Some interesting and cool facts/myths about household bleach

ABC about household bleach

What is bleach?

Bleach is a strong and effective disinfectant. Its active ingredient, sodium hypochlorite, denatures protein in micro-organisms and is therefore effective in killing bacteria, fungus and viruses. Household bleach works quickly and is widely available at a low cost. Diluted household bleach is thus recommended for the disinfection of facilities.

As bleach irritates mucous membranes, the skin and the airway, decomposes under heat or light and reacts readily with other chemicals, caution should be exercised in the use of it. Improper use of bleach may reduce its effectiveness in disinfection and also lead to accidents which can be harmful to health. Overuse of bleach or using a bleach solution that is too concentrated results in the production of toxic substances that pollute the environment and disturb ecological balance

We all use bleach in our daily life. But Lot of people are uncertain as to when to use bleach and what it will do to clothes. But the truth is, adding Bleach to your laundry isn't as scary as you might think. In fact, there's no reason for it to scare you at all. Below you'll find the truth/myths behind some popular bleach myths.

Myths abound when it comes to bleach. But with simple understanding comes more effective use of a great versatile product. We've addressed some of the common myths below.

Myth: Laundry detergent does not disinfect and does not clean as thoroughly as when used with disinfecting bleach..

TRUTH: Laundry detergent does not clean as thoroughly as when used with disinfecting bleach. During a wash, Bleach reacts and breaks the chemical bonds that allow soils and stains to attach to fabrics. It works by oxidizing and breaking down stains into smaller pieces. These smaller materials are easier for laundry detergents to remove. They lift and float away from the surface and are kept suspended in the wash water, thus preventing soil from re-depositing onto the garment. Thus, liquid bleach removes dirt and stains that laundry detergent alone may leave behind.

MYTH: Bleach wears down fabric and shortens its lifespan.

TRUTH: When used as directed, liquid bleach does not affect the life of fabric. Tests show that even after 50 wash cycles, fabric washed in laundry detergent with Bleach, is just as resilient as fabric washed in laundry detergent alone.

Myth: If a label says a garment cannot be bleached, do not bleach it.

fabric washed in laundry detergent alone.

MYTH: Laundry detergents with bleach are the same as Bleach.

TRUTH: Laundry detergents with bleach aren't even close. In fact, liquid laundry detergents with bleach alternative don't even contain any bleach. Powdered detergents with bleach contain a much less effective bleach than Bleach (sodium hypochlorite), and they deliver less than 10% as much active bleach in the wash.

MYTH: Chlorine and liquid bleach are one and the same.

FACT: Actually they aren't. The term "chlorine bleach" is a misnomer. What's in the bottle is sodium hypochlorite, the active ingredient in liquid bleach. Although chlorine is used to manufacture sodium hypochlorite, there is no free chlorine in bleach.

Fact:

Almost all cotton whites and most synthetic whites are safe to treat with liquid bleach. If a label on your whites instructs not to use bleach, test it out on a hidden area (a bleachability test can be found on drlaundryblog.com). If there is no visible effect, it can be bleached. This is also true for many printed and coloured fabrics.

Myth:

Bleach seems too intense for use around the house.

Fact:

Bleach-based cleaners that are registered with Health Canada can be used to clean and disinfect hard, nonporous surfaces around the house such as porcelain, tile, counters, sinks, refrigerators, appliances, fibreglass and tubs.

Myth:

Bleach is a harsh chemical that can cause harm to my septic system.

Fact:

Ultra Javex® Bleach by Clorox is safe to use in homes on septic systems. Since bleach breaks down very rapidly, especially when it comes into contact with organic matter, it won't harm your septic system.

Myth:

Using bleach cleaner in my coloured toilet might cause discolouration of my toilet bowl.

Fact:

The recommended use of Disinfecting Toilet Bowl Cleaner with Bleach1 will not harm coloured toilets. By using it, you can kill 99.9% of germs and remove tough stains for a cleaner, toilet bowl*.

Use as directed.

 

Myth:

Bleach-based cleaners in the toilet may be harmful to my pets if they happen to drink from the bowl.

Fact:

It should not be a problem if your pet ingests small amounts of water from a toilet bowl cleaned with a bleach product. However, pets should not rely on drinking from the toilet bowl as a main source of water.

If a pet ingests undiluted product or large amounts of toilet bowl water containing product, it is recommended that you contact your veterinarian.

Best laundry Usage Tips:

Need to eliminate dinginess and improve cleaning results in your laundry?

You can improve results in your laundry by

•sorting properly

•pre-treating or pre-soaking spots, stains, and heavily soiled garments

•using enough detergent

•adding liquid bleach to your load

•using the warmest water temperature recommended for the fabric

•loading your washer loosely

All not to do Exercise Excuses busted

Overcome Any Excuse Not to Exercise

New Year resolution time is approaching. To prepare to fulfil your dream to lose weight and get healthy read this article so that you will be successful in your goal. The realities of work, school, social and family demands overwhelm the desire to get fit, and exercise gets puts on the back burner. Before you start your next fitness kick, use some new strategies to make sure you don't use "being busy" as an excuse to not get moving.

 

Top 1 Excuse- No one hour time for workout

I can't find a whole hour in my day to devote to exercise .Who says you have to exercise for a whole hour in order to reap the benefits of physical activity? Studies show that even 10 minutes of consistent activity are beneficial to health and help with weight management. And even if you want to fit in 60 minutes of exercise, you don't have to do it all at once. Instead, you can break that hour up throughout the day, fitting in a little here and there, whenever you do have time. For example, you can start the day by taking the dog for a 20-minute walk around the neighborhood. At lunch, you can take 15 minutes to do laps around the office parking lot. And then you can hit the gym for 25 minutes of strength training on your way home. Even just one of those shorter exercise bouts has major benefits. It's all about doing something rather than nothing. Add in a little interval training or even Tabata training, and you can get a major calorie burn in just a few minutes.

Top 2 Excuse- too exhausted to exercise

 I'm too tired to exercise when I get home from work or school. If you typically crash on the couch after a long day (and can't seem to get back up again), there are several potential solutions. First, try bringing exercise clothes with you to change into right before you leave for the day. That way, you can either head straight to the gym or out for a walk immediately when you get home—without ever letting yourself succumbed the siren song of your comfy couch. If you typically have more energy in the morning than in the afternoon, try an a.m. workout. Many gyms offer early-morning classes and provide showers so you can get ready for work without going all the way back home. You can also just roll out of bed, throw on a ball cap and a pair gym shoes and go for a walk in your PJs if that's what it takes! Hit the shower when you get home and you'll be good to go.

Top 3 Excuse- Gym is far

The gym isn't close to home, so I never manage to get there. Who says you have to go to the gym to exercise? Netflix has a small selection of workout videos and your computer or Internet-connected TV or game console can access free workouts from YouTube. And don't forget about the many great workout DVDs available to purchase—and from your local library! But even if working out at home doesn't sound like fun, you can still get some serious exercise without going to the gym. Go to the park and mix intervals of walking and sprinting with sets of push-ups, broad jumps and triceps dips on a park bench. You can also turn household chores into a workout. Has your spouse been nagging you to clean out the basement? Going up and down the stairs carrying heavy boxes definitely counts as exercise!

Top 4 Excuse- Traveling for work no time

 I travel too much to have time for exercise. Even when you're on the road, you can still find time for fitness. Most major hotel chains offer small gyms with treadmills and elliptical machines and even some free weights. Barring that, you can always ask the front desk for a map and some advice for choosing a good walking route. Throw a travel yoga mat in your suitcase and you can exercise almost anywhere. Other fitness tools that are easy to pack include resistance bands or a jump rope. At a loss for what to do? Pull up YouTube on your computer and check out the fitness channel for lots of fitness videos you can do wherever you happen to be—including several that require no equipment at all.

Free and Printable Nursing Entrance exam Practice Sample Questions with answers

Print Practice and Pass Nursing Entrance exam 2013

This is my 13th part article on getting nursing and other health related jobs. In this article you will see some more free nursing questions with answers. This test can be also used for passing other health related exam.

Nursing entrance practice Test Questions 176-186

Q 176

 Breathing properly requires the presence of what compound that affects surface tension of alveoli in the lungs?

A. Potassium

B. Plasma

C. Surfactant

D. Sodium Chloride

Q 177

 Which of the following is not considered a function of the kidneys?

A. Secretion

B. Reabsorption

C. Transport

D. Filtration

Q 178

 The functional unit of the kidney is known as?

A. Medulla

B. Glomerulus

C. Pyramid

D. Nephron

Q 179

 Which of the following formulas indicate the ideal gas law?

A. PV= knT or PV=RnT

B. V=kT

C. PV = k

D. KTV =PR

Q 180

 Which of the following is not considered a characteristic or property of a gas?

A. Volume

B. Mass

C. Pressure

D. Particles

Q 181

 The movement of food through the intestines is known as:

A. Peristalsis

B. Ileum translation

C. Microvilli propulsion

D. Flexure propulsion

Q 182

 The enzyme maltase does the following:

A. Breaks down lactose to glucose

B. Turns glucose into maltose

C. Breaks down maltose to glucose

D. Turns glucose into lactose

Q 183

 High levels of bilirubin in the blood stream can result in:

A. Uric acid overexposure

B. Jaundice

C. Bile salt production

D. Hepatic mutation

Q 184

 The symbol B on the periodic table stands for:

A. Beryllium

B. Boron

C. Barium

D. Berkelium

Q 185

 The symbol Mn on the periodic table stands for:

A. Magnesium

B. Molybdenum

C. Manganese

D. Margon

Q 186

 The symbol Ca on the periodic table stands for:

A. Calcium

B. Carbon

C. Cobalt

Answer key Nursing entrance practice Test Questions 176-186

176. C

177. C

178. D

179. A

180. D

181. A

182. C

183. B

184. B

185. C

1866. A

Why eating nuts prolong healthy life

Go nuts for longer and healthy life

Why nuts are healthy?

Packed with protein, fiber and essential fats, nuts are one of this season's best buys. A golf ball-sized portion (about 30g) of unsalted nuts makes a vitality-boosting snack and, unlike most other options, contributes a mix of valuable vitamins and minerals.

Eating nuts helps your heart. Discover how walnuts, almonds and other nuts help lower your cholesterol when eaten as part of a balanced diet.

New Research- Why eating nuts prolong life

The largest study of its kind, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, finds that people who eat a handful of nuts every day live longer than those who do not eat them at all. Scientists from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and the Harvard School of Public Health came to this conclusion after analyzing data on nearly 120,000 people collected over 30 years. The analysis also showed that regular nut eaters tended to be slimmer than those who ate no nuts, putting to rest the notion that eating nuts leads to weight gain.

Senior author Charles S. Fuchs, director of the Gastrointestinal Cancer Treatment Center at Dana-Farber and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, and colleagues also examined how eating nuts or not related to causes of death.

Prof. Fuchs says,"The most obvious benefit was a reduction of 29 percent in deaths from heart disease - the major killer of people in America. But we also saw a significant reduction - 11% - in the risk of dying from cancer."

Peanuts and tree nuts showed similar effectThe team also found that the reduced risk of death was similar for both nuts that grow on trees, such as cashews and Brazils, and peanuts, which grow under the ground. Other types of tree nut include almonds, hazelnuts, macadamias, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios and walnuts.

Researchers have found that eating a handful of nuts a day could result in a longer lifespan, and may even reduce the risk of death from heart disease and cancer. However, the data did not allow them to see whether this was also true for links to protection against certain causes of death.

Previous studies have already shown links between eating nuts and lower risk for many diseases, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, gallstones, colon cancer and diverticulitis. Eating lots of nuts has also been associated with lower cholesterol, reductions in inflammation, oxidative stress, and body fat and insulin resistance. And while some small studies have linked higher nut consumption to lower death from all causes in certain populations, none has examined the effect in a large population in such detail over a long time. The more nuts people ate, the less likely they were to dieIn this new study, the researchers examined data on 76,464 women between 1980 and 2010 who took part in the Nurses' Health Study, and on 42,498 men from 1986 to 2010 who took part in the Health Professionals' Follow-up Study.

Participants in both cohorts filled in detailed food questionnaires every 2-4 years, and also answered questions about lifestyle and health.

The food questionnaires asked the participants to estimate how often they ate nuts in a serving size of one ounce (about 28g), which is roughly the amount contained in a small packet of peanuts from a vending machine.

The researchers used sophisticated statistical tools to take out the effect of factors that might also have beneficially influenced the risk of death.

For example, they found people who ate more nuts tended to be leaner, to eat more fruits and vegetables, not smoke, be more physically active, and drink more alcohol.

But they were also able to take out the effects of these factors and find an independent link between nut consumption and lower risk of death.

First author Dr. Ying Bao, of Brigham and Women's Hospital, explains what they found,"In all these analyses, the more nuts people ate, the less likely they were to die over the 30-year follow-up period.

Eating nuts less than once a week was linked to a 7% reduction in risk of death, once a week was linked to an 11% reduction, two to four times a week to a 13% reduction, five to six times a week to a 15% reduction, and seven or more times a week, to a 20% reduction. The researchers point out that the study was not designed to examine cause and effect and so cannot conclude that eating more nuts causes people to live longer. However, they say the results are strongly consistent with "a wealth of existing observational and clinical trial data to support health benefits of nut consumption on many chronic diseases. Grants from the National Institutes of Health and the International Tree Nut Council Nutrition Research & Education Foundation helped finance the study.

In a large prospective study published recently in the British Journal of Cancer, researchers found eating nuts was linked to reduced risk of pancreatic cancer.

(Source- New England Journal of Medicine)

Simple strategies to recognize prevent and resolve workplace bullying

Recognize, Prevent and resolve workplace bullying

This is my 3^rd article on workplace. In first 2 articles we saw how to impress your boss with good quality.

November 17 to the 23 is Bullying Awareness Week. On this occasion I want to write article on stopping Workplace bullying.

What is workplace bullying?

Bullying is usually seen as acts or verbal comments that could 'mentally' hurt or isolate a person in the workplace. Sometimes, bullying can involve negative physical contact as well. Bullying usually involves repeated incidents or a pattern of behaviour that is intended to intimidate, offend, degrade or humiliate a particular person or group of people. It has also been described as the assertion of power through aggression

What are good examples of bullying?

While bullying is a form of aggression, the actions can be both obvious and subtle. It is important to note that the following is not a checklist, nor does it mention all forms of bullying. This list is included as a way of showing some of the ways bullying may happen in a workplace. Also remember that bullying is usually considered to be a pattern of behaviour where one or more incidents will help show that bullying is taking place.

Examples include:

•spreading malicious rumours, gossip, or innuendo that is not true

•excluding or isolating someone socially

•intimidating a person

•undermining or deliberately impeding a person's work

•physically abusing or threatening abuse

•removing areas of responsibilities without cause

•constantly changing work guidelines

•establishing impossible deadlines that will set up the individual to fail

•withholding necessary information or purposefully giving the wrong information

•making jokes that are 'obviously offensive' by spoken word or e-mail

•intruding on a person's privacy by pestering, spying or stalking

•assigning unreasonable duties or workload which are unfavourable to one person (in a way that creates unnecessary pressure)

•underwork - creating a feeling of uselessness

•yelling or using profanity

•criticising a person persistently or constantly

•belittling a person's opinions

•unwarranted (or undeserved) punishment

•blocking applications for training, leave or promotion

•tampering with a person's personal belongings or work equipment.

It is sometimes hard to know if bullying is happening at the workplace. Many studies acknowledge that there is a "fine line" between strong management and bullying. Comments that are objective and are intended to provide constructive feedback are not usually considered bullying, but rather are intended to assist the employee with their work.

If you are not sure an action or statement could be considered bullying, you can use the "reasonable person" test. Would most people consider the action unacceptable?

How can bullying affect an individual?

People who are the targets of bullying may experience a range of effects. These reactions include:

•shock

•anger

•feelings of frustration and/or helplessness

•increased sense of vulnerability

•loss of confidence

•physical symptoms such as

◦inability to sleep

◦loss of appetite

•psychosomatic symptoms such as

◦stomach pains

◦headaches

•panic or anxiety, especially about going to work

•family tension and stress

•inability to concentrate, and

•low morale and productivity

How can bullying affect the workplace?

Bullying affects the overall "health" of an organization. An “unhealthy” workplace cans have many effects. In general these include:

•increased absenteeism

•increased turnover

•increased stress

•increased costs for employee assistance programs (EAPs), recruitment, etc.

•increased risk for accidents / incidents

•decreased productivity and motivation

•decreased morale

•reduced corporate image and customer confidence, and

•poorer customer service

Signs of workplace bullying

•Spreading malicious rumours or gossip

•Excluding a person from conversation or activities

•Withholding information that a person needs to do his/her work

•Belittling a person's opinions

•Talking behind people’s backs

These are all examples of bullying that can occur in a workplace.

Bullying usually involves repeated incidents or a pattern of behaviour that is intended to intimidate, offend, degrade or humiliate a particular person or group of people. It has been described as the assertion of power through aggression.

People who feel bullied at work may respond to these behaviours in many different ways, including:

•Feelings of frustration and/or helplessness

•Increased sense of vulnerability

•Loss of confidence

•Physical symptoms such as: Inability to sleep; Loss of appetite

•Inability to concentrate

•Panic or anxiety, especially about going to work

Strategies to prevent or resolve bullying

There are some basic actions available to help prevent or resolve incidents of bullying. Talking to the person who is bullying, expressing how you feel, or seeking help to do so are actions to be taken if you feel you are being bullied. You could choose to talk to your manager and seek his or her assistance.

Manager should know what is going on in their team, value and encourage respectful behaviours in the workplace and address disrespectful attitudes. At all times, it is important to not ignore potential problems or delay resolving potential incidents of bullying: act as soon as possible.

What can you do if you think you are being bullied?

If you feel that you are being bullied, discriminated against, victimized or subjected to any form of harassment:

DO

•FIRMLY tell the person that his or her behaviour is not acceptable and ask them to stop. You can ask a supervisor or union member to be with you when you approach the person.

•KEEP a factual journal or diary of daily events. Record:

◦The date, time and what happened in as much detail as possible

◦The names of witnesses.

◦The outcome of the event.

Remember, it is not just the character of the incidents, but the number, frequency, and especially the pattern that can reveal the bullying or harassment.

•KEEP copies of any letters, memos, e-mails, faxes, etc., received from the person.

•REPORT the harassment to the person identified in your workplace policy, your supervisor, or a delegated manager. If your concerns are minimized, proceed to the next level of management.

DO NOT

•DO NOT RETALIATE. You may end up looking like the perpetrator and will most certainly cause confusion for those responsible for evaluating and responding to the situation.

What can an employer do?

The most important component of any workplace prevention program is management commitment. Management commitment is best communicated in a written policy. Since bullying is a form of violence in the workplace, employers may wish to write a comprehensive policy that covers a range of incidents (from bullying and harassment to physical violence).

A workplace violence prevention program must:

•be developed by management and employee representatives.

•apply to management, employee's, clients, independent contractors and anyone who has a relationship with your company.

•define what you mean by workplace bullying (or harassment or violence) in precise, concrete language.

•provide clear examples of unacceptable behaviour and working conditions.

•state in clear terms your organization's view toward workplace bullying and its commitment to the prevention of workplace bullying.

•precisely state the consequences of making threats or committing acts.

•outline the process by which preventive measures will be developed.

•encourage reporting of all incidents of bullying or other forms of workplace violence.

•outline the confidential process by which employees can report incidents and to whom.

•assure no reprisals will be made against reporting employees.

•outline the procedures for investigating and resolving complaints.

•describe how information about potential risks of bullying/violence will be communicated to employees.

•make a commitment to provide support services to victims.

•offer a confidential Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to allow employees with personal problems to seek help.

•make a commitment to fulfil the prevention training needs of different levels of personnel within the organization.

•make a commitment to monitor and regularly review the policy.

•state applicable regulatory requirements, where possible.