Did anyone watch Oprah today about the bacteria lying around our homes

**homesteadmamma** · 04-13-2004, 05:23 PM

Sara, you'll really have a fit about this one.

The lady on there had her pillows for over 30 years!!! Her sponge for doing dishes and cleaning the kitchen, for over a year. Her panties for 30 years, her razor blades for a year.

She had so much bacteria in her kitchen sink, that if she had ate a carrot dipped in her toilet, she wouldn't have had as much bacteria.

She had so many dust mites in her mattress, well over what most beds have.

Anyone watch it?

**canadian gardener** · 04-13-2004, 05:24 PM

OH MY!!! Gotta go quick and watch, scuse me, I'll be back later.

I find those kind of shows very inspiring for dejunking.

**canadian gardener** · 04-13-2004, 05:30 PM

Ok on later at 4 pm, I've set the timer. I have 40 minutes to catch up on the village and then go watch oprah!!!!

**simplemom** · 04-13-2004, 05:38 PM

Oh my goodness!

30 years with the same pillow! No I didn't watch Oprah today...too bad I missed it. Maybe I can read about at her web site...

**forestdale** · 04-13-2004, 06:08 PM

YUCK! Where did they find this person? I hope she got fitted out with all the latest. I don't know how anyone could NOT know that these things need to be either replaced (pillows) or washed (dishclothes) regularly. LOL @ the 30 year old bloomers.

I bet I have a dream tonight about dipping a carrot into a toilet dipbowl.

**Sara Noel** · 04-13-2004, 06:40 PM

Oh yuck...old pillows creep me right out. A sponge for a year?
Where do they find these people?

**Darlene** · 04-13-2004, 07:01 PM

Oh my, I knew I didn't want to look at this thread, but I had to. Oh my...can I sleep tonight? No my pillows are only 8 mo. old.

Sara...I knew when pillows were mentioned you cringed big time.

**Sara Noel** · 04-13-2004, 07:02 PM

Gabe just bought me a new pillow last week. I'm sleeping soundly tonight.

**SusieJD** · 04-13-2004, 07:06 PM

Huh, just how old was this woman to have a pillow for 30 years? I didn't catch this on TV but, is she very sick? Just wondering how old she is and if she has a lot of health problems..... If not, then I guess the germs couldn't be that bad.

Susie in MN

**homesteadmamma** · 04-13-2004, 07:22 PM

She had 4 older daughters, so I'd say in her 50's at least.

http://www.oprah.com/tows/pastshows/...20040413.jhtml

**Guest1** · 04-13-2004, 07:27 PM

ugh - I think I'm going to hurl.....that's the most disgusting thing I think I've ever heard.....

as an aside though --- how many pairs of drawers must one have to not have them wear out after 30 years?!?! Hey - inquiring minds wanna know!

**canadian gardener** · 04-13-2004, 07:40 PM

Not surprising, she suffers from Asthma! I wasn't surprised, some of the stuff she thought was normal cleaning, such as her sink, is accepted practice.

I loved that expert. He talked about using a dish brush and a bleach containing disinfectant cleanser to scrub out the sink. The sink really is the dirtiest germ spot in any house. Only the base of the toilet comes close where the toilet and floor meet.

I've been preaching the value of Comet and a dish brush to clean the sink if not daily then every other day. It's the best thing, and makes it look shiny. He is so right about that dull film. It's a bacterial coating actually!!!! Tends to build up much like plaque on your teeth, in bathroom and kitchen sinks.

Using the sponge is another "accepted" practice. He talked about using a DISH BRUSH. I about got up and cheered!

I wanted to do a little dance when he told everyone that you CAN'T clean, boil and otherwise disinfect the interior of a sponge.

It traps crud that bacteria live on, safe inside the middle, safe from dishwasher temperatures, and baths in disinfectant!

I wished he'd told people to use dishcloths to wipe up with and after wiping a meat spill, or touching the floor or other contaminated surface, rinse well in cold water, then either nuke it for 5 minutes on high, dripping wet or wring it out, and hang to dry somewhere near the laundry, when it can go thru the next hot water wash cycle.

He talked about using HOT water to wash the sheets in, changing once a week and VACUUMING that mattress (and tossing the pillows and buying fresh!)

I was delighted with the expert. The only dustmite info he didn't quite give enough detail on was the stuffed toys. I was hoping he would explain that freezing temps also kill mites, even better than dryer heat.

WOW great show!!!

**homesteadmamma** · 04-13-2004, 08:33 PM

Debbie (BushBrigade) - the panties had rips in them and she held them up with safety pins!!!

He also talked about washing plastic bags out. He said anything that had meat, cheese or potato salad to throw out. Oprah had a fit because she WASHES plastic bags out!!!

When they showed the pictures of the dustmites, I almost gagged!!!

Margery, I thought he was excellant as well. He was very thorough and not at all condescending to the lady in any way. He did get a little dig in at Oprah when she said she washed her sheets every 2 days. He said "well not everyone can do that".

Oh yes, he also talked about changing your vaccum cleaner bag at least once a month.