>From Cindy, ch...@tx.rr.com ... Forwarded by request...
------- Forwarded message follows -------
Date sent: Tue, 4 Dec 2007 07:25:25 -0800
From: <ch...@tx.rr.com>
To: "Silver List" <silver-list@eskimo.com>
Subject: WSJ: Debugging the House
WSJ: Domestic Science:
Debugging the House
>From vacuums to towels, new products for the microbe-phobic
By JUNE FLETCHER
December 1, 2007; Page W7
There's nothing like an open house to spread a little seasonal cheer --
not to mention germs that can cause colds, coughs and the flu.
That's the sort of thinking that some manufacturers are counting on
this
year. Just in time for the holidays: a slew of new cleaning products
aimed at germ-phobic homeowners. Advertisements for Whirlpool's new
Duet
steam washer say the appliance "sanitizes without the need for bleach."
Bissell is promoting its $250 Healthy Home Vacuum, infused with
germ-killing Microban, with the tagline "Worried your holiday guests
will bring uninvited germs into your home?" And Agion Technologies has
enlisted Florence Henderson for its new Web site, a "Brady Bunch" spoof
called ThatsRevolting.com. Web visitors can play Spot the Germs in her
virtual house,
including E. coli and the headline-grabbing Methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). It's all to promote a $15 spray called
SilverClene24, which uses silver ions to disrupt the respiration,
metabolic and reproductive capabilities of bacteria, viruses and fungi.
After an outbreak of MRSA in her town two months ago, Penny Schutz, a
Trumbull, Conn., advertising professional, bought a bottle of the
cleaner and now she says she sprays it on everything from doorknobs to
countertops. She's not sure that it works, but with two
elementary-school-age sons, and guests over every week during the
holiday season, Ms. Schutz figures she can't be too careful. "I feel
safer," she says.
Q&A: GERM EXPERT
Dr. Elaine L. Larson answers questions about which anti-germ products
are necessary, and which are just overkill.
Many common organisms can be dangerous or even deadly: Some 3,000 germs
are known to cause human illness, says John Sinnott, director of
Infectious Disease and International Medicine at the University of
South
Florida and Tampa General Hospital.
Even so, trying to wipe out all of the bacteria in your house isn't
advisable, experts say. Science writer Jessica Snyder Sachs, author of
"Good Germs, Bad Germs," says 99.9% of all germs are harmless to
humans,
and some are even beneficial. "Our bodies are covered with microbes,
and
many protect us against the bad guys," she says.
Supermarket shelves are already packed with germ-killing sprays and
wipes, and textile and carpet makers have been rolling out rugs that
destroy odor-causing bacteria. Two hundred new antibacterial nonfood
products have been launched in the United States so far this year, up
from 170 last year, according to Mintel Global New Products Database.
EXTREME CLEANING
Manufacturers are using a number of technologies to rub out those
microscopic creatures that share our homes.
METHOD
WHAT IT DOES
COMMENT
Silver Ions
Disrupts microbes' metabolism and reproductive capabilities.
Silver ions kill a wide variety of germs, including MRSA, but not
some deadly bacteria, like the one that causes tuberculosis. Can
be
incorporated into spray-on cleaners, or built into products
ranging
from curling irons to diaper bags.
Copper Oxide
Damages a microbe's cell wall and stops it from multiplying.
Copper is most effective when it's oxidized. It inhibits the
growth
of many antibiotic-resistant bugs, as well as viruses and fungi.
Like silver, it can be pricey.
Steam
Vaporized water essentially cooks microbes.
Moist heat has long been used as an efficient and cheap way to
kill
germs. But high temperatures must be sustained for several
minutes.
Triclosan
Disrupts cell membranes and inhibits respiration.
The antibacterial, anti-fungal chemical is frequently used in
liquid soaps, deodorants -- even toothpastes -- as well as
cleaning
supplies. But researchers fear that overuse could create germs
that
are resisitant to it.
Ultraviolet Light
Destroys a microbe's DNA and prevents it from reproducing.
The light must directly hit germs to deactivate them, so it kills
only what's on the surface. Can damage unprotected eyes or skin.
Whirlpool spokeswoman Audrey Reed-Granger says that the company's
studies suggest that demand for such products has never been higher.
"It's reached a fever pitch," she says. At a recent promotional event
in
Atlanta touting the $1,500 front-loading Duet washer and matching
$1,300
dryer, both of which hit stores in October, the company washed the
clothes of Mike Rowe, host of Discovery Channel's "Dirty Jobs." The
steam function can also be used to clean germ magnets such as stuffed
animals and stroller covers (although it might shrink wool sweaters,
says Ms. Reed-Granger). And last month, the company's Amana division
introduced a new $600 front-loading washer with a tub ring and agitator
laced with Microban, an additive that contains the chemical triclosan,
which the company's Web-based demo says will "prevent smells and
bacteria from lurking in your washer."
Triclosan has become increasingly controversial in recent years. Some
scientists worry that its widespread use may one day create
antibiotic-resistant superbugs, although so far these have been seen
only in laboratory tests. Such concerns haven't stopped scores of
manufacturers from adding triclosan to their products. Rubbermaid
recently started selling a high chair that features a tray treated with
the antibiotic (the chair is currently being marketed only to
commercial
establishments). Westpoint has added it to towels, sheets and blankets.
The additive has also been incorporated into several new vacuum
cleaners, including the Bissell Healthy Home model and the $550 XL
Ultra
Vacuum Cleaner from Oreck, which has the substance, as well as silver
and zinc, in the handle, rollers and base plate.
Some new germ-fighting products enlist ultraviolet rays, long used in
hospitals for their disinfecting properties. In October, Halo
Technologies introduced the $500 Halo ST-UV, a vacuum that has an
ultraviolet light that shines on the carpet. And Hammacher Schlemmer is
offering to gift-wrap its $100 Wide-Coverage Germ-Eliminating Wand,
which the retailer says will destroy germs if held three inches over an
object for 20 seconds. To avoid burns, however, users of any product
using ultraviolet light are advised not to look directly at the light
or
let it shine on their skin.
Although all of these products have proven to be antimicrobial in
independent lab tests, they work only if the buyer uses them correctly
and with some regularity. They're not an antidote for lazy
housekeeping,
since microbes die only when they come into direct contact with the
steam, chemicals, ultraviolet light or metal ions.
Other metals, in addition to silver and zinc, are being used to kill
germs, a practice that dates back thousands of years (although some
researchers question whether these metals can squelch heavy growths of
dangerous microbes). Cupron, for example, claims that its copper
oxide-infused bed linens kill bacteria, viruses and fungi.
Financial-services manager (and asthma-sufferer) Tabatha Chapman
recently paid $288 for a set of Cupron pillowcases, sheets and a
mattress cover, more than she'd usually spend on such items. Still, she
says, she's coughing and sneezing less these days, even though her
130-year-old house in Nashua, N.H., attracts a lot of dirt: "It beats
taking medications."
Write to June Fletcher at june.fletc...@wsj.com
------- End of forwarded message -------[Mike Devour, Citizen, Patriot,
Libertarian]
[mdev...@eskimo.com ]
[Speaking only for myself... ]
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