Home Cleaning

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GUEST OBSERVATION
As the coronavirus pandemic spreads around the world, it’s a good time to understand how cleaning can help prevent the spread of disease and what you can do to cut the risk of infection in your home.
Coronavirus is mainly transmitted from person to person via <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/news/health-alerts/novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov-health-alert/what-you-need-to-know-about-coronavirus-covid-19" target="_blank">tiny droplets</a> of saliva or other bodily fluids that float in the air after a cough or sneeze.
Contaminated objects and surfaces can also be important in the transmission of disease. It’s not entirely clear what role they play in transmitting the new coronavirus, but they play an important one for <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0195670120300463" target="_blank">related viruses</a> such as SARS and MERS.
However, it makes sense that something contaminated with the virus could pass it on, for example if a person touches it and then touches their nose, mouth or face.
So, if someone at risk of having the virus has been in your home, cleaning to reduce the amount of contamination on surfaces may help cut down your risk of further transmission of coronavirus. (It will also cut the risk of transmitting other pathogens.)
<h2>What’s the difference between cleaning and disinfection?</h2>
There’s a useful to distinction to make between <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/cleaning-disinfection?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2F2019-ncov%2Fcommunity%2Fhome%2Fcleaning-disinfection.html" target="_blank">cleaning</a> and <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/cleaning-disinfection?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2F2019-ncov%2Fcommunity%2Fhome%2Fcleaning-disinfection.html" target="_blank">disinfection</a>.
Cleaning means physically removing organic matter such as germs and dirt from surfaces. Disinfection means using chemicals to kill germs on surfaces.
Cleaning is very important, because organic matter may inhibit or reduce the disinfectant’s ability to kill germs.
<h2>How long will coronavirus survive in my house?</h2>
We are not exactly sure how long this coronavirus will survive on surfaces. If it is similar to other coronaviruses, it could survive a few hours – potentially <a href="https://www.journalofhospitalinfection.com/article/S0195-6701(20)30046-3/fulltext" target="_blank">up to several days</a>. How long it survives could depend on temperature, humidity and what the surface is made of.
<h2>What could be contaminated in my house?</h2>
It’s hard to say exactly. When someone coughs or sneezes, especially if they don’t cover their mouth, it is likely surfaces close to them will be contaminated.
Hands are often responsible for transferring pathogens from one place to another, so items that people often touch are at greatest risk of being contaminated.
Frequently touched items may include TV remotes, fridge doors, kitchen cupboards, kitchen surfaces, taps and door handles. And of course, there are devices such as phones and iPads – but these may not be shared or touched by others frequently.
<h2>What should I use to clean and how?</h2>
The coronavirus is a delicate structure and it is vulnerable in the environment. Both heat and detergents, including soap, can stop it functioning.
<h3>Contaminated surfaces</h3>
If a surface becomes contaminated or you think it could be, cleaning it with a common household disinfectant will kill the virus. Remember to wash your hands after cleaning (or use an alcohol-based hand sanitiser) and avoid touching your eyes, mouth or nose.
There are many options for what to use to clean, including paper towels, cloths or disposable wipes.
<img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/321221/original/file-20200318-37387-184yl1.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=237&amp;fit=clip" alt="">
The S-shaped pattern for cleaning a surface without re-contaminating parts of it. Brett Mitchell, Author provided
How you clean is important. You don’t want to “recontaminate” surfaces while cleaning. Working from one side of a surface to the other helps with this, using an <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0195670118307205" target="_blank">“S” shape to clean</a>.
If you are reusing a cloth, remember to wash it afterwards and let it dry. Laundering cloths in the washing machine with normal washing liquid is also likely to kill the virus, particularly on a hot wash.
<h3>Dishes and cutlery</h3>
Washing with hot water and detergent is fine for dishes and cutlery. A dishwasher is even better, because it can use hotter water than your hands will tolerate.
<h3>Clothing and linen</h3>
Use the warmest setting possible to wash contaminated laundry and make sure you allow it to dry completely. You may not want to ruin clothing or other materials, so always look at the manufacturer’s instructions.
Laundry from someone who is sick can be washed with other people’s items. If you are handling contaminated items such as towel or sheets, avoid shaking them before washing, to reduce the risk of contaminating other surfaces.
And remember to wash your hands immediately after touching any contaminated laundry.
<h2>Prevention is best</h2>
Remember that surfaces play a role in transmitting pathogens, so preventing them from becoming contaminated in the first place is as important as cleaning. There are some things you can do to reduce the amount of contamination of surfaces in your house:
– cover your cough and sneezes, ideally with a tissue but otherwise into your elbow, and wash your hands immediately
– wash your hands often, especially after going to the bathroom and before eating.
<h2>What do I do if someone in my home is sick?</h2>
It may be wise to think about which room in your home could be used to care for a sick member of your family. If possible, the ideal room is one that that is separate from other parts of your home and has a separate bathroom.
Cleaning this room when someone is sick also requires some thought. Further advice on caring for someone with coronavirus at home is available from the <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/2020/03/coronavirus-covid-19-information-about-home-isolation-when-unwell-suspected-or-confirmed-cases.pdf" target="_blank">Department of Health</a>.<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/133912/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;">
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/brett-mitchell-398392" target="_blank">Brett Mitchell</a>, Professor of Nursing, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-newcastle-1060" target="_blank">University of Newcastle</a>
This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-clean-your-house-to-prevent-the-spread-of-coronavirus-and-other-infections-133912" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

How to clean your house to prevent the spread of coronavirus

<html><body>
GUEST OBSERVATION
 
As the coronavirus pandemic spreads around the world, it’s a good time to understand how cleaning can help prevent the spread of disease and what you can do to cut the risk of infection in your home.
Coronavirus is mainly transmitted from person to person via <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/news/health-alerts/novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov-health-alert/what-you-need-to-know-about-coronavirus-covid-19">tiny droplets</a> of saliva or other bodily fluids that float in the air after a cough or sneeze.
Contaminated objects and surfaces can also be important in the transmission of disease. It’s not entirely clear what role they play in transmitting the new coronavirus, but they play an important one for <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0195670120300463">related viruses</a> such as SARS and MERS.
However, it makes sense that something contaminated with the virus could pass it on, for example if a person touches it and then touches their nose, mouth or face.
So, if someone at risk of having the virus has been in your home, cleaning to reduce the amount of contamination on surfaces may help cut down your risk of further transmission of coronavirus. (It will also cut the risk of transmitting other pathogens.)
What’s the difference between cleaning and disinfection?
There’s a useful to distinction to make between <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/cleaning-disinfection?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2F2019-ncov%2Fcommunity%2Fhome%2Fcleaning-disinfection.html">cleaning</a> and <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/cleaning-disinfection?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2F2019-ncov%2Fcommunity%2Fhome%2Fcleaning-disinfection.html">disinfection</a>.
Cleaning means physically removing organic matter such as germs and dirt from surfaces. Disinfection means using chemicals to kill germs on surfaces.
Cleaning is very important, because organic matter may inhibit or reduce the disinfectant’s ability to kill germs.
How long will coronavirus survive in my house?
We are not exactly sure how long this coronavirus will survive on surfaces. If it is similar to other coronaviruses, it could survive a few hours – potentially <a href="https://www.journalofhospitalinfection.com/article/S0195-6701(20)30046-3/fulltext">up to several days</a>. How long it survives could depend on temperature, humidity and what the surface is made of.
What could be contaminated in my house?
It’s hard to say exactly. When someone coughs or sneezes, especially if they don’t cover their mouth, it is likely surfaces close to them will be contaminated.
Hands are often responsible for transferring pathogens from one place to another, so items that people often touch are at greatest risk of being contaminated.
Frequently touched items may include TV remotes, fridge doors, kitchen cupboards, kitchen surfaces, taps and door handles. And of course, there are devices such as phones and iPads – but these may not be shared or touched by others frequently.
What should I use to clean and how?
The coronavirus is a delicate structure and it is vulnerable in the environment. Both heat and detergents, including soap, can stop it functioning.
Contaminated surfaces
If a surface becomes contaminated or you think it could be, cleaning it with a common household disinfectant will kill the virus. Remember to wash your hands after cleaning (or use an alcohol-based hand sanitiser) and avoid touching your eyes, mouth or nose.
There are many options for what to use to clean, including paper towels, cloths or disposable wipes.
<img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/321221/original/file-20200318-37387-184yl1.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=237&amp;fit=clip" alt="">T
he S-shaped pattern for cleaning a surface without re-contaminating parts of it. Brett Mitchell, Author provided
How you clean is important. You don’t want to “recontaminate” surfaces while cleaning. Working from one side of a surface to the other helps with this, using an <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0195670118307205">“S” shape to clean</a>.
If you are reusing a cloth, remember to wash it afterwards and let it dry. Laundering cloths in the washing machine with normal washing liquid is also likely to kill the virus, particularly on a hot wash.
Dishes and cutlery
Washing with hot water and detergent is fine for dishes and cutlery. A dishwasher is even better, because it can use hotter water than your hands will tolerate.
Clothing and linen
Use the warmest setting possible to wash contaminated laundry and make sure you allow it to dry completely. You may not want to ruin clothing or other materials, so always look at the manufacturer’s instructions.
Laundry from someone who is sick can be washed with other people’s items. If you are handling contaminated items such as towel or sheets, avoid shaking them before washing, to reduce the risk of contaminating other surfaces.
And remember to wash your hands immediately after touching any contaminated laundry.
Prevention is best
Remember that surfaces play a role in transmitting pathogens, so preventing them from becoming contaminated in the first place is as important as cleaning. There are some things you can do to reduce the amount of contamination of surfaces in your house:
– cover your cough and sneezes, ideally with a tissue but otherwise into your elbow, and wash your hands immediately
– wash your hands often, especially after going to the bathroom and before eating.
What do I do if someone in my home is sick?
It may be wise to think about which room in your home could be used to care for a sick member of your family. If possible, the ideal room is one that that is separate from other parts of your home and has a separate bathroom.
Cleaning this room when someone is sick also requires some thought. Further advice on caring for someone with coronavirus at home is available from the <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/2020/03/coronavirus-covid-19-information-about-home-isolation-when-unwell-suspected-or-confirmed-cases.pdf">Department of Health</a>.<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/133912/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;">
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/brett-mitchell-398392">Brett Mitchell</a>, Professor of Nursing, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-newcastle-1060">University of Newcastle</a>
This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-clean-your-house-to-prevent-the-spread-of-coronavirus-and-other-infections-133912">original article</a>.
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How to clean your house to prevent the spread of coronavirus and other infections

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GUEST OBSERVATION
Australia is the <a href="https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/environment/municipal-waste/indicator/english_89d5679a-en" target="_blank">sixth-largest</a> contributor of household waste per capita in the world. We spend more than <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/http://www.tai.org.au/node/940" target="_blank">$A10.5 billion</a> annually on goods and services that are never or rarely used.
One-quarter of Australians admit to throwing away clothing <a href="https://au.yougov.com/news/2017/12/06/fast-fashion/" target="_blank">after just one use</a>, while at the other end of the extreme, 5% of the population save unused items with such tenacity that their homes become <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3181962/">dangerously cluttered</a>.
If unnecessary purchases come at such a profound cost, why do we make them?
Why do we buy so much stuff?
We acquire some possessions because of their perceived usefulness. We might buy a computer to complete work tasks, or a pressure cooker to make meal preparation easier.
But consumer goods often have a psychological value that outweighs their functional value. This can drive us to acquire and keep things we could do without.
Possessions can act as an <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://academic.oup.com/jcr/article/15/2/139/1841428" target="_blank">extension of ourselves</a>. They may remind us of our personal history, our connection to other people, and who we are or want to be. Wearing a uniform may convince us we are a different person. Keeping family photos may remind us that we are loved. A home library may reveal our appreciation for knowledge and enjoyment of reading.
Acquiring and holding onto possessions can bring us comfort and emotional security. But these feelings cloud our judgement about how useful the objects are and prompt us to hang onto things we haven’t used in years.
When this behaviour crosses over into hoarding disorder, we may notice:
<ol>
<li>a persistent difficulty discarding possessions, regardless of their actual value 
</li>
<li>that this difficulty arises because we feel we need to save the items and/or avoid the distress associated with discarding them 
</li>
<li>that our home has become so cluttered we cannot use it as intended. We might not be able to sit on our sofa, cook in our kitchen, sleep in our bed, or park our car in the garage 
</li>
<li>the saving behaviour is impacting our quality of life. We might experience significant family strain or be embarrassed to invite others into our home. Our safety might be at risk, or we may have financial problems. These problems can contribute to <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/bjc.12212" target="_blank">workplace difficulties</a>.</li>
</ol>
Will the KonMari method help?
According to Japanese tidying consultant <a href="https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-life-changing-magic-of-tidying-up-marie-kondo/prod9781607747307?zsrc=d-stocked&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQiAm5viBRD4ARIsADGUT25gYCqaxUUKyvskmVS_R-fO4F0c9K59vPwZsaLgO6fgwK57pQEWZpcaAkFVEALw_wcB" target="_blank">Marie Kondo</a>, “everyone who completes the KonMari Method has successfully kept their house in order”.
But while some aspects of the KonMari method are consistent with existing evidence, others may be inadvisable, particularly for those with clinical hoarding problems.
Kondo suggests that before starting her process, people should visualise what they want their home to look like after decluttering. A similar clinical technique is used when <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0005796711001872?via%3Dihub" target="_blank">treating</a> hoarding disorder. Images of one’s ideal home can act as a powerful amplifier for positive emotions, thereby increasing motivation to discard and organise.
Next, the KonMari Method involves organising by category rather than by location. Tidying should be done in a specific order. People should tackle clothing, books, paper, komono (kitchen, bathroom, garage, and miscellaneous), and then sentimental items.
Organising begins with placing every item within a category on the floor. This suggestion has an evidence base. <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165032717327167?via%3Dihub">Our research</a> has shown people tend to discard more possessions when surrounded by clutter as opposed to being in a tidy environment.
However, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0005796710001075?via%3Dihub" target="_blank">organising</a> and categorising possessions in any context is challenging for people with hoarding disorder.
Marie Kondo gives sage advice about whether to keep possessions we think we’ll use in the future. A focus on future utility is a common thinking trap, as many saved items are never used. She encourages us to think about the true purpose of possessions: wearing the shirt or reading the book. If we aren’t doing those things, we should give the item to someone who will.
Another Kondo suggestion is to thank our possessions before we discard them. This is to recognise that an item has served its purpose. She believes this process will facilitate letting go.
However, by thanking our items we might inadvertently increase their perceived humanness. <a href="https://akademiai.com/doi/abs/10.1556/2006.7.2018.98" target="_blank">Anthropomorphising</a> inanimate objects increases the sentimental value and perceived utility of items, which increases object attachment.
People who are dissatisfied with their interpersonal relationships are more prone to <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0191886918300461" target="_blank">anthropomorphism</a> and have more difficulty <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165178118318122" target="_blank">making decisions</a>. This strategy may be particularly unhelpful for them.
One of Kondo’s key messages is to discard any item that does not “spark joy”.
But for someone with excessive emotional attachment to objects, focusing on one’s emotional reaction may not be helpful. People who hoard things experience intense positive emotions in response to many of their possessions, so this may not help them declutter.
Think about how you get rid of things
<a href="https://www.sustainability.vic.gov.au/About-us/Latest-news/2019/01/10/23/21/Urgent-advisory-for-Netflix-inspired-declutterers" target="_blank">Sustainability Victoria</a> recently urged Netflix-inspired declutterers to reduce, reuse, and recycle rather than just tossing unwanted items into landfill.
Dumping everything into the op-shop or local charity bin is also problematic. Aussie charities are paying <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-10-04/charities-spending-millions-cleaning-up-fast-fashion-graveyard/10328758" target="_blank">A$13 million a year</a> to send unusable donations to landfill.
Ultimately, we need to make more thoughtful decisions about both acquiring and discarding possessions. We need to buy less, buy used, and pass our possessions on to someone else when we have stopped using them for their intended purpose.
Melissa Norberg, Associate Professor in Psychology, Macquarie University 
Jessica Grisham, Professor in Psychology, UNSW
This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/my-possessions-spark-joy-will-the-konmari-decluttering-method-work-for-me-110357" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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Will the KonMari decluttering method work for me?

<html><body><div class="cq-article-content-paras section">
Jim's Group, best known for mowing lawns, has revealed they will soon be selling houses at low commission.
Jamie Byard, with colleague Trish Mewett, started the new division earlier this month in Victoria.
Byard, a 15-year veteran of the franchising group founded by Jim Penman in 1982 and Ms Mewett, a former sales director of fixed-fee real estate service Hello Real Estate, aim to have 30 franchisees in Victoria within a year.
 It's an another unexpected disruption to a traditional real estate industry.
Some people may not have expected the next wave of disruption from a man who made his millions from mowing lawns, but it was a logical move, Mr Penman said.
"Real estate is a good one for us," Mr Penman told The Australian Financial Review.
"It intersects with so many of our services, particularly in terms of property maintenance. When people don't know who to go to, we do very well. We get a lot of people ringing up for services we don't even offer."
Jim's Group, long known for mowing lawns, fixing the plumbing and cleaning pools, then kitchens, electrical work, computer repairs and conveyancing, will welcome franchisees in the new real estate business.
They will pay a fixed franchise fee of about $1800 a month and pay no commission to a parent company on sales they make.
They will reportedly also invite clients to make an offer on the commission they will pay for the sale of their house typically between about 1 per cent and 3 per cent.
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Jim's Group aims at mowing down high estate agent commissions

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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/57114/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">
GUEST OBSERVER
As a researcher of nanomaterials, I am often asked: “When are we finally going to start seeing nanotechnology products on the market?”
This is a simple question to answer because the average home is already filled with products enhanced or reliant upon nanotechnology. In fact, there are several online repositories listing the more than 2,000 commercially available products that incorporate nanotechnology.
The application of nanotechnology in some areas, such as batteries, microelectronics and sunscreens is relatively well known. Let’s take a virtual tour through a home to see what else we can find.
But first, what does nanotechnology mean? It’s typically defined as the use of matter at dimensions between 0.1 and 100 nanometres. For perspective, a human hair is typically between 80,000 and 100,000 nanometers in thickness.
<h2>The kitchen</h2>
All kitchens have a sink, most of which are fitted with a water filter. This filter removes microbes and compounds that can give water a bad taste.
Common filter materials are activated carbon and silver nanoparticles.
Activated carbon is a special kind of carbon that’s made to have a very high surface area. This is achieved by milling it down to a very small size. Its high surface area gives more room for unwanted compounds to stick to it, removing them from water.
The antimicrobial properties of silver makes it one of the most common nanomaterials today. Silver nanoparticles kill algae and bacteria by releasing silver ions (single silver atoms) that enter into the cell wall of the organisms and become toxic.
It is so effective and fashionable that silver nanoparticles are now used to coat cutlery, surfaces, fridges, door handles, pet bowls and almost anywhere else microorganisms are unwanted.
Other nanoparticles are used to prepare heat-resistant and self-cleaning surfaces, such as floors and benchtops. By applying a thin coating containing silicon dioxide or titanium dioxide nanoparticles, a surface can become water repelling, which prevents stains (similar to how scotch guard protects fabrics).
Nanoparticle films can be so thin that they can’t be seen. The materials also have very poor heat conductivity, which means they are heat resistant.
The kitchen sink (or dishwasher) is used for washing dishes with the aid of detergents. Detergents form nanoparticles called micelles.
A micelle is formed when detergent molecules self-assemble into a sphere. The centre of this sphere is chemically similar to grease, oils and fats, which are what you want to wash off. The detergent traps oils and fats within the cavity of the sphere to separate them from water and aid dish washing.
Your medicine cabinet may include nanotechnology similar to micelles, with many pharmaceuticals using liposomes.
A liposome is an extended micelle where there is an extra interior cavity within the sphere. Making liposomes from tailored molecules allows them to carry therapeutics inside; the outside of the nanoparticle can be made to target a specific area of the body.
<h2>Laundry, bathroom and closet</h2>
Up to 30 percent of the weight of laundry powders is made of zeolites.
Zeolites are a family of materials made mostly of silicon oxide and aluminium oxide that have specific nanoporous cage-like structures. Similar to how a sponge can absorb water, zeolites can absorb molecules and are used to absorb heavy metals and bad-smelling compounds from the washing mixture.
Nanoparticle use in cosmetics is surprisingly common. In some cases, nanoparticles, such as aluminium oxide, are used as a transparent filler material that’s easy to apply as a fine powder. In other cases, nanoparticles play an active role.
Fullerenes are carbon arranged into a football shape and are added as “Fullersomes” to some cosmetics to act as antioxidants and free radical inhibitors.
Some companies combine gold nanoparticles with silk-like proteins as an anti-ageing/wrinkle mixture. The gold nanoparticles carry the silk-like proteins into cells to restore shape.
The bad odour of hiking socks, gym clothes and pillows is caused by bacteria. As mentioned earlier, silver nanoparticles are often added to remove the bacteria and therefore stop the smell. Other products use copper nanoparticles to achieve the same goal.
You can purchase linen, towels, clothes, rugs and all manner of material with either silver or copper added.
<h2>The garage</h2>
Nanoparticles such as graphene and carbon nanotubes are among the strongest materials known.
Currently, they are best used as composite materials to add strength with minimal weight. Both carbon nanotubes and graphene are common additives in sporting equipment such as tennis rackets, golf balls, bicycles, bicycle tyres and golf clubs.
Titianium dioxide nanoparticles are often added to paints as UV protection. These nanoparticles absorb UV light before it can degrade the pigments that give paint its colour.
They can also add some self-cleaning properties so the paint is water repelling and water droplets quickly run off the surface.
Catalytic converters have been used in cars since the 1970s to reduce smog and pollution causing emissions from cars. These converters contain a number of different nanoparticles including platinum, palladium, rhodium and cerium oxide. They cause the degradation of car exhaust into less harmful productions.
As you can see, it is likely nanotechnology has already been part of your household for many years.
Cameron Shearer is research associate in Physical Sciences, Flinders University and author for The Conversation. He can be contacted <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/cameron-shearer-169456" target="_blank">here</a>.
 
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Nanotechnology in the average home: a guide

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GUEST OBSERVER
Individually, we use thousands of chemicals in our households and very few of us think about whether they are harming the environment. We often think about buying a “green” detergent to wash our clothes, but the simple act of shampooing and conditioning our hair, even with green products, results in more than 30 chemicals being washed into our sewers.
Despite our best efforts in the supermarket, our waste water treatment systems are well designed for removing most of these chemicals, as the majority are biodegradable. However, a number of household chemicals are difficult to remove and end up being discharged into our coastal environments and waterways.
In the past, dilution was the solution for dealing with these long-lived chemicals that don’t break down. But with rising populations and non-coastal communities, dilution is not the solution of choice.
Regulations on discharge from our waste water systems means that any chemical that is not degraded will be at very low levels but many are residual in sediments and are chronically harmful to our waterways, even at low concentrations.
This includes being toxic to benthic organisms that live in sediments and binding to hormonal receptors in fish. So which chemicals cause problems and which ones are OK?
<h2>From shower to sewer</h2>
Our everyday lives introduce a wide range of chemicals into our waste water systems. The most common are surfactants and soaps associated with simple cleaning agents and detergents.
Choosing highly biodegradable “green” detergents is a good start in any household since they easily break down in the environment, but this is only the starting point in clearing your environmental conscience.
We also need to consider pharmaceuticals and their metabolites (the breakdown product of these pharmaceuticals), disinfectants, skincare products, deodorants, fragrances, flame retardants, pesticides, insecticides and plasticisers (the chemicals we add to plastics to make them easier to mould). For some of these, there are no “green” choices and use is a medical necessity rather than a social choice.
Detailed analysis of the discharge of waste waters from around Australia, and indeed the world, shows a list of around 70 chemicals that regularly find their way into the environment (recalcitrants).
Some of these are toxic and form a group known as “chemicals of concern”. All waste water is treated before being released into the environment, but advanced treatment is now becoming common to reduce the impact of these chemicals, although this is not available to all communities.
“Source” control, or stopping input into the waste collection system, remains the best option. However, some chemicals have become so ubiquitous to our society that additional waste water treatment may be the only solution.
<h2>The problem chemicals</h2>
Some problematic chemicals of concern that find their way into our waterways are avoidable or their use can be drastically reduced.
Examples include:
<ul>
<li>
triclosan: a highly effective biocide and antimicrobial now used in a range of mouthwashes, soaps, plastics and hand cleansers. It is debatable as to whether there is a case for its use outside of clinical environments.
</li>
<li>
DEET: the active ingredient of many personal insect repellents. As with many other skin products, it is washed into the sewer via the shower.
</li>
<li>
bisphenol A: a common plasticiser that mimics the hormone estrogen. Alternatives are available.
</li>
</ul>
There is a long list of such chemicals and these are just a few examples.
<h2>Removing stubborn chemicals</h2>
Our research looks at how we can remove these chemicals from water. Wastewater treatment systems rely on the fact that molecules are either biodegradable or are removed in treatment.
If the molecule is not removed by these means, there is a propensity for environmental discharge. Typical addition treatment involves ozone treatment to destroy or fragment the molecule through oxidation and/or use of a physical barrier such as a reverse osmosis filtration membrane.
Using a combination of biodegradation, removal, oxidation and filtration is very effective and has been shown to break the pollution cycle for all but a very small number of molecules.
These molecules that still get through are highly problematic and one questions if such molecules should not be more heavily regulated. Not because they are any more toxic than others, but because they are hard to remove.
Interestingly, these are usually fragrances and biocides that we use everyday and not the detergents and pharmaceuticals you might expect. Moving to advanced water treatment as the norm, rather than the exception looks to be the only way forward if we don’t want to stop using spray disinfectants, insecticides and fragrances.
Peter Scales is professor, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at University of Melbourne and author for The Conversation.
He can be contacted <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/peter-scales-190381" target="_blank">here</a>.
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