Cleanliness is the absence of dirt, including dust Dust is a general name for solid particles with diameters less than 20 thou . Particles in the atmosphere arise from various sources such as soil dust lifted up by wind, volcanic eruptions, and pollution. Dust in homes, offices, and other human environments contains small amounts of plant pollen, human and animal hairs, textile fibers, paper, stains A stain is a discoloration that can be clearly distinguished from the surface, material, or medium it is found upon. Stains are caused by the chemical or physical interaction of two dissimilar materials. Stains are used intentionally in a variety of fields, including in research , technology (metal staining), and art (wood staining, stained glass.), bad smells An odor or odour is caused by one or more volatilized chemical compounds, generally at a very low concentration, that humans or other animals perceive by the sense of olfaction. Odors are also called scents, which can refer to both pleasant and unpleasant odors. The terms fragrance, scent, and aroma are used primarily by the food and cosmetic and garbage. Purposes of cleanliness include health At the time of the creation of the World Health Organization , in 1948, health was defined as being "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity", beauty Beauty is a characteristic of a person, animal, place, object, or idea that provides a perceptual experience of pleasure, meaning, or satisfaction.[citation needed] Beauty is studied as part of aesthetics, sociology, social psychology, and culture. An "ideal beauty" is an entity which is admired, or possesses features widely attributed, absence of offensive odor, avoidance of shame Shame is, variously, an affect, emotion, cognition, state, or condition. The roots of the word shame are thought to derive from an older word meaning to cover; as such, covering oneself, literally or figuratively, is a natural expression of shame, and to avoid the spreading of dirt and contaminants to oneself and others. In the case of glass objects such as windows or windshields, the purpose can also be transparency In the field of optics, transparency is the physical property of allowing light to pass through a material; translucency (also called translucence or translucidity) only allows light to pass through diffusely. The opposite property is opacity. Transparent materials are clear, while translucent ones cannot be seen through clearly. Washing Washing is one way of cleaning, namely with water and often some kind of soap or detergent. Washing is an essential part of good hygiene and health is one way of achieving cleanliness, usually with water Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. Its molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state, water vapor or steam and often some kind of soap Soap is an anionic surfactant used in conjunction with water for washing and cleaning, which historically comes either in solid bars or in the form of a viscous liquid or detergent A detergent is a material used for cleaning. The term is sometimes used to differentiate between soap and other surfactants used for cleaning. In more recent times, since the germ theory of disease The germ theory of disease, also called the pathogenic theory of medicine, is a theory that proposes that microorganisms are the cause of many diseases. Although highly controversial when first proposed, it is now a cornerstone of modern medicine and clinical microbiology, leading to such important innovations as antibiotics and hygienic practices, it has also come to mean an absence of germs and other hazardous materials U.S. environmental laws additionally describe a "hazardous waste" as a waste (usually a solid waste) that has the potential to:. However, dirt may play a useful role in our immune systems. This shift in thinking can be traced back to 1989, when David Strachan put forth the "hygiene hypothesis In medicine, the hygiene hypothesis is a hypothesis that states that a lack of early childhood exposure to infectious agents, symbiotic microorganisms , and parasites increases susceptibility to allergic diseases by modulating immune system development" in the British Medical Journal BMJ is a partially open access medical journal. It is among the most influential and widely read peer-reviewed general scientific journals in the field of medicine in the world. Strachan looked at the records of 17,000 British children and found that the greater number of older siblings they had, the less likely they were to come down with hay fever Allergic rhinitis, pollenosis or hay fever is an allergic inflammation of the nasal airways. It occurs when an allergen such as pollen or dust is inhaled by an individual with a sensitized immune system, and triggers antibody production. These antibodies mostly bind to mast cells, which contain histamine. When the mast cells are stimulated by—a disease which, despite its name, is far more common in the city than the country. Strachan wondered if the older children were bringing home more viral infections to their younger siblings, priming their immune systems so they could better tolerate pollen. The "hygiene hypothesis" has now been linked with asthma Asthma, from the Greek Άσθμα , meaning gasp, is a common chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, airflow obstruction, and bronchospasm. Symptoms include wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath, allergies Allergy is a disorder of the immune system which is a form of hypersensitivity. Allergic reactions occur to normally harmless environmental substances known as allergens; these reactions are acquired, predictable, and rapid. Strictly, allergy is one of four forms of hypersensitivity and is called type I hypersensitivity. It is characterized by, intestinal diseases including Crohn's disease Crohn's disease is an inflammatory disease of the intestines that may affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract from mouth to anus, causing a wide variety of symptoms. It primarily causes abdominal pain, diarrhea (which may be bloody), vomiting, or weight loss, but may also cause complications outside of the gastrointestinal tract such as skin^{[citation needed]}, childhood leukemia Leukemia or leukaemia (Standard English; Greek leukos λευκός, "white"; aima αίμα, "blood") is a cancer of the blood or bone marrow characterized by an abnormal increase of blood cells, usually leukocytes (white blood cells). Leukemia is a broad term covering a spectrum of diseases. In turn, it is part of the even^{[citation needed]} and atopic dermatitis Dermatitis is a blanket term meaning "inflammation of the skin". There is increasing evidence that the less germs people are exposed to as a child, the more likely they are to get sick as adults.

Cleanliness impacts every phase of social interaction, generating potentially profound health-related risks and illnesses.

Early years

The rise of two-income families has led to a commensurate rise in toddlers and infants spending time in day care facilities. Indeed, the number of women with children in the workforce has increased from 44% in 1975 to 65% today.^[1] And as more children enter day care, the number of childhood illnesses has also increased.^[2]

"There is little question that daycare before the age of two predisposes children to illnesses of the upper and lower respiratory tract. But we don't yet know the long-term impact of illnesses in early childhood, and that's a very important question. It's possible that some of the infections may be harmful and some may be protective, but that is largely unknown."^[3]

"Daycare syndrome," while not an official illness, is a term referencing illnesses bred from the sharing of contagious germs in day care facilities. According to the Mayo Clinic,^[4] there the five most common and contagious illnesses that children can contract in day care facilities include:

• Colds (upper respiratory infections)
• Stomach flu (vomiting and/or diarrhea)
• Ear infections (otitis media)
• Pink eye (conjunctivitis)
• Sore throat

Other health-related risk and illnesses are associated with daycare, cleanliness, and hygiene.^[5]

Schools

Especially in light of the 2009 rise The 2009 flu pandemic is a global outbreak of a new strain of H1N1 influenza virus, often referred to as "swine flu". The virus, which first appeared in April 2009, appears to be a new strain of H1N1 which resulted when a previous triple reassortment of bird, pig, and human flu viruses further combined with a Eurasian pig flu virus of the H1N1 virus, schools are getting tough on cleanliness and germs.^[6]

To battle the H1N1 virus, the New Jersey School District installed hand sanitizers in all 3,000 of their classrooms. "Students will be washing their hands as many times as they can. That's our preventative method to ensure to the parents and the community and to the students that our children are safe health wise. . . This is the best way to keep them safe."^[7]

In addition to frequent hand washing, New Jersey schools have instructed teachers to educate students on the following hygiene practices:

• Cover mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing with a tissue.
• Cough or sneeze into your sleeve when a tissues is unavailable.
• Dispose of used tissues properly.
• Wash hands regularly and thoroughly.

Similar practices have been documented in Ohio County Schools,^[8] where libraries and computer labs provide alcohol or sanitary wipes, encouraging students to wipe off shared computer keyboards, mice, and phone handles."

At work

The workplace presents cleaning challenges for both employer and employee.^[9]

For employees, hand sanitizers are an effective cleaning tool, killing 99.9% of most common germs.^[10] At workstations, regular cleaning of computer keyboards, phone handles, and desks also minimizes the risk of germ contamination.

For employers, common areas present a variety of concerns that can be addressed with proper cleaning.

• In rest rooms, touchless hand sanitizers and sensory-activated faucets and toilet flushers prevent the spread of germs.
• While the toilet seat is not the dirtiest spot in a public restroom,^[11] it is perhaps the one receiving the most individual attention. Toilet seat covers^[12] provide a germ-free barrier while preserving excessive toilet paper seat covering rituals.
• Tissues dispensers protect tissues from airborne contaminants.
• Center pull towel dispensers^[13] allow employees to touch only the towel they need, a germ-free system of paper towel distribution. This does have the drawback of using far more paper than most would agree is necessary.

In addition, dust control creates a "safer and healthier environment for employees and customers."^[14] The National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases notes that dust mites are a common cause of perennial allergic rhinitis, an affliction that affects roughly 60 million people in the U.S.^[15]

The Textile Rental Services Association (TRSA) attributes 70% of dust inside the workplace to the outdoors. According to the TRSAA, floor mats placed inside building entrances capture up to 70% of dust debris.

It is a fact that bad quality air causes a vast amount of sickness within the workplace! Air conditioning can contribute to poor air quality. Desks harbour probably the most germs, especially where more and more offices allow staff to eat at their desks rather than canteens! Carpet cleaning can have maximum effects to improve air quality. Bacteria can be removed from desks using the correct cleaning products and implimenting a clean desk policy within the workplace.

Industry

In industry, certain processes such as those related to integrated circuit In electronics, an integrated circuit is a miniaturized electronic circuit (consisting mainly of semiconductor devices, as well as passive components) that has been manufactured in the surface of a thin substrate of semiconductor material. Integrated circuits are used in almost all electronic equipment in use today and have revolutionized the manufacturing, require conditions of exceptional cleanliness which are achieved by working in cleanrooms A cleanroom is an environment, typically used in manufacturing or scientific research, that has a low level of environmental pollutants such as dust, airborne microbes, aerosol particles and chemical vapors. More accurately, a cleanroom has a controlled level of contamination that is specified by the number of particles per cubic meter at a. Cleanliness is essential to successful electroplating Electroplating is a plating process that uses electrical current to reduce cations of a desired material from a solution and coat a conductive object with a thin layer of the material, such as a metal. Electroplating is primarily used for depositing a layer of material to bestow a desired property to a surface that otherwise lacks that property, since molecular layers of oil can prevent adhesion of the coating. The industry has developed specialized techniques for parts cleaning Parts cleaning is essential to many industrial processes, as a prelude to surface finishing or to protect sensitive components. Electroplating is particularly sensitive to part cleanliness, since molecular layers of oil can prevent adhesion of the coating. ASTM B322 is a standard guide for cleaning metals prior to electroplating. Cleaning, as well as tests for cleanliness. The most commonly used tests rely on the wetting behaviour of a clean hydrophillic metal surface. Cleanliness is also important to vacuum In everyday usage, vacuum is a volume of space that is essentially empty of matter, such that its gaseous pressure is much less than atmospheric pressure. The word comes from the Latin term for "empty". Even putting aside the complexities of the quantum vacuum, the classical notion of a perfect vacuum with gaseous pressure of exactly systems to reduce outgassing Outgassing is the slow release of a gas that was trapped, frozen, absorbed or adsorbed in some material. It can include sublimation and evaporation which are phase transitions of a substance into a gas, as well as desorption, seepage from cracks or internal volumes and gaseous products of slow chemical reactions. Boiling is generally thought of as.

In the home

Air inside the home has the potential to pose significant health risks.^[16]

"The air within homes and other buildings can be more seriously polluted than the outdoor air in even the largest and most industrialized cities. Other research indicates that people spend approximately 90 percent of their time indoors. Thus, for many people, the risks to health may be greater due to exposure to air pollution indoors than outdoors."^[17]

As such, there are a number of preventative cleaning steps that ensure dust and pollutants do not pose health risks

• Floor mats: These are the first line of dust defense when entering a living area.^[18]
• Vacuums: Traditional vacuum cleaners can force dust airborne, whereas a central vacuum does not blow air in the room being cleaned.
• Mopping: Sweep floors regularly with dust mops, whose materials are specially designed to gather dust.^[19]
• Air Purifiers: These provide additional protection against dust as well as other airborne contaminants
• Outdoor time: The easiest way to avoid pollution inside is to go outside.

Perhaps the biggest breeding ground for germs in the home is the kitchen,^[20] where billions of bacteria can be found. See food safety Food safety is a scientific discipline describing handling, preparation, and storage of food in ways that prevent foodborne illness. This includes a number of routines that should be followed to avoid potentially severe health hazards. Food can transmit disease from person to person as well as serve as a growth medium for bacteria that can cause.

Keeping germs, viruses, and bacteria under control requires diligent cleaning. Dish towels, rags, countertops, and sponges are germ collectors. Regular kitchen cleaning practices include:^{[citation needed]}

• Clean and disinfect kitchen surfaces with appropriate cleaning solvents.
• After cooking is complete, clean all food prep items in hot, soapy water.
• Wash dish towels and dish rags with soap and hot water between uses.
• Disinfect sponges by running them through the dishwasher or microwave. Replace sponges every two to three weeks.
• Clean appliances regularly.
• Whenever raw meat or eggs have been used, be sure to clean any surfaces that might have been touched in the process.

References

1. ^ Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Women in the Labor Force: A Databook." http://www.bls.gov/cps/wlf-intro-2009.htm.
2. ^ "Share Your Toys—And Your Germs at Daycare!" http://www.u-need-it.com/supplies-blog/2009/09/10/share-your-toys-%E2%80%93-and-your-germs-at-daycare/
3. ^ Dr. Juan Celedon, "Contagious Daycare." http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=51547
4. ^ "Children's Illness: Top 5 Causes of Missed School." Mayo Clinic staff. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/childrens-conditions/CC00059
5. ^ "Share Your Toys—And Your Germs at Daycare!" http://www.u-need-it.com/supplies-blog/2009/09/10/share-your-toys-%E2%80%93-and-your-germs-at-daycare/
6. ^ "Schools Getting Tough on Flu Germs." http://www.u-need-it.com/supplies-blog/2009/09/21/schools-getting-tough-on-flu-germs/
7. ^ "Schools Step Up Safety Measures to Combat Flu." The Healthy Place. http://www.bklmgillbiz.com/blog/2009/09/schools-step-up-safety-measures-to-combat-flu/
8. ^ "Schools Getting Tough on Flu Germs." http://www.u-need-it.com/supplies-blog/2009/09/21/schools-getting-tough-on-flu-germs/
9. ^ " Germ Squirm: Taking the Fear Out of Your Workplace." http://www.u-need-it.com/supplies-blog/2010/02/22/germ-squirm-taking-the-fear-out-of-your-workplace/
10. ^ http://www.u-need-it.com/p-430-purell-sanitizing-wipes.aspx
11. ^ " Two of the Dirtiest Spots in the Public Restroom." http://www.cintasonline.com/supplies-blog/
12. ^ http://www.u-need-it.com/c-64-toilet-seat-covers.aspx
13. ^ http://www.u-need-it.com/p-84-classic-center-pull-towel-dispenser.aspx
14. ^ "In the Workplace, Controlling dust is a Must." http://www.u-need-it.com/supplies-blog/2010/02/23/in-the-workplace-controlling-dust-is-a-must/
15. ^ "Airborne Allergens: Something in the Air." http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/topics/allergicDiseases/PDF/airborne_allergens.pdf
16. ^ " Breathe Easy. No Dust." http://www.u-need-it.com/supplies-blog/2010/02/22/breathe-easy-no-dust/
17. ^ The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/insidest.html
18. ^ http://www.u-need-it.com/c-94-solutions-plus-floor-mats.aspx
19. ^ http://www.u-need-it.com/c-210-mops.aspx
20. ^ " Get Rid of Uninvited Guests in the Kitchen." http://www.u-need-it.com/supplies-blog/2010/02/22/get-rid-of-uninvited-guests-in-the-kitchen/

See also

• Antiseptic Antiseptics are antimicrobial substances that are applied to living tissue/skin to reduce the possibility of infection, sepsis, or putrefaction. Antiseptics are generally distinguished from antibiotics by the latter's ability to be transported through the lymphatic system to destroy bacteria within the body, and from disinfectants, which destroy
• Aseptic technique Aseptic technique refers to a procedure that is performed under sterile conditions. This includes medical and laboratory techniques, such as with microbiological cultures
• Category:Cleaning tools Categories: Tools | Domestic life | Cleaning
• Category:Cleaning products
• Cleaner A cleaner is a type of industrial or domestic worker who cleans homes or offices for payment. Unlike other servants, their primary task is cleaning. Cleaners may specialise in cleaning particular things or places; window cleaners are an example. Cleaners often work when the people who otherwise occupy the space are not around. They may clean
• Clean room A cleanroom is an environment, typically used in manufacturing or scientific research, that has a low level of environmental pollutants such as dust, airborne microbes, aerosol particles and chemical vapors. More accurately, a cleanroom has a controlled level of contamination that is specified by the number of particles per cubic meter at a
• Contamination control Contamination control is the generic term for all activities aiming to control the existence, growth and proliferation of contamination in certain areas. Contamination control may refer to the atmosphere as well as to surfaces, to particulate matter as well as to microbes and to contamination prevention as well as to decontamination
• Food safety Food safety is a scientific discipline describing handling, preparation, and storage of food in ways that prevent foodborne illness. This includes a number of routines that should be followed to avoid potentially severe health hazards. Food can transmit disease from person to person as well as serve as a growth medium for bacteria that can cause
• Green cleaning Green cleaning is a term that describes a growing trend in favor of using cleaning methods with environmentally-friendly ingredients and chemicals to preserve human health and environmental quality. Green cleaning techniques and products avoid the use of chemically-reactive and toxic cleaning products which contain various toxic chemicals, some of
• Hygiene Hygiene is an old concept related to medicine, as well as to personal and professional care practices related to most aspects of living. In medicine and in home and everyday life settings, hygiene practices are employed as preventative measures to reduce the incidence and spreading of disease. In the manufacture of food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic
• Pollution Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into an environment that causes instability, disorder, harm or discomfort to the ecosystem i.e. physical systems or living organisms. Pollution can take the form of chemical substances or energy, such as noise, heat, or light. Pollutants, the elements of pollution, can be foreign substances or energies,
• Remediation Generally, remediation means providing a remedy, so environmental remediation deals with the removal of pollution or contaminants from environmental media such as soil, groundwater, sediment, or surface water for the general protection of human health and the environment or from a brownfield site intended for redevelopment. Remediation is
• Ritual purification Ritual purification is a feature of many religions. The aim of these rituals is to remove specifically defined uncleanliness prior to a particular type of activity, and especially prior to the worship of a deity. This ritual uncleanliness is not however identical with ordinary physical impurity, such as dirt stains; nevertheless, all body fluids
• Waste management Waste management is the collection, transport, processing, recycling or disposal, and monitoring of waste materials. The term usually relates to materials produced by human activity, and is generally undertaken to reduce their effect on health, the environment or aesthetics. Waste management is also carried out to recover resources from it. Waste

Categories: Hygiene Hygiene is the maintenance of healthful practices. In modern terminology, this is usually regarded as a particular reference to cleanliness | Cleaning

See Also:

• Cleaning
• Cleanliness: Encyclopedia
• Vacuum Cleaner: Encyclopedia
• Green Cleaning: Encyclopedia
• Floor Cleaning: Encyclopedia

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