Home & Earth

A Healthier Planet Begins at Home

We all want to keep a healthy home. Fortunately, when it comes to having a healthy home, small changes can make a big difference. So we'll start there, with the little things-things so small, in fact, you can't even see them.

Air, allergies and achoos

Did you know that tens of millions of Americans suffer from asthma and allergies? Many of the most common allergy-causing culprits are found right in and around your home, including mold, mildew, pet dander, dust mites, cockroaches and pollen. For those with allergies, these culprits can cause everything from stuffy noses and skin rashes to chronic sinus infections. Severe allergic reactions can even be life threatening.

Fortunately, a few simple steps can take the punch away from these pesky allergens.

Finally, a word about flooring: Washable floors are easier to keep allergy-free; wall-to-wall carpets, more difficult. If at all possible, choose bare floors or rugs instead of wall-to-wall carpeting.

Keeping food safe from store to table

At Food Lion, we do everything we can to ensure your food is as fresh and safe as possible when you buy it. By following a few simple guidelines, you can ensure your food stays fresh, safe and tasty from our stores to your table.

Don't wait: Refrigerate
Don't let refrigerated or frozen items sit in your car after grocery shopping. Refrigerate or freeze these food items as soon as you get home. Also, refrigerate or freeze leftovers within two hours. Bagging your lunch? Put it in the fridge when you get to work. Or, include a frozen gel pack in an insulated lunch bag. The reason: Harmful bacteria grow and multiply very quickly at 40°F or more. Once gel packs and other cold sources melt, perishable food is not safe and should be thrown away.

Take special care when shopping for, handling and cooking raw meat, poultry and seafood as their juices can contain bacteria that can make you sick. Separate raw meat, poultry and seafood from other foods in your grocery cart, grocery bags, refrigerator and freezer. And when cooking, use these FDA minimum temperature guidelines:

• Beef, at least 160°F (71°C)
• Roasts and steaks, at least 145°F (63°C)
• Poultry, at least 165°F (74°C)
• Pork roasts and shoulders to 160°F (71°C)
• Leftovers, reheated to 165°F (74°C) Boil leftover sauces, soups and gravies.
• Fish: Cook until it's opaque and flakes with a fork.
• Know that the only true way to gauge food temperature is to use a food thermometer.

Wash your produce well, both fruit and vegetables, before eating them.

Run a clean kitchen
Wash your hands, kitchen counter, cutting board, dishes and utensils with hot, soapy water before and after handling food and preparing each food item. Be sure to wipe up spills, too.

Keep cloths and sponges clean
Believe it or not, the very items you use to clean - cloths and sponges - could be spreading bacteria. Wash cloths frequently in your washing machine in hot water. Zap damp, metal-free sponges in the microwave for two minutes every other day to kill bacteria.

Watch where germs surface

Germs can lurk on all kinds of surfaces for hours and even days. Today, we have an arsenal of powerful cleaners at our disposal for killing germs. Here are a few things to keep in mind when choosing cleaners:

Read the labels
Some ingredients in powerful cleaning products may irritate eyes, lungs and more. To prevent this, look for no- or low-VOC (Volatile Organic Com¬pounds-chemicals recognized as poten¬tially harmful) cleaners. Also, you can choose from hundreds of products with the Design for the Environment (DfE) label. The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has designated these products as safer for families and the environment. Another label to look for: Green Seal, a nonprofit science-based environmental certification.

Print a coupon for $1 Green Works^TM and other Home and Earth products

Don't overuse antibacterial and antimicrobials
It may seem counter-intuitive, but antibacterial and antimicrobial soaps and disinfectants that help keep germs away can also make germs more drug-resistant. So try not to go overboard with these products.

Listen to Mom
What is your best defense against germs? It's what moms have been advising for generations: Wash your hands frequently with regular soap and hot water, especially after touching heavily used surfaces like kitchen counters, remote controls and phones.