Few things are more human than our collective yearning for absolutes. Which is why everyone loves antibacterial cleaning products that claim to kill 99.9 percent of bacteria. And it’s actually even better than that. According to Charles Gerba, a microbiologist at the University of Arizona whose research...
On those nights when you weren’t expecting or even intending to get lucky, there’s usually a moment of panic that comes with taking someone back to your place: Did you make the bed? Does your bedroom still smell good — or just good to you? Did you ever take...
Electric toothbrushes are better than manual toothbrushes: Fact. An analysis of 56 different studies published in 2014 found that not only do electric toothbrushes reduce dental plaque by 21 percent more than manual toothbrushes, they reduce gingivitis by 11 percent more, too. There’s one downside of electric...
The urban legend goes like this: Stand too close to a microwave, and your body could be bombarded with secondhand radiation that gives you cancer. The FDA, however, claims that microwaves are perfectly safe. So who’s telling the truth? Surprise! It’s the FDA, since there’s currently no...
According to the marketing pitches, filters make for tastier, safer, healthier water. Which… sounds like it should make sense? Your anal-retentive roommate who keeps going on about his jug of filtered water certainly believes it, too. But is filtered water actually safer and healthier than the good ol’...
PSA: All quality condoms have an expiration date printed on both the box and the foil packaging. This, of course, is a fruitless effort by condom manufacturers, since most people using them are either distracted by the naked person who wants to have sex with them; fumbling...
Few things are as satisfying as sliding into a bed on which the sheets have been made to look like a display model at Ikea. Despite this feeling, however, 59 percent of people don’t make their beds, according to a 2012 survey. In fact, if the study...
Nobody is denying that there are many, many good reasons to change your bedsheets on a regular basis. For example: The average person leaks around 100 liters of sweat in their sleep each year, according to one British study. The same study also found that most pillows...
Yes, it’s annoying when someone asks you to take off your shoes before you’re allowed to step inside their home. But it’s also annoying (and painful and embarrassing) to contract some form of explosive diarrhea, which is something that can happen when germs from the street are...
For some, the bathroom is a refuge, a quiet place to gather their thoughts before going about their day. For others, it’s a place to take care of business, whether someone else is already in there or not. Since most couples have to find a way to...
You go to the grocery store with ambition. This week, you tell yourself, you will stick to the plan: You will eat healthily, or cheaply, or whatever your goal is right now. You will not waste a leaf, a drop, a scrap of food. This week, you...
When you’re hungry, you’re hungry, and sometimes that means tearing off the patch of green mold growing on a slice of bread in order to make yourself a sandwich. But is this really getting rid of the mold, or should you consider the entire slice a goner...