Why You Should Wash New Clothes Before Wearing Them...

I remember loving the smell of new clothes anytime my Mom came back from her travels and opened her suitcases to give us whatever she had purchased for us during her trips.  Knowing that they were new, we always slipped them on without washing them first; after all, they were new. If only I knew how wrong I was then.

I saw the light one day while I was shopping for a new set of clothes. As I looked through clothes in the boutique, I saw one sweaty lady try on a blouse and then take it off. Now, what I saw shocked me cus as soon as the lady left the shop, the sales attendant just put the garment back on the rack... Yeah I know, disgusting! That was when I decided that I would always try new garments with my own clothes on. Can you imagine the kind of bacteria that lady could have transferred onto that blouse that she didn't buy in the end? And that was a blouse... Imagine if it were a pair of trousers or jeans that get close to your intimate areas!

I decided to then see what experts say about this issue and you wouldn't believe what I found on Good Morning America. A team of experts conducted some research by buying "new clothes" from various stores and tested them for germs earlier this year and found very disturbing results.

They found representation of respiratory secretions, skin flora, and some fecal flora on one blouse, discovered evidence of feces, skin flora and respiratory secretions, especially in the armpit and "close to the buttocks," on another jacket.

Oh! and the biggest surprise, according to the scientists came when they tested a silk blouse. Could you believe that they found vaginal organisms, yeast and more fecal germs? Quoting what one scientist said when discussing the results, you may understand why you should wash your new clothes before wearing them.

"Some garments were grossly contaminated with many organisms … indicating that either many people tried it or ... someone tried it on with heavy contamination," he said. "In a sense, you are touching somebody's arm pit or groin. So you want to be protected that's all". Gosh! Imagine what it would be like if it were a bra... Ladies, please take a cue cus that's kinda gross if you ask me.

So, in order to protect yourself from these harmful bacteria, please wash your new clothes and underwear before wearing them. And if possible, wear clothes underneath while trying on new clothes and wash your hands after shopping as recommended by the experts.

Why I Worry About The Pure Water I Buy...........

(Google pix)

Two days ago, as my friend and I were chatting about our days back in school, one thing that got us laughing was the term "After you". Thanks to the previously popular Opanyin di Panyin ( Water bagged in transparent plastic bags), this term travelled far and wide. It was everywhere, particularly in schools. Those who couldn't buy their own bags could at least get some from a friend once they shouted "after you" before someone else did.

That was before the Pure Water craze began in early 2000. Now its absolutely everywhere. On every street and, at bus stations you will find either someone with an ice box, or a child with a basket on their head, stuffed with chilled bags of what is claimed to be purified water.

I quickly stopped the Opanyin di Panyin since I sometimes suspected that the water wasn't boiled and filtered before being bagged for sale. Here I was, so sure that this new bagged water could do no harm. After all, they were branded with a name, had the address of the producers and, even listed the mineral composition of the water. Oh! How naive could I have been?

The scales however, fell of my eyes and i saw how sickly twisted the minds of some Ghanaians who, would do anything for money, could be. By the way who introduced that poor imitation of the taste derived from water stored in the smoked earthenware pot? Not only does the water taste bad but, its like you can literally taste the smoke.. Aaargghh!

Some people do treat the water. True. But I can bet on my last cedi that the ones doing so wouldn't even constitute one percent of the total population of pure water producers. Some even go to the extent of putting the logo of the Ghana Standards Board on their bags when in actual fact, that water hasn't been tested at the labs of the Board. Isn't this something we should all be worried about?

Our lives are being endangered by quacks who bag any kind of water without the required filtering and purifying equipment. Maybe some of you should take a trip down the street behind Opeibea House. I hear we have a pure water and plantain chips production "company" there. Eiii! Da benn na ebe ye yei?

It wouldn't come as a surprise if i find out that my previous diarrhoeal attacks didn't occur from the beef sauce I've been consuming but rather, the so called pure water.

My dear friends, I leave you with this piece of advice. If you don't want to wonder whether the water you are drinking was bagged in a bath tub or near a gutter, please choose these brands for, we at least know their origins and, they haven't disappointed me, yet...........

1. 
   
   Ice Cool
   
   
   
2. 
   
   Voltic
   
   
   
3. 
   
   Aquasplash
   
   
   
4. 
   
   Bon Aqua
   
   
   
5. 
   
   Grafton
   
   
   
6. 
   
   Dasani
   
   
   
7. 
   
   Mobile Water
   
   
   

If they are any good ones that I've left out please feel free to include them...........

AS FOR THIS PERFUME DEAA....

For the last two months, the main topic of my prayers before I leave the house for church on Sundays has always been about the people I sit next to. Yes, I said the people I sit next to. I’m sure by now you know what I’m getting at but, let me start with a story.

Two months ago, as I entered the fully air conditioned premises of my church at North Industrial Area, looking forward to a great sermon by my pastor (who by the way, cracks the best jokes ever), I didn’t realize that the sermon was going to be a “scented” one for me.

So, I took my seat beside this neatly dressed gentleman and immediately realized my mistake. The kind of perfume that was emanating from his armpits had the distinctive smell of stale sweat combined with a cheap brand of perfume that had probably failed to do the trick (disguise the awful smell). I thought….. great. I have to take two and a half hours of this.

Well guess what? I was totally wrong. Not only did he keep raising his hands unnecessarily throughout the sermon, he decided to give a double dose by opening his mouth and shouting each time he felt “moved by the sermon or, holy spirit”… Ewurade!!!!!

Think about the Korle Lagoon to have a fair idea of what I’m talking about. And don’t even for a moment think “this is just a story.” It is totally and completely true.
So, the service ended with me going home with nothing other than a severe headache (I couldn’t enjoy the service since I kept praying for it to be over).

But seriously, how can people not know that they smell bad? Can’t they examine themselves or ask friends to do so for them?

This story is just one of many that show the experiences that people go through because of others’ ignorance. Can you believe that I don’t take the Metro Mass Buses as a result of a similar experience? (The culprit, who wore a sleeveless blouse, raised her arms to hold a pole for balance and gave us the scent of hell…). Eyee asem oo.
It’s true that nobody is perfect. We all sweat. However, there are a few ways to avoid bad body and oral odour.

Bath regularly
Shave armpits
Please use deodorants that are anti-perspirants. They reduce sweat and mask unpleasant smells.

Try not to sweat too much if you do so easily.
Don’t wear the previous day’s clothes. No matter how clean they are, they will still have the smell of the previous day’s sweat in them.
Brush your teeth frequently.
Use mouthwash if you have to and don’t forget the PKs and other minted gums (They shall never fail you)!!!!

Follow these tips and remember, You have the right to smell heavenly!!!!!

THE PHLEGM, THE SPIT, AND THE ILLS

Every day, as I walk down the street I see several Ghanaians doing so many filthy things but the one act that I cannot bring myself to understand is the hawking up of phlegm.

Seriously, do they have to make that irritating sound all the time? And as if that is not enough, they spit it out and do not even bother to cover up their mess with some sand. AARRGGHH!!

I remember my mother telling me about how someone sitting next to her in a tro-tro stretched his body across her and, spat out of the window. Would you believe that the idiot hawked up some phlegm and wanted to repeat the same action? Unbelievable!! My mom stopped him before he could and asked him to swallow his gob of slimy mucus. Thank God!!!!

Public spitting is a serious issue which is widely seen as a social menace, but rarely condemned! Spitting in Ghana happens in practically every locality, by nearly all levels of society from the labourer at the site to the conductor of a bus/trotro mate. Most of the time, the “spitter” is not even aware that this is a nasty habit, which can annoy or even injure others. Spitting phlegm, along with other habits such as blowing of the nose, and sneezing without covering the nose are harmful to public health. It is quite well proved that diseases such as tuberculosis, influenza, pneumonia, chicken pox, diphtheria, endemic fever and whooping cough are spread rapidly by phlegm and spit.

Above all, spitting in the open shows a strong lack of civic sense and a disregard to public property and shared resources. I personally believe that the Ministry of Health as well as other organizations that seek to promote health issues should, structure out a program that would create awareness among public about the diseases spread through this act of spitting in open places, and encourage people to abstain from such habits by practicing oral hygiene and self control.

Oh, and please stop the hawking and spitting if you are guilty of this practice.