The Swine Flu (H1N1) virus is on the minds of many of us these days. Whether you have small children or elderly people around you may want to take some precautions to keep you and your family safe. The Swine Flu is thought to be a reassortment of four known strains of the flu virus: one endemic in humans, one in birds, and two in pigs/swines. Transmission of the new strain is human-to-human. In the end of May and early June the Swine Flu spread globally even shutting down Mexico City, Mexico for days. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the flu outbreak to be a pandemic.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) noted that is was a very serious virus, and most hospitalizations and deaths had been of persons that also had underlying conditions such as asthma, diabetes, obesity, heart disease, or a weakened immune system. Just in our city yesterday there were 5 more deaths from the Swine Flu.

This is definitely not a matter to be overlooked. Through my research I have come across 9 different tips into this matter that will help prevent you or your loved ones from catching the Swine Flu.

1. If you or your loved ones (kids and spouses) are experiencing any symptoms of the flu for heavens sake STAY HOME until you are not contagious. With the Swine Flu it is said that you are contagious one day before you see any symptoms and 5-7 days after. Keep the sick person away from other people as much as possible, especially from those who are at high risk for influenza complications like small children and the elderly.
2. Remind the sick person to cover their mouth with their arm near the elbow when coughing or sneezing. Do not cover your mouth or nose with your hands. Yes the germs are not in the air but they are now on your hands and anything you touch there after.
3. Dispose of used tissues immediately. Do not let them accumulate in garbage cans or on the night stand. EWE!!!
4. Do not let anyone, ill or healthy, share drinks or eating utensils. If you could see the germs your mouth leaves you wouldn’t want to share even if you are not sick.
5. Encourage everyone in the household to wash their hands often, using soap and water. A soap and water wash should last 30 seconds – 15 seconds lathering up and 15 seconds rinsing with warm water. Wash all the way up to your elbows if possible. If you are getting people in your house not washing their hands for that long just teach them to sing Row Row Row Your Boat while they are washing their hands and by the end of the song they can be done with washing their hands.
6. If soap and water are not readily available, an alcohol-based hand sanitizer is a second choice.  Note: Chemical hand sanitizer should stay wet for at least 1 minute to be effective. Do not mistake hand sanitizer for an acceptable every-time alternative to soap and water.
7. Dedicate individual cloth towels for each person in the household. One towel for bath and another one for drying their hands after washing. For example, assign a different colored towel for each person and launder them regularly.
8. If close contact with a sick individual is unavoidable, consider wearing a facemask or respirator, if available and tolerable and remember to wash hands regularly.
9. Clean the commonly touched surfaces (light switches, refrigerator door handle, remote control, etc.) in your home daily, preferably with steam. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta reports steam is the best way to clean and sanitize a solid surface thought to be covered with contagious germs. A good quality household steam-cleaning machine is a wise strategic defense against the spread of all kinds of contagious diseases.

You and your loved ones health are very important. Practice the above steps often so that you are guarded from catching the Swine Flu. Please pass these steps along and teach others. Maybe together we can stop the pandemic outbreak of the Swine Flu.

Do yourself and your family a favor and protect them from the flu this season. Whether it be the seasonal flu or the Swine flu a Sargent Steam Cleaner can eliminate those nasty germs that harbor on your surfaces. If you would like more information on how steam can help you and your family stay healthy this year check out our website at Sargent Steam.   http://www.sargentsteam.com or visit our blog at http://www.therealdirtonclean.com.

Sargent Steam has been in business and been steam cleaning experts since 1993. We are the go to gals of the industry when it comes to cleaning and cleaning with steam. Let us help you with your cleaning challenges.

I think most households are a lot like mine in that family and friends inevitably congregate in the kitchen. We gather there to eat our meals and linger over conversations. The kids work on school projects at the kitchen table. When our friends visit, the dining table turns into the game table or we end up on the bar stools in the kitchen chatting over coffee or drinks.

Bottom line – the kitchen is one of the busiest rooms in the house. So it’s important to me to keep the kitchen clean and smelling fresh. I am a bit of a clean freak and I keep my kitchen ready for the next inevitable party all the time. So firing up my steam cleaner is pretty much a daily thing.

That’s why I was frantic when I had this weird lingering odor I could neither locate or identify. I searched everywhere. I removed every item from the refrigerator checking for any spoiled or expired food items then steamed every nook and cranny.

I went through the cupboards searching for the culprit but didn’t find anything. I checked and steamed my dishwasher. I took out the trash, steamed the inside and outside of the trash can. I eliminated all of the obvious places unpleasant odors tend to hide but couldn’t find the cause of the awful odor that was now permeating my whole kitchen.

Tuesday I was peeling carrots and I turned on the disposal. Let me just say it quickly became very obvious that I had found the source of that nasty odor. It was the worst smell you could ever imagine. I thought the garbage disposal was designed to pulverize and remove food waste and send it down the drain. I should have realized the disposal was actually the perfect environment for mold and bacteria to grow…wet, dark and hidden.

As disgusting as this was, I was relieved to finally find the cause of the awful odor. I knew this problem could be resolved within 10 to 15 seconds. All I had to do was my turn on my steam cleaner. I knew the steam temperature was hot enough to kill the mold and bacteria that caused the odor and its nozzle was angled perfectly to blast the gunk out from the hidden area under the rubber gasket.

Once my steamer was heated, I put the nozzle down into the disposal and steamed for about 15 seconds. Then I turned the nozzle upside down so I could get up under the rim. A few seconds later the odor was already dissipating. I gave it an extra blast just for good measure, ran some water through it and sure enough the odor was gone!

I now include the garbage disposal sanitizing process in my weekly steaming tasks and have never encountered this problem again.

If you would like more information on how steam can help you tackle your smelly kitchen check out our website at Sargent Steam.   http://www.sargentsteam.com or visit our blog at http://www.therealdirtonclean.com.

Sargent Steam has been in business and been steam cleaning experts since 1993. We are the go to gals of the industry when it comes to cleaning and cleaning with steam. Let us help you with your cleaning challenges.

How many people out there have the same cleaning challenges that I do- When to clean? How to clean? Is it safe to clean with this or are these chemicals harmful to me or my family? Should I clean green? Will cleaning green actually work?

With so many questions and concerns I decided to do some research. I was surprised to find that in a January 2009 report by the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine it stated “all the women in their study who were exposed to cleaning agents, including both asthmatic and non-asthmatic participants, had respiratory symptoms in response.” Since asthma runs in my family I was now scared to death that I could actually be giving myself and my family a chronic illness by cleaning! WOW! Who knew?

I decided to research a bit deeper into eliminating those harsh and toxic cleaning chemicals and my research led me to cleaning with steam. Steam uses ordinary tap water to clean and sanitize practically every surface in my home. With steam, I don’t have to worry about harsh chemicals that are harmful or fatal if accidentally ingested or inhaled.

There were so many steam cleaners to choose from out there. Small hand held ones that were about $99 and big industrial looking ones that were about $7,000. Luckily I found a steam cleaner that was right in the middle cost-wise at about $1,200. You might think I’m crazy for spending all that money on a steam cleaner but I weighed the pros and cons. Cleaning with steam is not only going to save my family’s health, it’s actually going to save me money over the years instead of cost me money.  Can you believe that?

I bought my steamer at Sargent Steam and I’m so impressed with it! It easily blasts through my toughest grime and hardest  jobs, but is gentle enough for use on my hardwood floors and painted walls. I can’t believe how versatile this machine is! I absolutely LOVE it! And so does the environment. You really can have it all- a clean home, a healthy family and a green cleaner that actually works.

If you would like more information on how steam can keep your home healthy check out our website at Sargent Steam.   http://www.sargentsteam.com.