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Think about all the "public" surfaces you touch on your way to work – railings, door handles, coins and tokens, cash machines, elevator buttons and more. Then, when you get to your destination, washing your hands probably isn't the first thing you do. Instead, you probably grab a cup of coffee and turn on your computer. If you power up before you clean up, all the germs and bacteria that commuted with you are transferred from your hands to your workstation. Ugh! And then, if…
Some clothes are easier to care for than others. Here are some guides for dealing with tricky fabrics, specific color groups, and links to our supporting topic pages. Explore laundry basics and a how-to list, good detergents, and precautions to take around children on laundry day!
Dark Clothes
Rash Guard…
Q: My kids love the Cookie Monster, and he inspired them to help me make holiday cookies. But our cookie decorating sessions always end up with food coloring stains on their clothes. How do I remove them?
If you treat the stains as soon as the decorating session is over, they will be easier to remove.
Start by sponging the stain with cold water to remove as much of the food coloring as possible. Then pretreat with a prewash stain-remover and launder. If the stain remains, mix…
With a little preparation, you can be ready to enjoy a stress-free picnic.
When preparing or serving food in the great outdoors, there are a few extra steps and considerations that you may not have at home or even in your backyard. Food needs to be stored properly to be safely consumed during your al fresco meal. Spills and stains have more time to set before they can get to the laundry. And you need to be prepared to clean up thoroughly to leave things better than you found…
Cleaning technology has come a long way from the ancient Babylonian way of soap-making. Today’s cleaning products are the result of thoughtful design, experimentation, and safety testing.
The machines we use to clean have also improved, becoming more sustainable and friendly for our environment. So far we have been able to make new cleaning products that allow us to wash in cold water (saving energy from water heating), wash with less water, and make packaging smaller (to save…
Cleaning products play an essential role in daily life. They can remove dirt and stains from our clothes, dried on food from our dishes, and even germs from our hands! Let’s learn more about the chemistry that makes this happen.
What Is Cleaning?
Cleaning is the process of taking something dirty—like your kitchen counter—and removing dirt, grease, and grime found on it. When we clean, we leave things better than they were when we found them. Cleaning helps remove dirt,…
Make your own mini-book: The Art of Sciences & Bubbles is now available in a downloadable PDF format.
Combine water and detergent.
Stir well, but do not shake.
For stronger bubbles, add ½ cup corn syrup or glycerin, or more detergent.
Experiment with different brands of dishwashing detergent until you find one that works best for you.
HINT: Playing with bubbles can be messy and slippery! Try blowing bubbles outdoors, near…
Five Great Ways to Show Dad you Care
Does Dad really need another tie for Father’s Day? Is a bottle of after-shave going to ring his chimes? Probably not! So this year, how about something really different? What busy dads are short on is time to care for the “stuff” that fills their lives. Here are some ideas for gifting him with a surprise cleanup.
1. His Grill: A warm grill is easier to clean than a cold one. So fire it up, and then let it cool until…
Schools may be out for summer, but this is no time to relax your handwashing habits. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, keeping hands clean through improved hand hygiene is one of the most important steps we can take to avoid getting sick and spreading germs to others.
Everything you need to know about handwashing you probably learned in preschool. But, if you forgot, here’s a reminder of the steps for washing your hands:
Wet your hands with clean, running water (…
What is soap and how does it work?
The sudsy stuff we use every day of our lives is a mystery to most of us. But behind our cleaning products is an array of scientific data and information. This science and chemistry helps to ensure our products work and are safe for you and your family to use. The resources below will walk through what it means to be clean and how the cleaning process works. For more information and activities, we encourage you to check out ExplorationClean.…