The set of practices perceived by a community to be associated with the preservation of health and healthy living.
Questions tagged [hygiene]
90 questions
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Do expensive electronic toothbrushes outperform cheaper models?
There are a variety of different electronic toothbrushes on the market. If you ignore features like a timer that tells you when you have brushed the planned time, is there a measurable difference in the ability of different electronic toothbrushes…
Christian
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Do Ultra-violet LEDs on air hand dryers help to kill bacteria?
I've noticed newer air hand dryers sometimes have blueish LEDs on the bottom that shine light on your hands when you're drying them. One theory I've heard is that the UV light emitted by these LEDs helps to kill bacteria on your hands as you're…
Greg Hewgill
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Are bugs and other pests "crawling with disease"?
This is heard very commonly when someone sees an unwanted animal, especially near food. Flies, roaches, pigeons, rats, etc. are all claimed to be filthy and disease ridden, warranting their extermination from our homes. How realistic is this? Are…
Tesserex
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Is this study evidence that a fly falling into one's drink should be dipped?
About 9 years ago, a user inquired about a medical claim from an islamic text, a claim that a fly falling into your drink should be dipped in then thrown away (the claimed explanation being that dipping cancels out the harmful effects of the fly,…
RTG
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Does washing salad remove E-coli?
I don't generally wash salad unless it looks dirty. It's not that I'm unaware of E-coli and pesticides etc, it's that I don't have any conviction that rinsing them with water will significantly remove such nasty contaminants.
Am I wrong? Is there…
spraff
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Is brushing your teeth after vomiting dangerous for your teeth?
There's a claim (Day9 / Centre for Clinical Interventions) out there that goes:
Don’t brush your teeth immediately after vomiting. While the teeth are covered in stomach acids, the vigorous action of the toothbrush may scratch the tooth…
npst
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Does shaving with cold water produce a closer shave?
The claim is discussed at The Art of Manliness, as quoted from the book Shaving Made Easy (1824):
. . . the author argues that the idea that a soft beard gives a better shave is a bunch of bunk and that hot water should be avoided:
A hair, as is…
Flimzy
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Does "Thieves oil" kill bacteria and boost the immune system?
Thieves essential oil is supposed to help keep you from getting sick by killing germs.
Packed with powerful, germ-killing essential oils, the Thieves line helps eliminate airborne bacteria and boost the immune system. The Thieves Kit offers…
daviesgeek
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Windex > Vinegar + Water
Are Windex and other commercial window cleaners better at cleaning windows than vinegar and water (and other household chemicals)?
For example care2.com suggests the following is the best window cleaner:
Make a great all-purpose window cleaner by…
Brian M. Hunt
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Can daily disposable contact lenses be safely re-used?
It is recommended that "daily" contact lenses are to be disposed of after about 8 hours of use. I understand that daily lenses are made from a different material than, say, monthly ones; they are softer and apparently not suitable for…
turnip
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Are eggs more likely to contain salmonella in the yolk than the white?
Eggsafety.org states
Researchers say that, if present, most bacteria is usually in the
yolk.
Similar statements are made on other egg-related websites. For example, safeeggs.com states
Any part of the egg can harbor bacteria, and both whites…
Uncle
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Is the health risk of street food less than restaurant food?
From the government advertisements and common media it is common belief that street foods are much less safe than restaurant foods. Yet when reading about street foods in Wikipedia I came across this claim that incidence of street food contamination…
Tanmoy
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Does the risk of becoming infected with COVID-19 decrease by washing hands?
Ever since the coronavirus epidemic started, we've been bombarded with messages on how important washing hands is:
Respiratory viruses like coronavirus disease (COVID-19) spread when
mucus or droplets containing the virus get into your body…
JonathanReez
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Does gaunyle, derived from cow urine, work as a disinfectant?
The Times of India reports:
Union minister Maneka Gandhi has asked her ministerial colleagues to opt for a "natural disinfectant'' made from extracts of cow urine instead of the "chemically bad'' one in government offices.
In a letter to her…
Soham
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Do antibacterial coatings in fridges reduce bacterial load?
Some modern fridges have "antibacterial coating" in their list of features. It is claimed this reduces the levels of bacteria growth.
Some people go on the further claim this in turn reduces odour and keeps food fresher.
Examples:
The Gas…
vsz
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