Research

Research Highlights: The strongest public health guidance points to one clear rule: cleaning comes first, while sanitizing or disinfecting should be used selectively based on surface type, illness risk, and product safety. What Are the Correct Steps for Cleaning and Sanitizing? The correct steps for cleaning and sanitizing are: remove visible debris, wash the surface…

Research Highlights: Handwashing data show that clean hands can reduce some common infections, but timing, soap, scrubbing, and household hygiene habits all matter. How Do You Wash Your Hands Correctly? To wash your hands correctly, wet your hands with clean running water, apply soap, lather all hand surfaces, scrub for at least 20 seconds, rinse…

Research Highlights: Hand sanitizer works best as a backup when soap and water are not available, especially when it contains enough alcohol and is used on hands that are not visibly dirty. Does Hand Sanitizer Kill Germs? Hand sanitizer can kill or reduce many germs when it contains enough alcohol and is used correctly. CDC…

Research Highlights: Public health sources consistently show that hand hygiene is a low-cost household health habit linked to fewer diarrhea-related illnesses, fewer respiratory infections, and safer food handling. What Is Hand Hygiene? Hand hygiene means cleaning your hands to reduce germs, dirt, and other substances that can spread illness. In daily life, this usually means…

Research Highlights: The strongest handwashing data shows that soap, friction, running water, and enough scrubbing time work together to reduce germs and lower the spread of common infections.   Why Do You Have to Wash Your Hands for 20 Seconds? You should wash your hands for 20 seconds because soap, rubbing, rinsing, and drying need…

Research Highlights: Mold spores are common in indoor and outdoor air, but the biggest household risk occurs when spores land on damp materials and begin to grow. What Are Mold Spores? Mold spores are tiny reproductive cells released by mold. They move through the air, settle on surfaces, and may begin growing when they land…

Research Highlights: The clearest takeaway from the research is that mold risk is less about the color of the mold and more about moisture, dampness, exposure level, and a person’s health sensitivity. What Are Mold Exposure Symptoms? Mold exposure symptoms are physical reactions that some people experience after breathing in or touching mold spores or…

Research highlights: The safest practical indoor humidity target for mold prevention is 30% to 50% relative humidity, with 60% treated as an upper limit rather than a goal. Mold prevention depends on moisture control, fast drying after leaks or spills, and monitoring damp rooms, hidden surfaces, and porous materials. The EPA recommends keeping indoor relative humidity below 60%, ideally between 30% and 50%, when possible. Humidity…

Research highlights: Wet or damp materials should be dried within 24-48 hours to help prevent mold growth, indoor humidity should generally stay below 60%, and mold problems can range from small homeowner-cleanup areas under 10 square feet to major remediation projects costing $10,000-$30,000+. Wet or damp materials should be dried within 24-48 hours after a leak, spill, or flood to help prevent mold…