Cleanliness Being Next to Sexiness, And All That

[+ Lucky]

Two newspapers dealt with difficult subjects today, subjects we all steer away from in public forums. But we just cannot continue to avoid the truth:

 

Too much of the time, we sleep with bedmates we have not chosen.

 

In the Wall Street journal, we learn that our sheets and pillowcases are home for dust mites, animal hair, dander, fungal mold and fungal spores, bodily secretions, and our old friend, bacteria.

And as if that is not enough, there are dust, lint, fibers, particulates, insect parts, pollen, soil, sand and cosmetics.

 

So, if you think you sleep alone, think again! And when you get in a stranger's bed, well, there are all sorts of things in that bed with you. And you both add more- all night long.

"One person can perspire as much as a liter in one night- even more if you have a lot of covers," the Journal's expert says.

 

This doesn't even factor in eating in bed. So, wash those sheets, in hot water. The Journal has more advice too:http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303459004577361911935936578.html?mod=WSJ_LifeStyle_Lifestyle_5

 

The NY Times has even more about our personal hygiene. If you have read this far, then you are concerned on this are you not? So read on!

 

Kimberly-Clark, a company that makes tissue meant to be used in the toilet, thinks we need two types of tissue to get that clean, fresh feeling in our anus. So, their adult wipes, wet tissue that are flushable, are going to be more aggressively marketed. One commercial goes:

 

(featuring

parents and their teenage daughter in a suburban kitchen), the mother asks the teenager to settle a dispute.“I say this and this,” the mother says, holding toilet paper and wipes in either hand, “is called ‘Southern hospitality.’ ”The father says, “Well, I call it ‘the clean getaway.’ ”“You’re both wrong,” says the daughter. “It’s ‘the freshy fresh.’ Everyone knows that.”In another commercial, two couples in their 20s offer more names, including “the buddy system,” “the two-handed tango” and “el cleaño.”In a sequence that concludes the commercials, a roll resting vertically on a table unfurls, then curls around a tub of wipes, as if putting an arm around it. “Nothing leaves you feeling cleaner and fresher than the Cottonelle Care Routine,” says a voiceover. “Try them together. Then name it on Facebook.”

***

(This is Lucky again, the font remaining from the copy and paste.)

Name it on Facebook? Is this what Mark Zuckerberg had in mind when he set the world on the course of sharing every secret? The Times article points out that even Kimberly-Clark cannot go too far with these ads: "What Cottonelle does not do in the campaign is suggest to the uninitiated a sequence (like dry-wet, wet-dry or dry-wet-dry), and it avoids doing so not just to be decorous.“To try to get prescriptive begins to cross that line of critical distance, where, ‘You’re telling me that I’m not getting clean enough and I’m not sure that I want to hear that,’ ” [a spokesman] said.

 

The company knows that we won't use the product if it is not "at hand" in the toilet area, so it is conveniently providing hooks to place it next to the toilet tissue.

 

America is behind other countries in cleaning the behind: "Sales of wet toilet paper represents only about 3 percent of all toilet paper sales in the United States, slightly more than Britain, where it represents only 2 percent.

That’s far below Austria, with a 16 percent share, Switzerland, with a 13 percent share, and Germany, with a 10 percent share, according to Euromonitor International, a market research firm."

 

So think of that the next time you hire an escort from Austria! And don't forget: "Don't leave luxury behind." That's the slogan of one company, and it could become yours too!

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/24/business/media/new-campaign-for-wet-toilet-tissue-advertising.html?ref=business

[jjkrkwood]

As I was telling Josephga the other day, I bought Brand new sheets from Macys, put em on my bed, and woke up with the worst RASH. Couldnt figure out what was wrong, tried all types of Cortisone creams, etc. Changed the sheets, the rash went away. And those were BRAND NEW. Can only imagine what is lurking is "used" bedding..... YUCK.

[+ Travis69]

As I was telling Josephga the other day, I bought Brand new sheets from Macys, put em on my bed, and woke up with the worst RASH. Couldnt figure out what was wrong, tried all types of Cortisone creams, etc. Changed the sheets, the rash went away. And those were BRAND NEW. Can only imagine what is lurking is "used" bedding..... YUCK.

 

Did you wash the sheets before putting them on your bed?

[jjkrkwood]

Did you wash the sheets before putting them on your bed?

 

No, never do and never had a problem before this.

[+ Travis69]

No, never do and never had a problem before this.

 

If you still have them try washing them and try them again. Might be something from the plastic packaging or something sprayed on them from whatever country them came from. I wash everything, that will come in contact with my skin, before using it. I think things smell strange when packaged in plastic.

[jjkrkwood]

If you still have them try washing them and try them again. Might be something from the plastic packaging or something sprayed on them from whatever country them came from. I wash everything, that will come in contact with my skin, before using it. I think things smell strange when packaged in plastic.

 

Agreed, and good tip. Thanks.

[shadowcatzxxx]

Actually, the most likely culprit is dust mites ... lots of people have very serious allergies to those miserable, invisible little sh*ts. Washing in hot water before using anything that may have been on the shelf in a place with any humidity (like a summer house, also) will knock 'em out.

[PATRICK12]

JJ - The problem is probably from the finishing starch used to make the sheet look good in the pack. Suffers from psoriasis like Daddy and myself have always to wash any new product that is going to touch our skin to stop the psoriasis flaring up - and use a non-bio powder/liquid when washing. Tip: If rash persists get a friend to massage some E cream in - might not work but at least the experience is a pleasure!!!! Patrick

[josephga]

I wonder if that's what happen too me. I bought new sheets about 6 weeks ago i didn't wash them few days later I was itching all over my body. broke out in these red bumps that looked like bites. hives all over my neck. I ended up at a dermatologist. He thinks I got atopic or contact dermatitis. I itched 24/7 for 5 weeks

[+ Travis69]

I wonder if that's what happen too me. I bought new sheets about 6 weeks ago i didn't wash them few days later I was itching all over my body. broke out in these red bumps that looked like bites. hives all over my neck. I ended up at a dermatologist. He thinks I got atopic or contact dermatitis. I itched 24/7 for 5 weeks

 

Does sound like the same thing. I also wash all new clothes before wearing them.

[Diverdan]

My sainted mother, God rest her soul, always taught me to wash EVERYTHING before I wore it or used it the first time... towels, underwear, sheets, shirts, jock straps, cups, etc. There are all kinds of chemicals that are used to make things look good, but those same chemicals are very hard on your skin. She also washed dishes, silverware or any appliance that was purchased... think of the things that you use for intimate settings... make sure you wash them before and after every use !!! Soap and hot or warm water cure a lot of potential problesm... there is also a reason to wash your hands with soap and use sanitizers on your hands on a regular basis... hands and fingers are wonderful places for bacteria and more to travel from place to place and person to person...

[josephga]

since then i switched to unscented everything. i think it was those new sheets or those new tide pods. since then i've switched to unscented dye free washing detergent, switched to kirks original coco castile soap for bathing. for body moisturizer i switched to extra virgin coconut oil

[gallahadesquire]

since then i switched to unscented everything. i think it was those new sheets or those new tide pods. since then i've switched to unscented dye free washing detergent, switched to kirks original coco castile soap for bathing. for body moisturizer i switched to extra virgin coconut oil

 

Tone Cocoa Butter soap, as unscented as possible. For 33 years. Great for dry skin. Near as I can tell, only available on amazon.com.

 

I went to our local Big Box SuperDuperMarket the other day and could NOT find scentless Tide HE detergent. WHY does everything have an odour these days?

[josephga]

I switched to ALL unscented. also arm & hammer makes a unscented too

and bath in this

http://www.swansonvitamins.com/KIR002/ItemDetail?SourceCode=INTL140

[rvwnsd]

Tone Cocoa Butter soap, as unscented as possible. For 33 years. Great for dry skin. Near as I can tell, only available on amazon.com.

 

 

Try Kiss My Face Olive Oil soap. A big bar is a few dollars at Whole Foods and sometimes LeTarget. It lasts forever. If you catch a good sale at Whole Foods, you can get a buy 2 get 1 free pak and save $$s.

 

I went to our local Big Box SuperDuperMarket the other day and could NOT find scentless Tide HE detergent. WHY does everything have an odour these days?

 

Try Target. They generally have the unscented liquid. I don't think Tide makes an unscented HE powder. Recently, I switched from scent-free HE Tide to Method HE scent-free laundry detergent and am impressed with the results. Even without dyes and perfumes Tide made me itch.

[+ Lucky]

So we wash our sheets. Now about part tow of the post...that fresh feeling the Cottonelle folks want you to have...

[healthguy]

I think the general message here is obvious. Wash everything everything you buy, new OR used first B4 using, for internal or external use. If you develop any kind of acute skin problem, think about what you have changed/added recently. Detergents, creams/lotions, deodorants.

I also have a couple of comments on the original thread:

First: The kinds of bacteria that inhabit our world has remained stable. We can encounter pockets of increased numbers of these in our daily interactions in our world and with other people. Also, as we all now, the resistance to these "routine" bacteria has increased, and can cause death under certain circumstances. For decades, I have cared for individuals that have been living, breathing factories of bacteria. Due to their susceptibility, these bacteria reached places they should not have been in. Sooo, I do we stay safe? The very best, and yet most ignored? Washing our hands. Especially after using areas of "public touching." The CDC has some good simple rules about other times as well. As in food prep, caring for ill people in your house, changing diapers. The hand sanitizers. Just remember, hand sanitizers don't do much if your hands are visibly dirty. But, they do help.

Secondly: That second anal wipe thing. Unless you don't want the neighbors dog to be smelling your crotch, our european friends are spending a lot of money on a KC marketing tool!

Thirdly: Does anyone remember an expose that I believe Good Morning America did many year ago about hotels/motels and their cleaning of said places? They specifically went in with ultra-blue lights, and scanned top bed coverings after units were made. They found, almost all units, showing body fluids of some sort. Of course implying blood, semen, and interchange of fluids from individuals. And, the less "reputable" the establishment, the higher content of said fluids. I remember watching, and thinking I need to pull the top cover down, before I jump in with anyone!!!

Good thread. Interesting, helpful, and fun.

[rvwnsd]

So we wash our sheets. Now about part tow of the post...that fresh feeling the Cottonelle folks want you to have...

 

Not a fan of the Cottonelle wipes (whatever they use to scent it bothers my skin) but the Prep H wipes made with witch hazel are great. Feel very fresh after using them.

[Steven_Draker]

As I was telling Josephga the other day, I bought Brand new sheets from Macys, put em on my bed, and woke up with the worst RASH. Couldnt figure out what was wrong, tried all types of Cortisone creams, etc. Changed the sheets, the rash went away. And those were BRAND NEW. Can only imagine what is lurking is "used" bedding..... YUCK.

 

Didn't Mom teach you to put in the washing machine all brand new bed linens, clothes, underwear etc. before using them for a first time ...?

[Rick Munroe]

My sainted mother, God rest her soul, always taught me to wash EVERYTHING before I wore it or used it the first time... towels, underwear, sheets, shirts, jock straps, cups, etc.

 

Hey, was my mother moonlighting as your mother? Mine taught me the same thing! I always thought she was a germ freak but she was so right. (However, as far as jocks, I think they get better the longer you can wear them between washes...)

[Samai139]

Thirdly: Does anyone remember an expose that I believe Good Morning America did many year ago about hotels/motels and their cleaning of said places? They specifically went in with ultra-blue lights, and scanned top bed coverings after units were made. They found, almost all units, showing body fluids of some sort. Of course implying blood, semen, and interchange of fluids from individuals. And, the less "reputable" the establishment, the higher content of said fluids. I remember watching, and thinking I need to pull the top cover down, before I jump in with anyone!!!

Good thread. Interesting, helpful, and fun.

 

Very good points about linen in hotel rooms. In addition to carrying Lysol Spray disinfectant with me when staying in hotels and motels and using it on spreads, upholstered chairs, etc. I Use disinfectant wipes on the telephone AND the remote control for the TV---one of the most contaminated items in most hotel rooms. If there is any kind of keyboard in the room, make sure that gets the treatment also.

As far as sharing bed space? Prefer to have my bedmates in MY space, but on those occasions when I am "visiting" if it doesn't pass a quick visual inspection? Find an excuse to cancel. Sadly, at my age, this problem doesn't crop up much any more (

[jjkrkwood]

Didn't Mom teach you to put in the washing machine all brand new bed linens, clothes, underwear etc. before using them for a first time ...?[/color]

 

No, she taught me that washing deteriorates the fabric and makes it look OLD faster, so now I dont wash it and just use it till it petrifies and stands up on its own, and then I toss it out !

[Steven_Draker]

No, she taught me that washing deteriorates the fabric and makes it look OLD faster, so now I dont wash it and just use it till it petrifies and stands up on its own, and then I toss it out !

 

Fair enough. Enjoy your rash

[jjkrkwood]

Fair enough. Enjoy your rash

 

Rash is under control. Hyrdocortisone cream works wonders !

[tom1980]

With respect to the original topic of the thread, I started using baby wipes occasionally when my first child was born. Now I almost always use them together with regular toilet paper. My process is regular tp, baby wipe, then back to regular tp to dry off. Definitely leaves me feeing cleaner than only using regular tp.

 

If I used cottonelle, I'd definitely need baby wipes or something similar because that brand of tp has such little structural integrity. Every time I visit someone who uses it, I feel the need to shower after to get the little bits of paper out of my ass crack.