Hand Sanitizer and the Environment

Medically the use of hand sanitizer is recommended for health concerns. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends the use of sanitizing products in healthcare settings. Studies have shown the clear benefits of its use. The sanitizers decrease gastrointestinal sicknesses within the home and reduce the amount of illness in schools that use them. Thus it decreases the amount of absenteeism in the schools. However they recommend that the sanitizer being used contains at least 60% alcohol for it to be effective. Otherwise the product is simply moving the bacteria around your hands.

However, environmentalists are concerned with the impact of the plastic waste produced from small bottles of sanitizer on the environment. This is because the recycling
rate is low. Plastic is generally bad for our environment because it is non biodegradable. Some plastic bottles are shown to give off dangerous chemicals. The softer and more flexible the plastic the easier it breaks down, but sanitizer bottles are generally made of thicker plastics than say a disposable water bottle. The chemical make up of the plastic is bad on the environment. The excess waste is bad on the environment as well.

So how can we benefit from hand sanitizer without the negative impact of millions of bottles of empty plastic? Hand sanitizer dispensers eliminate the harmful environmental effects of hand sanitizer. Not only do these dispensers offer improved hand hygiene and decreased illness, they are easier on our environment than small plastic bottles of sanitizer. There are other benefits of choosing the dispensers. They dispense an accurate amount of the sanitizer every time. Many have automatic dispensing therefore eliminating the need to touch dirty surfaces in order to benefit from it.

To receive the complete benefit of using hand sanitizer it must be applied correctly. To correctly apply the sanitizer you should dispense a dime sized amount into the palm of your hand. Rub your hands together ensuring the sanitizer is spread over the entire surface of your hands. Let it dry before you continue touching other surfaces.

Find Out How You Can Save Money On Electricity

Even if you belong to the lucky ones that are not hit by the recent recession, you should be informed on ways you can go green in electricity. Having this information has many benefits. Some of them contribute to a better and healthier environment and the rest to saving money.

One of the things you have certainly heard is that you should switch off all appliances when they are not in use. The problem is that people seldom do that although they know it. However, you should really get into this habit. Appliances that are not switched off are left in standby. This means that although your television for example is not playing anymore, it is not switched off.

You might believe that but the fact is that it needs power to stay in this standby mode. So you are spending money. The same thing happens to all the appliances you use in the house, stereos, coffee machines, dishwashers and anything else. Make sure you unplug the appliances to be certain that you dont spend money for nothing.

Another way you can save money on electricity use has to do with the way you wash your clothes and dishes. You can use cold water for the dishwasher and for light programmes in the washing machine. Remember that clothes you wear every day and are not very dirty can be adequately cleaned with cold water. This way you save money and you also save the environment.

You should also know that today there are tablets or liquids that are made to be dissolved in cold temperatures and dont need hot water to wash. So you can have the same results as previously. Another thing you can do is to hang your clothes in the air to dry them instead of using a drying machine. This is also good for the clothes, as air drying is a natural procedure that helps the fabric breath and retain its shape.

Another thing you can do is to change the bulbs you use. New energy saving bulbs cost more. This is true. However, they save energy and you will certainly see the costs decreasing after you use them. A good idea is to replace your old bulbs as they burn. This means that every time you want to replace an old bulb just replace it with one that saves energy. This way you will eventually have all your bulbs changed without having to pay a big amount of money all at once.

Another thing you can do to save money on electricity is to keep the appliances you use in good condition. Make sure you change the filters, follow the instructions to use them properly and undergo any maintenance needed. This will help them function properly and they will also last longer. Sometimes appliances are not correctly used and this causes them to need more power and you end up using more electricity and increasing your bill.