria: How to Disinfect Your Reusable Bottle

Jenny Sugar — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 21:06:32 PDT

The beauty of the reusable water bottle is that it's just that - reusable. You can repeatedly head to the water cooler or faucet to fill 'er up, but when your bottle continually stays wet, you know what that means? Yep, bacteria loves a moist, dark environment. Along with your dinner dishes, it's good to get in the habit of cleaning your bottle every night, or at least every few days. Here are some ways you can get rid of the germies and grime.

Throw it in the dishwasher: Some bottles are dishwasher-safe, so check the bottom of your bottle or the brand's website to make sure. Kleen Kanteen Classic stainless steel bottles are dishwasher safe, as well as some products from Nalgene, although it's recommended to clean SIGG water bottles by hand.

Wash it with warm soapy water: Pour out any leftover liquid, add a few drops of dishwashing soap and some warm water, screw on the top and shake for a minute or so. It's smart to invest in a bottle brush like this so you can scrub deep inside your bottle, especially if it has a narrow mouth. Thoroughly clean the cap and straw as well and allow to airdry overnight.

Keep reading to hear a few more cleaning methods.

5 Ways to Make Fitness More Eco-Friendly

Michele Foley — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 11:38:05 PDT

With Earth Day a few days away, there's never been a better time to think about ways to green your fitness. Here are ways to tweak your daily habits just a little bit to do your part to reduce, recycle, and reuse.

Exercise outdoors: Skip the treadmill, stair climber, or stationary bike and go outside. You'll save money, reduce your consumption of energy and materials, and cut back on transportation usage and cost.
Make meals greener: There are several ways to make mealtime more eco-friendly. Save money and avoid wasteful to-go containers by packing lunch in reusable BPA-free containers; avoid produce that's high in pesticides and buy organic and local produce; and even if you're not a vegetarian, help the environment by cutting back on meat and having meat-free days once or twice a week.
Choose the right materials: When shopping for fitness gear, look for products made with recycled or renewable materials. Take it a step further and buy from companies that make a point to offset their carbon footprint.
Use less energy: Reducing how many things you turn on and switch off is a no-brainer, but use Earth Day as an excuse to really unplug. Reducing energy has its health benefits too: taking the stairs is a great way to burn calories, and turning off your computer or TV is a great way to destress and increase social interaction. Try biking to work, and if you can't get outdoors for your workout, rent fitness DVDs from the library.
DIY fitness gear: Cut way back on materials and production costs by doing it yourself! Make your own hand sanitizer, yoga mat cleaner, and produce wash and turn an old pair of jeans into a yoga mat bag.

DIY Cleansers to Keep Germs Off Hands, Produce, and Yoga Mats

FitSugar — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 03:05:37 PST

Confession: I'm a bit of a germaphobe. Working in an office, commuting by bus, and frequenting the gym puts me in the line of fire when it comes to viruses. Now that it's Winter, there's a lot of extra sniffling going on. Since I can't hibernate, I wash my hands a lot. I'm also fond of DIY cleansers for keeping the germs away. Here's what I mix up to keep myself, my food, and my yoga mat germ-free. All easy to make, and you probably already own most of the ingredients.

Hand sanitizer - For times I can't get to a sink, hand sanitizer is my best friend. Make your own to save on money and to cut down on waste. All it takes is some aloe vera gel and rubbing alcohol. You can also add tea tree oil to the mix, or, if you prefer something less antiseptic smelling, try lavender oil.
Yoga/Pilates mat cleaner - Exercise mats can get pretty gross, so make a habit of cleaning them often. Keep a spray bottle of homemade disinfectant in your gym bag to sanitize your mat immediately after every use.
Produce wash - Unfortunately, water is not enough to thoroughly clean produce. To really get the germs off, mix your own produce wash at home. All you need is some water, vinegar, baking soda, and lemon.

Have a cleansing formula of your own? Share it in the comments section below.

Source: Flickr user lululemon athletica

Keep Kids Eco-Clean in a Dirty World

LilSugar — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 09:15:17 PDT

It's hard enough to keep a home clean and toxin free, but what about trips to the park, playground, and any other place kids and germs congregate?

Parents can't scrub down every public surface kids come in contact with (though some will try), but there are simple ways to mitigate the overwhelming ick factor when a child picks up a partially decomposed sandwich or drops a pacifier in a puddle. So get out there and play with these eco-friendly products that keep your kid and the environment clean.

From left:

Munchkin Arm & Hammer Pacifier Wipes ($4): Kids have numerous names for their prized possession - paci, sucker, binky - but whatever they call it, they won't leave home without it. These wipes are alcohol free and made with 100 percent food-grade ingredients to safely clean pacifiers, bottles, cups, teething toys, and anything else that's sure to get dropped.
CleanWell Disinfectant Spray + Wipes To-Go Pack ($8): CleanWell products are a favorite of eco-conscious parents; its to-go products are formulated with Thymol, a component of thyme oil, which cleans, disinfects, and deodorizes. The products are antibacterial, antiviral, and kill 99.99 percent of germs botanically on hard, nonporous surfaces. They're perfect for wiping down changing tables in less than ideal conditions!
Purell Instant Hand Sanitizer ($4): There's a lot of conflicting information about the merits of hand sanitizers. Parents understandably don't want to use products with alcohol on their tots' sensitive skin, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued warnings that hand sanitizer with less than 60 percent alcohol cannot be deemed effective. CDC recommends washing hands with soap and water to get rid of germs, but when your child has just played ring-around-the-rosie with a fire hydrant, a sink's not always nearby. If parents choose to use a sanitizer with alcohol, like Purell, it's important that kids under 5 years old rub their hands together for 15 seconds, at which point the ethanol is mostly evaporated.