Emma Brown: You know Rayme, I have to say I was a little bit daunted when they told me that's Carolyn Forte from Good Housekeeping with coming to see how clean and safely I live, with Jackson running around and poking at things.
Rayme Cornell: Well, I consider myself the clean freak so any tips that I can get to improve my rating, I am all about it.
Emma Brown: Sounds like they should have gone to your house. Hi! Carolyn, how are you?
Carolyn Forte: How are you doing?
Emma Brown: I am very well. So you are very welcome to my small, New York apartment.
Carolyn Forte: Oh, but look at the view, it's spectacular.
Emma Brown: I know, I know.
Carolyn Forte: It more than makes up for the tight space that we are in.
Emma Brown: Right.
Carolyn Forte: Today we are going to talk about some cleaning tips, the first thing I would suggest is that especially if have little ones like your son around, you are going to want to kill germs.
Dr. Alan Greene: People often have misconceptions about what part of the house is loaded with germs. The kitchen is the dirtiest room in the house when it comes to bacteria. Most of the germs come into the house through meat and other raw foods that comes in, and also people don't wash their hands very well after going to the bathroom.
Carolyn Forte: If you are cooking meats or chicken, things like that, you want to make sure your surfaces are clean, because if the surfaces are moist, germs and bacteria can grow.
Dr. Alan Greene: The dirtiest part is usually the sponges, followed by the kitchen sink, followed by cutting boards. So sponges, if you are going to use a sponge you want to clean it, and it takes getting water to boiling.
Carolyn Forte: Micro Fiber clothes are great because you can clean with them but then you can toss them in the wash. You can wash them, you can bleach them and they really get clean. You also want to take a look at cabinet here, that your son starts to pull himself up on, right. So his hands are ready, puts it in his mouth then he touches the surfaces. So look for hot spots.
Dr. Alan Greene: We tell people to child proof the home. One of the things we are talking about is locking up the cabinet where the harsh cleaners are kept.
Carolyn Forte: And you got your own little version of a child resistant. He's is walking and he is just striving to pull himself up on things. So that's definitely what you want to do is go and get some really secure lock.
Emma Brown: Okay.
Dr. Alan Greene: But even better then that is to be able to have a cleaning cabinet that doesn't have those harsh chemicals in the first place, because it's not just when kids are poisoned by them, which they are every year sadly, but it's when they used correctly that the fumes can be really unhealthy for kids and for adults.
Pound for pound kids eat more than do adults. They breathe more than adults, so they are in closer contact with the environment. And when these are crawling across the floor they really getting expose to whatever there. That means the germs and allergens but also the chemicals we use in our cleaners. So when you have a baby, it is a very important time to choose safe, non-toxic, effective, green cleaners.
Carolyn Forte: We have done the kitchen, now it's time the bathroom.
Dr. Alan Greene: The bathrooms also have some problems, as the bathroom sink is a lot dirtier from us people than is the toilet seat itself. Most of the germs are actually stool related germs.
Carolyn Forte: We have the tub and shower. When you have kids under foot its not easy to find the time to get in there and scrub, do the nooks and crannies. So look for a tool that has an extendable handle to give you chance to just do it all in fell swoop. You should be able to reach all of the surfaces and spray or wipe in a go.
Dr. Alan Greene: We don't want to be too clean. Kids actually are built to be around nature and around some of the bacteria that's out there in the world. A few years ago the EPA did a study, they called it the Doormat Study where they looked at the effect of removing the shoes before going into the home. And it turns out it can make a really big difference. When you remove your shoes, you can decrease lead levels in the home by 60% from things tracked in outside. And not just heavy metals but also pesticides, lawn and garden kinds of chemicals, a lot of that like allergens, dust mites are all lower if you take your shoes off when you come inside.
For kids who are allergic either with hay fever kind of allergies or eczema or Asthma, one of the most common triggers are dust mites and they can lurk in mattresses and pillows among other places. For those kids, mattress covers, pillow case covers can be very powerful in helping them feel better and reducing medication you need.
Carolyn Forte: We talked about micro fiber clothes in the kitchen.
Emma Brown: Yeah.
Carolyn Forte: What's really great is that they are also perfect for glass and mirrors.
Emma Brown: Okay.
Carolyn Forte: They are super absorbent and what's nice about them is that you just have to dampen it and it remove all the film, it removes all the spot. So, if you want to eliminate extra cleaning product on glass, we always recommend micro fiber clothes, we love them. Go from your bathroom to your bedroom mirrors all around the house and you are done.
We have a few tips that we recommend to really help your house stay clean. First and foremost if you got pets in the house, it's really important to keep them brushed. Pet hair and dander is a great allergen. So make sure you brush them regularly and have a tool handy that you can remove pet hair easily from couches and bedding.
If asthma and allergies are really problem for your family consider an air purifier, does a great job of removing these irrantants from the air, and look for the product certified by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation. They have washable, stuffed animals, washing machines with special cycles, things that really address allergies and asthma at home.
Dr. Alan Greene: Going green in your home doesn't need to cost a lot of money. Many of the most powerful changes are simpler, cheaper and more cost-effective than the conventional alternatives. It's just a thoughtful approach that's healthier for your family, healthier for you and certainly better for the planet.
Emma Brown: Thank you, glad you could be here.
Carolyn Forte: I hope it was helpful.
Emma Brown: Oh my goodness, I have really got to work, haven't I? How bad am I?
Carolyn Forte: No, you are not bad, not bad. Few little easy changes and you knew exactly what you are needed to do. So you will be good to go.
Emma Brown: I will.
Carolyn Forte: And you will be safe.
Emma Brown: Okay perfect.
Carolyn forte: Bye-bye.
Emma Brown: Not to say from him though -
Carolyn Forte: Thanks again, thank you.
Emma Brown: Bye-bye Carolyn.
Carolyn Forte: Bye.
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