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What is RSV?
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), RSV, or Respiratory syncytial virus, is a common respiratory virus that usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms. It can be serious for some, causing bronchiolitis or pneumonia.
Cleaning for RSV
RSV spreads primarily through virus droplets, either through close contact with an infected person who is contagious or touching a surface with the virus on it. Prevention is particularly…
Ingredient labels contain a lot of information. They have a list of ingredients, but they also need room for directions and important safety messages. Smart consumers can get additional information from company websites to find out more about those ingredients, including where they are sourced and the role they play in making that product effective. Learn more about the formulations in your favorite soaps and home cleaning products with these resources from the…
What is Monkeypox?
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), monkeypox is a viral disease in the same family of viruses as the one that causes smallpox, although milder. It can be spread through close contact with a person with monkeypox or touching objects, fabrics, and surfaces that have been used by someone with monkeypox. There is currently an outbreak that has reached several countries and most U.S. states, which is being closely monitored by public…
What is Norovirus?According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), norovirus is a highly contagious virus that causes vomiting and diarrhea. It is easily spread through direct contact with an infected person, consuming contaminated food or water, or touching contaminated surfaces and the virus can survive on those surfaces for days or weeks. Norovirus outbreaks are common and can affect people of all ages. Public health experts closely monitor norovirus infections,…
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…
The ingredients in your cleaning products fall into several different categories, added to provide different characteristics and cleaning functions. Each product formula is a careful balance of various ingredients that will work best for what you are trying to clean.For more information about the specific ingredients in a cleaning product, visit the manufacturer's website or look for the product in SmartLabel…
Surfactants (yellow) cause water to lose surface tension, which is what keeps water separate from other materials
Have you ever seen a bead of water sitting on a surface? This is because water has a property called surface tension. This tension causes water to form a bead on the surface of things like glass or fabric. You can see surface tension at work by placing a drop of water onto a counter top. The drop will hold its shape and will not spread.
In order to clean the dirt on our clothes,…
Did you know that there are different levels of cleaning? Not just routine cleaning versus the less frequent deep cleaning that often gets done in the spring, but different levels within routine cleaning that you may choose depending on the needs of your family and friends or if someone in the home is sick. Learn the Levels of Clean and use them, along with the Levels of Laundry, to make the best cleaning…
The use of the terms "natural" and "synthetic" to describe cleaning products has led to some confusion among consumers. The best advice is to avoid making assumptions about safety or performance based on a "natural" label alone.
What do the terms "synthetic" and "natural" really mean…
What is Coronavirus
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), coronaviruses are a large family of viruses, some of which already circulate among humans and cause mild illness, like the common cold. COVID-19 has symptoms associated with respiratory illnesses, including fever, cough and shortness of breath. It spreads like other respiratory illnesses as well, primarily through person-to-person contact.
Cleaning for Coronavirus…