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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2009
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NEWS ABOUT: cleaning

cleaning stories: 11 news summaries
FORECLOSURE FRONTLINES

 Don't Hate Me: 
 I'm Just Here 
 to Clean Up 

Clearing the detritus of owners' dreams from bank-owned homes

Sep 30, 09 12:07 PM CDT
(Newser) - Cindy Reid doesn’t want you to think she and her boss—and boyfriend—are the “bad guys.” But it is difficult when her man is the one “you never want to see pull up to your house. He has eyes that go flat when you offer ... More »

MORE ABOUT:
trash • foreclosure • recession • bank • homeownership • cleaning • vacant homes • repossessions • repo men

COMMENTARY

Pinched Writer Picks Up
the Toilet Brush 


Aug 17, 09 1:19 PM CDT
(Newser) - Even with two degrees and a book deal, Rebecca Golden has had a tough time keeping her bank balance above zero, she writes for Salon, so she's turned to an edifying, if often terrifying, sideline: cleaning houses. “I suppose I could find other ways to make ends meet,”... More »

MORE ABOUT:
economic indicators • recession • bathroom • toilet • cleaning • part-time jobs • economic downturn • recession depression • maid




 Your Shampoo Is 
 Chock Full of Toxins 

Few ingredients contribute to cleaning

Aug 13, 09 8:39 AM CDT
(Newser) - Most of what’s in shampoo does nothing to cleanse—instead, it “strokes your emotions,” writes Bill Bunn in Salon. If your hair is greasy, you simply need detergent. But shampoos contain a variety of other ingredients—two-thirds by volume—intended to make you feel good about the... More »

MORE ABOUT:
hair • chemicals • cleaning • toxins • hair care • shampoo

 Cheaper Tide Rises 
 in Hard Times 

Procter & Gamble agonizes over risky move

Aug 6, 09 1:03 PM CDT
(Newser) - A cheaper Tide is rolling in: The recession-friendly Tide Basic drops some of the high-tech cleaning components—like anti-pilling ability—contained in the detergent’s traditional form, in exchange for a 20% lower price tag, the Wall Street Journal reports. But the decision to release the new Tide was no... More »

MORE ABOUT:
recession • Tide • cleaning • detergent • Procter & Gamble • laundry

(Newser) - As affluent Americans downsize their household staffs, the once distinct lines between nannies and housekeepers are getting a little fuzzy, the Los Angeles Times reports. More and more, nannies are being asked to scrub the toilets along with watching the kids, and housekeepers are being asked to vacuum with a... More »

MORE ABOUT:
children • recession • multitask • nanny • cleaning • homeowners • housekeeper • economic downturn

Finally, It's a
Cleaning Fluid
You Can Drink

Electrolyzed water washes, degreases, cures athlete's foot

Feb 23, 09 8:58 AM CST
(Newser) - In essence, it’s salt water, but a new drinkable cleaning fluid has been deemed a “miracle liquid,” the Los Angeles Times reports. So-called electrolyzed water is the result of sending current through a mixture of table salt and water. The cleaner, degreaser, and athlete’s foot cure... More »

MORE ABOUT:
water • cleaning • salt • electrolyzed water

Companies Spice Up the Smell Of Clean

Moroccan bazaar scent says you tidied up ...
even if you barely did

Feb 3, 09 1:02 PM CST
(Newser) - Makers of household products are constantly working to redefine the smell of clean, the Wall Street Journal reports, even as Americans are spending 40% less time actually tidying up than they did 40 years ago. One of the newest is Procter & Gamble’s Moroccan Bazaar, a ginger-edged scent for... More »

MORE ABOUT:
smell • scent • air freshener • scents • cleaning • fragrance • Procter & Gamble • Marrakesh

Chemists Sniff Out
Household Stinks

Smell squad recreates odors to wipe them out

Sep 6, 08 9:46 AM CDT
(Newser) - Chemists are trying to replicate the odors of stale smoke and rotting garbage in a quest to make America a better-smelling place, the Wall Street Journal reports. A specialist squad working for the International Flavors and Fragrances company captures common bad household smells, brings them back to the lab, and... More »

MORE ABOUT:
smell • odor • air freshener • chemistry • cleaning • fragrance

 Keyboards 
 'Dirtier Than
 Toilet Seats' 

Microbiologist warns that filthy keys can make people ill

May 1, 08 7:01 AM CDT
(Newser) - A microbiologist studying computer keyboards discovered that some of them harbored more bacteria than the average toilet seat, the Guardian reports. The dirtiest—which had to be removed from an office—had 150 times the level of acceptable bacteria, putting the user at risk of catching bugs that cause diarrhea... More »

MORE ABOUT:
E. coli • hygiene • bacteria • cleaning • dirt • computer • computer hardware

 When Green Doesn't Mean Safe 

Americans rush to eco-friendly cleaners, but dangers remain

Apr 28, 08 12:16 PM CDT
(Newser) - Americans are increasingly buying eco-friendly cleaning agents, the Los Angeles Times reports, in an attempt to limit exposure to toxic chemicals. But consumer advocates urge caution in embracing the “green” label on cleaners, which is more marketing lingo than strict scientific criteria. A recent study found a common carcinogen... More »

MORE ABOUT:
cancer • toxic chemicals • carcinogens • cleaning • green products • eco friendliness • green revolution

Cleaners May Trigger Asthma

Common household products blamed
for 1 in 7 cases

Oct 14, 07 11:58 AM CDT
(Newser) - Cleaning products with bleach and air fresheners may cause asthma, or aggravate symptoms, even if those products are used only once a week, according to new research. As many as 1 in 7 asthma cases may be caused by exposure to household cleaners, says a study in the American Journal ... More »

MORE ABOUT:
housework • asthma • air freshener • cleaning • bleach • irritant

11 Stories


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