Healthy Halloween Treats

By Rose Kreller of Medi-Waste Disposal

All children anticipate Halloween.  The costumes, parties and candy!  Rethinking the Halloween menu can add to the nutritional value of food and avoid risk of cavities and obesity, while still having fun.

HalloweenParty Treats

Halloween parties are an ideal way to keep kids safe, get to know your kids’ friends and control the amount of sugar dis consume.  Serve sweets such as cupcakes and candy in moderation.  Add in healthy snacks such as fruit and veggie trays and popcorn. 

Some fun homemade treats include:

•          Spider Web Pizza – use whole grain English muffins, tomato sauce, string cheese and strips of peppers
•          Apple Jack-O-Lanterns – Older children can carve out faces in apples
•          Mummy Dogs – Wrap turkey hot dogs in pop biscuits
•          Witches Brew – Serve 100% juice with seltze4r water.  Serve with a gummy worm wrapped around a straw.

Store Bought Treats

Use only prepackaged treats for those coming to your door.  Individually wrapped packages of pretzels, sugar free gum, juice boxes or snack crackers are a better option.  Also try nonfood items such as pencils, stickers or temporary tattoos.

Midwest Medical Waste, Inc.

PO Box 416
Manhattan, KS 66505

medimidwest.com
Office: 785-539-MEDI (6334)
Toll Free: 855-631-MEDI (6334)
info@medimidwest.com

Is My Hotel Room Clean?

By Rose Kreller of Medi-Waste Disposal

While traveling, the hotel is your home away from home.  It’s nice to have someone cleaning your room, adding linens and making your bed while you are out and about, but a neatly made bed and fresh towels does not always equal a germ free room.

The uncleanliness of a hotel room may not put your life in danger, yet it could affect your health, and state of mind while traveling.  Studies show that germs lurk in places like light switches, remotes and telephone key pads.  Here are a few tips to help you sleep moresoundly on your next adventure.

Read Reviews.  There are no international standards for hotel cleanliness.  Price, location or brand name will not guarantee a sanitary room.  Find out what fellow travelers are saying on web reviews.  TripAdvisor, Expedia, AAA are all resources to look at prior to booking a hotel.  If you specific concerns, call the hotel management and solicit information about their sanitation standards and if they belong to International Housekeeper’s Association. 

Upon arrival, assess the appearance of the hotel.  Groomed landscaping, trash free walkways, shiny mopped floors, clean carpets and organized brochure shelves indicate cleanliness is a priority.  Examine your room for mold, hair and grime in the bathroom.  Check glassware for fingerprints, soap residue or lipstick remnants.  Check refrigerators and drawers for other guests left behind items, indicating poor cleaning.

Washing hands might sound trivial, but it has been proven to reduce the transfer of cold and flu viruses, and prevent the spread of bacteria from whatever you are touching.

Fling off the bedspread, as they are often not laundered after each guest like towels and sheets.  

Examine under the mattress for reddish brown spots indicating bug infestation.  Call the front desk immediately if you have concerns.

It is not a bad idea to rinse glassware with hot water before using, just to be sure it is clean.  Also, bringing along a spray sanitizer or disinfectant and spraying a few frequently touched surfaces and greatly enhance cleanliness.  Sanitizing wipes are good for remotes, phones and doorknobs. 

It is always good to bring along hand sanitizer and sanitizing wipes when traveling.  If you still have concerns about cleanliness and germs, travel with your own sheets, towels and blankets.

Midwest Medical Waste, Inc.

PO Box 416
Manhattan, KS 66505

medimidwest.com
Office: 785-539-MEDI (6334)
Toll Free: 855-631-MEDI (6334)
info@medimidwest.com

Laundry Tips Everyone Should Know

By Rose Kreller of Medi-Waste Disposal 

Everyone knows someone in your life who just seems to know all the tricks and hints to make laundry and clothing care easier.  Lots of articles exist on stain removal, detergent selection etc.  Here are some tips that are just little nuggets of wisdom that will amaze you and impress your friends, maybe even your mom!

•  Before wearing/washing a new garment, put a little clear nail polish on the front and back of the button where it is stitched.  Buttons will stay on longer when their threads are sealed.
•  Zippers are less likely to stick if you rub them with the edge of a bar of soap.
•  To remove a crease in a garment or hem, sponge the material wit distilled white vinegar and press with a warm iron.
•  When laundering, add detergent to the washer first.  Pouring detergent on clothing can cause fabrics to fade.
•  Avoid getting perfume, aftershave or hair spray on leather.  It may ruin the finish or color.
•  Wash nylon clothing after every wearing.  Nylon is very hard to clean once it becomes heavily soiled.  Rinse off any oily stains immediately after they happen.
•  Knit garments are best stored folded on a shelf or in a drawer.  Hanging knits can cause them to stretch out of shape.
•  If adding bleach to wash, wait about 5 minutes into agitation.  This gives detergent time to remove soil then bleach can do the whitening.
•  Turn clothes inside out before laundering to keep the right side looking its best.
•  A yard of nylon net or some shower net scrubbing balls will act as a lint catcher in the dryer.  Just add with the wet clothes.
•  Forgot to add fabric softener to the wash, and you’re out of dryer sheet??  Make your own dryer sheet by pouring a bit of fabric softener into a bowl of water.  Swish a washcloth in the solution.  Wring it out and toss in the dryer with wet clothes.
•  If you don’t have a mesh laundry bag for washing delicates, place them in a pillowcase and fasten the loose end with a bag tie or shoelace.
•  To speed up the ironing process, place a strip of heavy duty aluminum foil over the length of the ironing board.  Cover with ironing pad.  The heat will reflect through the underside of your garment and help you finish more quickly.
•  To reduce wrinkles in clothing, thoroughly wet a hand towel with water.  Wring out excess water and toss in the dryer with wrinkled items.  Dry on high for about 5 minutes.  Removed clothes and hand to dry.
•  Most everything can be washed in cold water, but use the hottest water possible for sheets, towels and underwear.  Take special care with undergarments, putting them in the dryer as soon as possible to stop bacteria growth while they sit camp in the washer. 

Midwest Medical Waste, Inc.

PO Box 416
Manhattan, KS 66505

medimidwest.com
Office: 785-539-MEDI (6334)
Toll Free: 855-631-MEDI (6334)
info@medimidwest.com

Finding The Fountain of Youth

By Rose Kreller of Medi-Waste Disposal 

There are lots of wrinkle creams, eye serums and other anti-aging skin care products available to help reduce the signs of aging.  To create a truly effective anti-aging skin care plan, however, it helps to start with healthy skin care habits.

Healthy skin care habits can help:

    *prevent a blotchy complexion

    *retains skin’s youthful firmness longer

    *reduce fine lines and wrinkles

    *avoid leathery skin

    *reduce the risk of skin cancer

Anti-aging skin care tips include:

•   Apply moisturizer every day.  As we age, the skin becomes drier.  Fine lines and wrinkle appear.  Moisturizer traps water in our skin giving it a more youthful appearance. 
•  Cleanse daily.  Washing your face with a gentle cleanser improves appearance.  Avoid scrubbing the skin though.
• Stop smoking.  Tobacco smoke contains toxins and continuous exposure to it results in a dull and dry complexion.  Skin also loses its firmness forming premature lines and wrinkles.
• Eat healthy.  A healthy diet promotes healthy skin, this includes fruits, vegetables, lean protein and healthy fats.
•  Get enough sleep.  It’s called ‘beauty rest’ for a reason.  Sleep gives your body time to refresh and renew itself. Protecting skin from the sun.  Sun protection is the foundation of every anti-aging skin care plan.  The sun’s rays make our skin age more quickly.  There is lots of evidence that sun prematurely ages our skin; we call this photoaging.  To avoid this, seek shade and avoid the sun between 10am and 4pm, cover up with hats, long sleeves and sunglasses, and be sure to wear sunscreen every day with an SPF of 30 or higher.
• Avoid indoor tanning with sun lamps or tanning beds. 

Midwest Medical Waste, Inc.

PO Box 416
Manhattan, KS 66505

medimidwest.com
Office: 785-539-MEDI (6334)
Toll Free: 855-631-MEDI (6334)
info@medimidwest.com