Hygiene

Positioned as an answer to the environmental toll associated with toilet-paper and flushable wipes, a startup from Santa Monica in California has launched a portable, rechargeable bidet, which looks more like a powerbank. Something you may be thankful for if it ever fell out of your bag at brunch.

New research suggests that some of the dirt you may have eaten as a child could have contained a type of bacteria that strengthens the immune system. The study reveals the bacteria Mycobacterium vaccae can produce a unique anti-inflammatory fatty acid with anti-inflammatory properties.

Bar-shaped soap is great for sliding into your palm and all over your body, but as we all know it can be hard to keep a good handle on. Tetra Soap is a clever new solution to this little dilemma, taking the form of a tetrapod to more easily remain in your grasp.

The American Dental Association recommends cleaning between teeth at least once per day. Generally, this is done using a strand of dental floss. Though important, it does take time. What if you could floss all your teeth in one bite? That's what Blizzident is promising with its 3D-Flosser.

A recent study has placed kitchen sponges under the microscope and found them to be awash with bacteria, suggesting that a regular refresh mightn't be a bad move for one's health.

It might be time to stop using antimicrobial hand soap. According to a consensus statement signed by over 200 scientists and medical professionals, there’s no evidence that so-called antimicrobial chemicals do anything to prevent illness, and they might be harming your health and the environment.

​Sometimes, we end up focusing on fruitless pursuits that we should really just let go of. Well, the next time that you find yourself aware of being in such a situation, try washing your hands. According to scientists, doing so helps us to give up old goals and start pursuing new ones.

​​​Maybe you'd prefer not to think about it, but people do use a dip in the local swimming pool to relieve themselves. But in the grand scheme of things, how much pee are we talking about? Scientists in Canada have conducted a study aimed at attaching some figures to this unsavory conundrum.

​It's hard to imagine cavemen taking a great deal of pride in their teeth, but new research suggests our fussiness with oral hygiene has some pretty deep roots.

​​Did you know that the superabsorbent polymers used in sanitary napkins can take up to 500 years to degrade? Those polymers can also cause toxic shock syndrome. Now, however, scientists have developed an alternative which they claim is more environmentally-friendly, safer and more effective. ​

Music festivals, camping and cycling to work can be smelly and grimey affairs, especially if there are no showers in which to get washed. Wet wipes are an alternative, but are so small they're hardly effective. Epic Wipes, however, are towel-sized wipes designed especially for body cleansing.

Boeing has created a self-cleaning airliner lavatory that uses non-touch technology and far ultraviolet light that kills 99.99 percent of germs in three seconds.​