Saturday 31 May 2014

C is For Calculating





C is for calculating .

C is for calculating everywhere I go.

C is for calculating to cope.

Whenever I go anywhere I have to calculate everything to minimise panicking and to maximise my day.

Take last Tuesday for example I had to calculate how I was getting to an event , luckily I was met by some very kind bloggers.

The first picture is of Senate House which was taken on my way to the British Museum. I was calculating what I would do when I got there before I saw the #8mummies

The second picture was taken going round the museum , calculating how much I could see before going into the #8mummies as I had a time ticket.


My cat the evil puss , taken because I try and work out what he is calculating , just how is going to out calculate who ?

Friday 30 May 2014

Dyson Cinetic Fighting The Dust Battle So #NoMoreHiddenDust

What did you learn on Tuesday  ?

Learning 


I learnt that when I old enough to collect my pension and hopefully have someone else to do my housework for me that there will yet another ground breaking Dyson out.






You see Dyson are always developing new technology that we wouldn't see for 25 to 30 years and in doing this they are always one vacumn ahead of their competitors. I have always had Dysons and swear by them particularly as I have 2 cats one of whom is a fluff monster and is forever in a cloud of fur.



I also learnt  some scary but amazing facts when I was at the Dyson event  :










Dust mites:

Dust mites are the number one cause of allergies in the home. They feed off the skin cells that humans shed. And litter our beds, sofas, carpets, clothing and cuddly toys with feces. Their feces are so light and tiny that they float easily into air when disturbed by our everyday activities. Inhaling these minute particles causes allergic reactions to those who are sensitive to a type of protein found in dust mite faeces.

·       An average bed has up to 3 million dust mites.
·       There are 500,000 particles of dust in the average cubic meter of air. 50% is dead human skin cells.
·       Humans shed about 30,000 – 40,000 skin cells per minute, or about 28 grams per month (equivalent to a bag of crisps).
·       The average square meter of carpet has 1,000 dust mites. Each critter produces up to 30 droppings a day. It’s these droppings that most people are allergic to.
·       Moving around in your bed disturbs dust mite droppings which then stay airborne for at least 30 minutes.
·       Pollen is built to travel, often going hundreds of miles and coming into your home through open windows. It often settles on floors and under furniture where it can be breathed but not seen.
·       In the microbiology lab, Dyson scientists grow their own dust mite cultures. This enables them to study their behavior and the allergens they produce, and help design engineers develop machines to combat them better.  
·       Dust mites don’t just live in mattresses and carpets – sofas and cushions are ideal environments too.
·       Dust mites can’t survive extreme temperatures. Freeze delicate bed sheets to kill them.

Guess what I am off to vacuum after reading and writing this !


Combatting dust mites:

·       Vacuum mattresses regularly to pick up skin cells and dust mite faeces. Dyson’s vacuum cleaners are all approved by the AllergyFoundation and their unique cyclone technology means they have no loss of suction.
·       You can kill dust mites by placing items like toys in a plastic bag, freezing them for two days and letting them thaw naturally – this will kill the dust mites as they cannot survive the cold.
·       Removing shoes before entering the house. Otherwise you will be walking in nasty chemicals, pollen, dirt and dust straight into your home.


·       Make up brushes aren’t to be forgotten either. To kill these mites pop them in the freezer for a few hours and this kills all the mites.

I never would have thought to freeze my makeup brushes !



Pollen:

·       Hay fever is caused by an allergy to the pollen of wind-pollinated plants, including numerous species of trees, grasses and weeds. Pollen is produced in huge quantities in spring and summer.
·       Evolved for wind dispersal, it is lightweight and in some circumstances can travel several hundred miles. The seasonality of hay fever varies from person to person, depending on which type of pollen causes the reaction. It’s a surprising fact but most pollen and other respiratory allergens inside the home are found on the floor and under surfaces. Regular cleaning with a vacuum cleaner can reduce this, making use of the tools provided with our machines allows you to reach into the hard to reach places in the home.

Combatting pollen:

·       When humidity rises above 50%, the risk of mould allergies increases significantly. Keeping your home below 45% humidity makes it harder for fungi and mould to flourish.
·       Opening bathroom and kitchen windows can help lower humidity and reduce mould. Air other rooms regularly, but try to keep windows closed during the hay fever season.
·       Some flowering plants, including roses, self-pollinate. Because their pollen doesn’t have to travel so far, it doesn’t usually cause allergies.

·       Pollen from grasses causes a reaction in 90% of people with hay fever. Keeping grass cut short will help prevent it flowering and producing pollen.

·       Ferns produce spores rather than pollen. They fling them into the air at up 4.5 metres per second using a slingshot mechanism. The spores can be highly allergenic.
·       If someone in your home suffers from hay fever, try not to dry your washing in the garden when the pollen count is high – especially in the morning and early evening.


Mr T is forever mowing the grass and it turn that gets composted in 'brian the compost bin so it all helps and did you know that you can actually empty the contents of your Dyson straight into your compost bin !







Mould

Indoor moulds and fungi occur throughout the year provided there is moisture and oxygen. However, they tend to be more prevalent during warmer, wetter months – the same time as outdoor moulds and fungi. They reproduce by emitting microscopic spores, which are common triggers of allergies and asthma. As many as 30% of allergy sufferers are affected. Mould can lead to watery and itchy eyes and runny noses.    

Combatting mould:
·       Damp areas on walls should be seen to.
·       Removing house dust by vacuuming will remove spores that are present in the dust therefore reducing the risk of mould forming in the house.
·       Pay particular attention to walls behind kitchen units and cupboards; the lack of ventilation often means that excess mould grows in these areas.
·       Tackle condensation.





Pets that time old allergy causer !


Did you know that it actually the saliva of the pet that will make you sneeze ? rather than the actual fur itself . I love pets though I prefer cats I am more allergic to dogs perhaps as they have a tendency to slobber on you more ! My sister in laws dog does think itself of a cat though and during a visit I will break into hives on my neck but ohhh what a cutie !




To combat these issues you should:
·       Clean/wash dog/cat  bed at 60 degrees
·       Vacuum your dog with a groom tool – only ones specifically for this use
·       Use a machine with full filter filtration.
·       When pets lick their fur they leave behind allergen-rich saliva – it ends up on upholstery and carpets when they shed. Vacuum regularly and use a cleaner with a motorised brush bar to remove more pet hair from deep-pile carpets.

Extra cleaning tips:
·       Curtains and blinds harbor dust and pollen.
·       Keyboards can have as much bacteria as a toilet seat.

How do I feel about lurking dust and when I can't find my phone or house keys bit like this really.






Help is at hand for that pesky dust and that is thanks to the new Dyson Cinetic so #NoHiddenDust




Futuristic isn't a characteristic you normally associated with vacuum cleaners but this truly is ! I don't think it would look out of place cleaning the decks of the star shop Enterprise !






Dyson first banished the bag.
Now a vacuum without the fuss of filters.

In 1993, bags were out. 20 years of research and development later, Dyson is introducing the only machine with no bags, no loss of suction, and no filter fuss.

Bagged vacuums lose suction as pores clog. And other cyclonic vacuum cleaners often rely on filters to capture dust, which also clog, causing loss of suction. Dyson’s latest vacuum uses patented Dyson Cinetic™ cyclone technology. The cyclones are so efficient there is no filter maintenance: no washing, nothing to replace, one less thing to think about.   

James Dyson: “Getting rid of bags solved the frustration of my vacuum losing suction. But washing filters - or worse – buying them, is still a nuisance. Dyson Cinetic™ cyclones are so efficient at separating microscopic particles that everything gets thrust into the bin, and you can forget about fussy filters.”

Other manufacturers may claim ‘no loss of suction’, but test their machines with less than one bin-full of dust (IEC 60312-1 Clause 5.9). After just one bin load performance can start dropping. Dyson engineers spent time in real homes to calculate how much dust would be picked up over 10 years. By using the equivalent volume of dust they proved that the Dyson Cinetic™ vacuum maintains constant suction, with ten years’ worth of test dust, with no filter maintenance.

Dyson Cineticcyclones
Smaller cyclones generate higher centrifugal forces and capture smaller particles. But the tighter the cyclone, the more likely it is to block. Dyson engineers have created cyclones with flexible tips. The spinning airflow agitates the tips, setting up an oscillation which prevents dust from sticking to the cyclones – keeping them clear.

Dyson engineers went through 50 iterations of the technology using different materials: if the material is too hard, the tips cannot oscillate enough to move dust through to the bin. If the material is too soft, the airflow causes the cyclones to shut, blocking them off.  




Carbon fibre turbine head
On carpets the stiff nylon bristles remove dirt. On hard floors the ultra-fine antistatic carbon fibre filaments remove fine dust.

Dyson Ball™ technology
Sitting on a ball, The Dyson Cinetic™ vacuum has a low centre of gravity and is easier to pull without snagging on corners or the carpet pile.  Coupled with a unique central steering system, the vacuum uses an articulating chassis and central pivot point for negotiating tight turns and circumnavigating sofas.








Disclosure : Thank you for Dyson for inviting me to the event , I haven't been told what to write , I am relaying the information that I learnt from the day , I am proud to be a Dyson owner. Thank you to Dyson for use of their images . The image of the dog thinking it is a cat is mine the image not the dog that is.