These cleansing toilet seats and attachments can be easily installed in less than an hour, and they start at just $35. You might recognize bidets as that unfamiliar bathroom fixture you had to navigate once on a trip abroad. Already popular in restrooms around the world, bidets are now making their way into American households, too. In the past month, in particular, Google searches for “bidet” spiked 80% as toilet paper becomes increasingly hard to find. These special plumbing fixtures offer a solution, using a targeted stream of water to clean your backside after you go, reducing the need to wipe with toilet paper. In the United States, you can now find bidet seats and hand-sprayers that attach to your water supply to turn a traditional toilet into a bidet. With no need for toilet paper, bidets can make your trip to the bathroom a more pleasant experience. “We believe washing with water provides a far higher level of hygiene that you cannot get with wiping alone,” says Daniel Lalley, communications director for Brondell, a bidet manufacturer. But the benefits go beyond hygiene. Bidets also cut down toilet paper consumption, which is good for your wallet and the environment. With a basic bidet, you’ll still need to use a small amount of toilet paper to dry off after use, but others include a warm air dryer feature that eliminates the need to wipe altogether. Bidets come with a wide variety of features, but the key difference is between mechanical and electrical types. Usually the less expensive option, mechanical bidets use water pressure to create a stream at the temperature of your plumbing. Electrical bidets offer a more customized experience with additional functions such as instant water heating, water pressure controls, and heated seats. If you’re ready to trade your traditional bathroom experience for a toilet-paper-free alternative, check out our picks for the best bidet options, including seats and attachments. Please note that this Scottsdale Real Estate Blog is for informational purposes and not intended to take the place of a licensed Scottsdale Real Estate Agent. The Szabo Group offers first-class real estate services to clients in the Scottsdale Greater Phoenix Metropolitan Area in the buying and selling of Luxury homes in Arizona. Award-winning Realtors and Re/MAX top producers and best real estate agent for Luxury Homes in Scottsdale, The Szabo group delivers experience, knowledge, dedication and proven results. Contact Joe Szabo at 480.688.2020, [email protected] or visit www.scottsdalerealestateteam.com to find out more about Scottsdale Homes for Sale and Estates for Sale in Scottsdale and to search the Scottsdale MLS for Scottsdale Home Listings.  

Garage organization presents some unique challenges: how to pull together cars with toys, tools, sporting equipment, beach chairs and cleaning supplies? In one space? Luckily, 3 professional organizers Mary Hoff (Lotus Organizing & Design), Donna Jumper (JumpStart Organizing) and Lisa Mark (The Time Butler Professional Organizers) are on board to help guide us through the 5 steps of the organization process. Every household stores things in their garage they shouldn’t. “Usually there is just too much of everything and it becomes a dumping ground for all kinds of things,” says Jumper. So if you’ve accumulated massive amounts of clutter, you are not alone. And take heart, chances are your garage has nothing on what these pros have seen while organizing client’s garages: dead and live animals, spoiled food, photographs ruined by moisture, termite-infested furniture that never made it to the dump—the list goes on and on. Before you dive into the organization process, you’ve got to have the right tools in place. Gather the following supplies:

• Heavy-duty trash bags
• Strong vacuum like a shop vac or a broom
• Catch-all basket for odds and ends

Do a basic cleaning and give the floor a good once over with a broom or shop vac. Also, look out for:

• Nails and other small items on the floor
• Oil or chemical stains
• Cobwebs
• Any evidence of furry or winged creatures that may have taken up residence in your home

As you are cleaning, you can begin the decluttering process by tossing anything you know right off the bat (and yes, our organizers have found both live and dead bats in garages) in the trash. This way you don’t have to deal with it during the decluttering/decision-making phase of what to toss and keep. As with any organizing project, you need to declutter before you can organize, and that means dividing items into familiar categories:

• Toss
• Keep
• Donate
• Trash

Ideally, Jumper advises clients to pull everything out of the space. “Putting everything out on the driveway and sorting into zones helps homeowners actually see how many of one item they may have. How many items are broken, outgrown or not used,” she says, “people generally are amazed how many items were actually stuffed into the garage.” Sometimes there is not enough space to pull everything out onto the driveway, and in these cases, Lisa Mark works with clients to divide and conquer: “We often divide the garage into multiple organizing zones and organize each zone completely before moving on to the next.” “You can organize a garage a bit at a time or even a wall at a time,” says Hoff. In other words: choose a corner of the garage to start with, or choose a type of item (beach, sports, small tools, etc.) and declutter slowly. Not sure whether to keep, toss, trash or donate an item? Jumper asks her clients the old stand-by question: “When was the last time you actually used this?” Please note that this Scottsdale Real Estate Blog is for informational purposes and not intended to take the place of a licensed Scottsdale Real Estate Agent. The Szabo Group offers first-class real estate services to clients in the Scottsdale Greater Phoenix Metropolitan Area in the buying and selling of Luxury homes in Arizona. Award-winning Realtors and Re/MAX top producers and best real estate agent for Luxury Homes in Scottsdale, The Szabo group delivers experience, knowledge, dedication and proven results. Contact Joe Szabo at 480.688.2020, [email protected] or visit www.scottsdalerealestateteam.com to find out more about Scottsdale Homes for Sale and Estates for Sale in Scottsdale and to search the Scottsdale MLS for Scottsdale Home Listings.

The sponge and the sink are obvious culprits, but other everyday kitchen objects can harbor germs that cause foodborne illnesses — or worse.When researchers from NSF International, a non-profit public health and safety organization, asked 20 families to swab 14 different kitchen items they found some surprising items were contaminated with various combinations of foodborne illness-causing germs such as E. Coli, Salmonella, Listeria and mold and yeast. This is a health hazard that’s common in households across the country. 21 percent of cases of foodborne illness are actually due to food consumed in private homes, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Here are some of the worst germ breeding grounds that are actually dirtier than a toilet seat!

Be honest: when was the last time you cleaned the knife block, if ever?

De-gunk it: Remove the knives, then turn the block upside down to shake out crumbs. (You can also use a can of compressed air, like a computer keyboard cleaner.) Wash the block in hot soapy water and get in the slots with a small brush, like the kind designed to clean baby bottle nipples. To sanitize, soak the block in a mixture of one gallon of lukewarm tap water and 1 tablespoon of 5.25 percent household bleach, or just fill the knife slots with the mixture. Let it sit for one minute, then rinse thoroughly with clean tap water and place upside down to dry. Avoid germ buildup by washing knives and letting them dry completely before you put them back in the block. Another place that holds a lot of germs, your phone screen. Here is how dirty it actually is.

Salmonella, Listeria, and yeast and mold are partying it up in here with your cukes and carrots, and a dirty drawer could contaminate new clean veggies you put in there, Lisa Yakas, a microbiologist and senior project manager at NSF, told CBSNews.com. De-gunk it: As with the veggie drawer, you need to remove the whole thing and wash it with soap and water.

It’s not surprising that the home of raw meat would host Salmonella, E. Coli, yeast and mold, but ask yourself: How often do you give it a proper cleaning?

De-gunk it: NSF recommends that once a month, you remove the drawer from the fridge and wash the bin with warm water and a mild detergent. You can get rid of odors with a baking soda solution (about 1 to 2 tablespoons of baking soda in 1 quart of water). Let everything dry thoroughly. Watch out for these scary germs that could be lurking on your clothes right now. Please note that this Scottsdale Real Estate Blog is for informational purposes and not intended to take the place of a licensed Scottsdale Real Estate Agent. The Szabo Group offers first-class real estate services to clients in the Scottsdale Greater Phoenix Metropolitan Area in the buying and selling of Luxury homes in Arizona. Award-winning Realtors and Re/MAX top producers and best real estate agent for Luxury Homes in Scottsdale, The Szabo group delivers experience, knowledge, dedication and proven results. Contact Joe Szabo at 480.688.2020, [email protected] or visit www.scottsdalerealestateteam.com to find out more about Scottsdale Homes for Sale and Estates for Sale in Scottsdale and to search the Scottsdale MLS for Scottsdale Home Listings.

You won’t find “clean electronics” on most cleaning checklists and even the best maid services usually don’t include devices like laptops and smartphones. Electronics are magnets for dust, dirt and grimy fingerprints and they can be difficult to clean. From smudges and buildup to bacteria and germs, electronics endure a daily barrage of dirt and contaminants that can make us sick. Just think about your smartphone. You use it while you’re eating, at work, in the car and, yes, even in the bathroom. That’s a lot of opportunities for germs and bacteria to transfer from your hands to your smartphone (and vice versa!). That germ-infested phone then comes in contact with your face, ears, nose and sometimes even your lips—the most common infection gateways. Those bacteria and germs on your hands also end up on your laptop, gaming system and desktop keyboards and just keep rotating from hands to devices and back to hands and so on. It’s a cycle of spreading pathogens that can cause strep throat, ear infections, stomach flu and even pneumonia. Research shows that smartphones carry more germs than toilet seats—up to 10 times more bacteria! Before you go into panic mode and start spraying disinfectant on all your electronics, keep reading to find out how to safely clean and sanitize your phone, laptop and other electronic devices. IMPORTANT!

• Check the manufacturer’s manual before you clean your electronics.
• Don’t spray cleaner or water directly onto electronics.
• Disconnect electronics from power sources or remove the batteries before cleaning them.

How to Clean a Phone or Tablet When cleaning your phone or tablet, you have to be cautious since it probably has a fingerprint-resistant coating that could be damaged. Tempered-glass screen protectors likely have the same coating too. Remove the case and wipe it down with a damp microfiber cloth and move on to your device. The safest way to clean these electronics is to wipe them gently with a damp microfiber cloth. Use cotton swabs to get into crevices and the edges of the screen and buttons. If your device has a screen protector that doesn’t have a coating, use an isopropyl-alcohol-and-water mixture with a microfiber cloth. Pour one part alcohol and one part water into a spray bottle and then spray your cloth with the solution and wipe down the phone to get rid of dirt and germs. Keep this solution handy because you’ll be using it for most of your other electronics. How to Clean a Laptop Because your laptop is mobile, it has plenty of opportunity to pick up dust and germs. Turn your laptop upside down and gently shake out the keyboard to get rid of crumbs. Grab a can of compressed air and blast the keyboard, inputs and crevices. Unplug the laptop and remove the battery. Lightly dampen a microfiber cleaning cloth and wipe down all the surfaces. To clean the LCD screen, use a damp microfiber cloth to remove dust and smudges. For touch screens, use water or eyeglass cleaner applied to a microfiber cloth. Finish up by wiping down the keyboard with your alcohol-and-water solution. How to Clean a Desktop PC For your desktop monitor screen, follow the same procedure you used for your laptop screen. Use water and a microfiber cloth to wipe down the back of the monitor and the bezel around the screen. Wipe down your computer tower and wipe off the dust on your desk while you’re at it to get your home office area clean. Shake your keyboard out over a trash can and use compressed air to get rid of the debris around and under the keys. Wipe down the keys and the rest of the keyboard and use a cotton swab to get grime out of crevices. Finish by wiping down the keyboard with a cloth and your alcohol and water solution. For your mouse, wipe it down with a damp cloth and use cotton swabs to get into crevices. Complete the job by wiping down the mouse with your sanitizing solution. How to Safely Clean a Flat-Screen TV  While it’s tempting to grab your glass cleaner for this job, know that glass cleaners can be corrosive. Many television screens have anti-reflective coatings that are sensitive to the chemicals in most cleaners. Skip the harsh chemicals and use a microfiber cloth dampened with water to wipe down the screen and then the bezel and base. If you have any electronics like DVD players or streaming devices, wipe these down too. Just like smartphones, remote controls can harbor germs and contain buildup from sticky, dirty hands. Remove the batteries from the remote and shake loose any debris. Blast the buttons with compressed air and get the gunk around the buttons and in crevices with a cotton swab. Wipe down all surfaces with your alcohol and water solution. How to Clean Bluetooth and Smart Devices Smart appliances and Bluetooth speakers collect dust and germs like all other high-tough items. Unplug devices or take the batteries out before you clean them. For devices with screens, wipe down the screen with a damp microfiber cloth. Fabric-covered parts, plastic and other surfaces can be cleaned with the same cloth. For grooves and crevices, compressed air and cotton swabs should get out any debris. Finish up by wiping down everything except the screen with your sanitizer solution. How to Clean a Game Console and Controllers Game consoles, and especially controllers, can get grimy, greasy and dirty from hours of gaming and snacking. Unplug the console and disconnect the controllers before you start cleaning. Spray the cutouts and inputs with compressed air and dust everything with a soft bristle brush. Wipe down all surfaces with a damp microfiber cloth and use cotton swabs to get into crevices. For controllers, dampen a cloth with your alcohol and water solution. Wipe down the controller and cord thoroughly. Use a cotton swab with the same sanitizing solution and get into the grooves and all around the buttons. Make sure everything is dry before you reconnect the controllers and plug in your console. How to Clean Fitness Trackers and Smartwatches Your fitness tracker and smartwatch are subjected to sweat and the bacteria from your hands. Use a microfiber cloth dampened with water to wipe off the screen and casing. You can get into any crevices with a small soft-bristled brush and use your sanitizing solution for buttons. It’s best to remove really dirty bands if they need a thorough cleaning. Nylon bands are prone to absorbing sweat, so use a dab of dish detergent and a damp cloth to wipe them down frequently. For silicone bands, wipe them down with a small amount of rubbing alcohol to remove dirt and germs. Metal bands should be wiped with a dry, lint-free cloth. If the metal is especially dirty, use a damp cloth and dry thoroughly. Leather bands can be wiped down with water and a microfiber cloth followed by a leather conditioner. How to Clean Headphones and Earphones Your headphones and earphones can be handled as frequently as a smartphone, so in addition to germs and bacteria, you’re dealing with sweat and earwax. Disconnect your headphones or earphones before cleaning them. For earphones with removable tips, take the tips off and clean them with soap and water and rinse thoroughly. Use a water-dampened microfiber cloth to wipe down the rest of the earphones and the cord. Make sure the tips are dry before putting them back on the earphones. For headphones, a microfiber cloth and water will get rid of any buildup. Wipe down the surfaces of the headphones and the cord. For crevices and grooves, a small soft-bristled brush will get the dust out. Bluetooth headphones or earphones should only be cleaned with a dry cloth to prevent damage to the electronics inside. Now that you know how to clean and sanitize your electronics, make keeping them that way a routine task. Your electronic devices will be shiny and clean and using them will be a healthier experience. Please note that this Scottsdale Real Estate Blog is for informational purposes and not intended to take the place of a licensed Scottsdale Real Estate Agent. The Szabo Group offers first-class real estate services to clients in the Scottsdale Greater Phoenix Metropolitan Area in the buying and selling of Luxury homes in Arizona. Award-winning Realtors and Re/MAX top producers and best real estate agent for Luxury Homes in Scottsdale, The Szabo group delivers experience, knowledge, dedication and proven results. Contact Joe Szabo at 480.688.2020, [email protected] or visit www.scottsdalerealestateteam.com to find out more about Scottsdale Homes for Sale and Estates for Sale in Scottsdale and to search the Scottsdale MLS for Scottsdale Home Listings.

While the question of whether wood or plastic is a cleaner surface for a cutting board is more about food-borne pathogens than about flu virus, it’s worth noting that germs of any kind can live on either one. And food poisoning is as much an issue these days as the flu. So which is safer? The Food Safety Laboratory at the University of California at Davis is leaning toward wood. Plastic cutting boards can go right in the dishwasher, a virtue that’s won favor among many germ slayers. But if you are washing by hand, a knife-scarred plastic cutting board holds onto bacteria, and wooden cutting boards do not. Robert Donofrio, Director of the microbiology laboratories at NSF, says to be safe, have one board for veggies and another for meat. Plastic boards must be washed in a dishwasher. Wooden boards should be made of hard, closely-grained woods, such as maple. Bacteria and viruses can live about twenty minutes on your sleeve or couch cushion. But they can live a couple of days on the countertop, or other hard, non-porous, surfaces…unless that surface is copper. The EPA has approved copper and copper alloys, such as bronze and brass, as a bacteria killer, and ongoing research suggests it has anti-viral properties, as well. These days it’s not hard to find copper sinks for the bathroom or kitchen, or even doorknobs and switch plates in the trendy metal. Or go vintage and pull out that classic brass hardware for your home. Some scientists believe an increase in humidity can make it harder for viruses to thrive and multiply, and using a humidifier can help create this inhospitable environment for the flu. But be careful; humidifiers can breed bacteria. Individual units must be cleaned regularly, and a whole house system serviced yearly—preferably when it’s deactivated in the warmer months, says Barney Burroughs, President of Building Wellness Consultancy and former president of The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers. Air purification can make a small amount of difference installing viruses, according to Burroughs, though few strategies offer complete protection. While bacteria, pollen, and allergens are airborne risks, viruses mostly spread by touch. However, ultraviolet air purification systems do keep mold and fungi, both of which can aggravate the flu, from developing in your heating and cooling system. The most benefit you can get from technology comes from air cleaners. Modern filters mostly catch larger particles such as bacteria, pollen, mold spores, but any virus traveling on a larger host can get caught by the filter. “It’s not a see all, fix all. It will reduce, but not eliminate exposure,” says Burroughs. There’s one caveat, though: The system must be working 24/7 to be effective. “It only works if the fan is blowing,” says Burroughs. When properly used, a system like Honeywell’s Electronic Air cleaner captures 99 percent of the larger particles, and some of the smaller particles, too. And that’s one good way to keep the flu virus from spreading in your home. Please note that this Scottsdale Real Estate Blog is for informational purposes and not intended to take the place of a licensed Scottsdale Real Estate Agent. The Szabo Group offers first-class real estate services to clients in the Scottsdale Greater Phoenix Metropolitan Area in the buying and selling of Luxury homes in Arizona. Award-winning Realtors and Re/MAX top producers and best real estate agent for Luxury Homes in Scottsdale, The Szabo group delivers experience, knowledge, dedication and proven results. Contact Joe Szabo at 480.688.2020, [email protected] or visit www.scottsdalerealestateteam.com to find out more about Scottsdale Homes for Sale and Estates for Sale in Scottsdale and to search the Scottsdale MLS for Scottsdale Home Listings.

The sink, the telephone, children’s toys, and doorknobs are popular landing sites for virus and bacteria. If someone is sick at home, disinfect daily, especially the remote control and the phone. Charles Gerba, microbiologist and author of The Germ Freak’s Guide to Outwitting Colds and Flu, says remote controls and countertops can be the germiest locale in the whole house. “What’s the first thing you do after you call in sick? Pick up the remote control,” he says. “Sixty percent of them contain influenza virus in the home of a sick person.” In fact, Gerba says, remote controls are the germiest thing in hotel and hospital rooms. And since a virus like influenza spreads through touching something a sick person has also touched, or an object that’s been sneezed on, cleaning off the places your hand usually goes is most important. According to Gerba, the home office is another place to watch out for germs. “Desktops have 400 times more bacteria than a toilet seat,” he says. Gerba says to disinfect your desktop weekly, along with the rest of the house. This could reduce your exposure to colds and flu by as much as 50 percent. Your kitchen sponge should be replaced every couple of weeks. If that runs counter to your frugal ways, you can microwave it for one minute or run it in the dishwasher to eliminate germs. Beware of dust rags, dishrags, mops and other cleaning tools. Unless sanitized between uses, they only spread around the germs you are trying to kill. “It’s a free ride for the virus,” says Gerba. Some of the cleanest houses he’s tested had the highest germ counts. And get this: a few untidy bachelor pads tested very low for germs, which he attributes to lazy housekeeping. “They don’t move anything around, everything is in the sink or the garbage.” But you don’t have to descend into bachelor habits to defeat contagion. Gerba advises heavy reliance on paper towels. If you don’t want to stockpile disposable towels, wash and dry cleaning tools at high temperatures so your house is clean and germ-free. There’s a lot of goods that tout themselves as “anti-bacterial” on the label, from floor tile and paint, to hand cleanser and magic markers. The Environmental Protection Agency has a list of 500 products that disinfect hard, non-porous, surfaces against flu. It includes common household cleaners such as Pin Sol, Clorox, and Lysol. Look for the word “disinfect” or “sanitize” on the label; that means the EPA has tested and approved its germ killing power. Some alternatives such as lemon juice, tea tree oil, oregano oil, or lavender oil have properties that kill microbes. But according to University of Arizona microbiologist Charles Gerba, these natural alternatives often work more slowly, impact a smaller spectrum of microorganisms, and kill fewer of them than products that have passed muster with the EPA. Modern technology can help do the disinfecting for you through powerful cleaning. If you’re already shopping for appliances, take a look at the list of household appliances cited by the NSF (formerly the National Sanitations Foundation). The group has certified dozens of germ-fighting appliances, including dryers, dishwashers, and washing machines. Please note that this Scottsdale Real Estate Blog is for informational purposes and not intended to take the place of a licensed Scottsdale Real Estate Agent. The Szabo Group offers first-class real estate services to clients in the Scottsdale Greater Phoenix Metropolitan Area in the buying and selling of Luxury homes in Arizona. Award-winning Realtors and Re/MAX top producers and best real estate agent for Luxury Homes in Scottsdale, The Szabo group delivers experience, knowledge, dedication and proven results. Contact Joe Szabo at 480.688.2020, [email protected] or visit www.scottsdalerealestateteam.com to find out more about Scottsdale Homes for Sale and Estates for Sale in Scottsdale and to search the Scottsdale MLS for Scottsdale Home Listings.