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Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Lifestyle
- Yahoo
This Is How Much Laundry Detergent You Should Actually Use — And Yes, It's Shocking
Unless you're unthinkably rich or lucky enough to have someone in your life who handles your household chores, you're probably doing your laundry at least a few times a month. You'd think that would mean you know exactly what to do to ensure you're getting your clothes as clean as possible — and maybe even saving some time, energy and money while you're doing it. Unfortunately, we have some bad news for you: You're probably doing your laundry all wrong. Or, at least, we — Raj Punjabi and Noah Michelson, the co-hosts of HuffPost's 'Am I Doing It Wrong?' podcast — discovered we are when we recently chatted with Patric Richardson, aka The Laundry Evangelist. Not only did Richardson reveal that the only washing machine cycle we ever need to use (and he means ever) is the 'express' cycle and that dryer sheets are our enemy, but he also informed us that we're probably using our laundry detergent wrong too. More specifically: We're using way too much. 'I think you only need about two tablespoons of detergent [for a load], so a bottle of laundry detergent might last you a year because you only need a couple of tablespoons for your clothes to come out clean,' Richardson, the host of HGTV's 'Laundry Guy,' told us. He likened using too much laundry detergent to using too much salt when you're cooking. 'When you're cooking and the recipe says a half tablespoon of salt, and you put it in, it's delicious,' Richardson said. 'But if you're like, 'I love salt,' and you put in a whole cup, it's ruined, it's not better. So that's how to think about detergent: A little bit is really good, because it does what it's supposed to do. If you add a whole lot more, you actually ruin it.' There's also a scientific explanation for why using too much detergent can mean you're actually ending up with less clean clothes. 'The dirt and germs come off the clothes and go into the water,' Richardson, the author of the bestselling 'Laundry Love,' explained. 'They get trapped in the surfactant [compounds in detergent that lift dirt and stains from clothes] and then, when the rinse comes, the surfactant goes down the drain. If you use too much detergent, it can't rinse out, so the surfactant actually resettles back in your clothes, and all of the dirt resettles back into your clothes with it. So more detergent means your clothes are actually dirty.' This is why Richardson advises we shouldn't use detergent pods. 'I don't like pods because I don't like that you can't control the amount,' he said. 'You don't need a pod's worth of detergent [to do a load of laundry].' Richardson also gave us tips for zapping static electricity using aluminum foil, told us how to avoid pit stains using vinegar, and much more. Need some help with something you've been doing wrong? Email us at AmIDoingItWrong@ and we might investigate the topic in an upcoming article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Buzz Feed
2 days ago
- Lifestyle
- Buzz Feed
How Much Laundry Detergent You Should Use
Unless you're unthinkably rich or lucky enough to have someone in your life who handles your household chores, you're probably doing your laundry at least a few times a month. You'd think that would mean you know exactly what to do to ensure you're getting your clothes as clean as possible — and maybe even saving some time, energy and money while you're doing it. Unfortunately, we have some bad news for you: You're probably doing your laundry all wrong. Or, at least, we — Raj Punjabi and Noah Michelson, the co-hosts of HuffPost's 'Am I Doing It Wrong?' podcast — discovered we are when we recently chatted with Patric Richardson, aka The Laundry Evangelist. Not only did Richardson reveal that the only washing machine cycle we ever need to use (and he means ever) is the 'express' cycle and that dryer sheets are our enemy, but he also informed us that we're probably using our laundry detergent wrong too. More specifically: We're using way too much. 'I think you only need about two tablespoons of detergent [for a load], so a bottle of laundry detergent might last you a year because you only need a couple of tablespoons for your clothes to come out clean,' Richardson, the host of HGTV's 'Laundry Guy,' told us. He likened using too much laundry detergent to using too much salt when you're cooking. 'When you're cooking and the recipe says a half tablespoon of salt, and you put it in, it's delicious,' Richardson said. 'But if you're like, 'I love salt,' and you put in a whole cup, it's ruined, it's not better. So that's how to think about detergent: A little bit is really good, because it does what it's supposed to do. If you add a whole lot more, you actually ruin it.' There's also a scientific explanation for why using too much detergent can mean you're actually ending up with less clean clothes. 'The dirt and germs come off the clothes and go into the water,' Richardson, the author of the bestselling 'Laundry Love,' explained. 'They get trapped in the surfactant [compounds in detergent that lift dirt and stains from clothes] and then, when the rinse comes, the surfactant goes down the drain. If you use too much detergent, it can't rinse out, so the surfactant actually resettles back in your clothes, and all of the dirt resettles back into your clothes with it. So more detergent means your clothes are actually dirty.' This is why Richardson advises we shouldn't use detergent pods. 'I don't like pods because I don't like that you can't control the amount,' he said. 'You don't need a pod's worth of detergent [to do a load of laundry].' Richardson also gave us tips for zapping static electricity using aluminum foil, told us how to avoid pit stains using vinegar, and much more.
Buzz Feed
20-03-2025
- Health
- Buzz Feed
Here Are Super Common Foods That Can Be Especially Dangerous To Eat If You Leave Them Out Too Long
Most of us have come home from a restaurant and dropped our neatly packaged leftovers on the counter before getting distracted by our dog or kid or an episode of Abbot Elementary. Before we know it, it's bedtime and that half-serving of pad thai has been sitting out for who knows how long. We desperately want to eat it for lunch tomorrow, but if we do, will we end up the victim of an unfortunate gastric episode — or even worse? That's what we aimed to find out when we — Raj Punjabi and Noah Michelson, the co-hosts of HuffPost's 'Am I Doing It Wrong?' podcast — recently chatted with Kristen Aiken, HuffPost's executive director of Life and Commerce. During our 45 minutes together, Aiken, a culinary school grad and passionate food safety aficionado, gave us tips on how to spare our stomachs (and other delicate body parts) from the nightmarish repercussions of spoiled food. The most shocking thing we learned was that some unexpected foods are especially dangerous when left out — and consuming them has even led to death. '[The name for this] is 'Fried Rice Syndrome' colloquially, but it really applies to [almost all] pastas and rices,' Aiken told us before reading from a case report about a young Belgian man who died after consuming spaghetti with red sauce that had been left on his counter at room temperature for five days. An autopsy revealed that there were high levels of bacillus cereus present in his body. 'It's a pretty common bacteria that's found in most foods, and it doesn't make most of us sick most of the time,' Aiken explained. 'It's bacteria that starts as a spore that's inactive. Once you heat it during the initial cooking, it can become activated and release toxins. And the longer the food is left out at room temperature, the more the bacteria multiplies.' Bacillus cereus spores are most commonly associated with rice and pasta, but they can also be found in meat and cheese. They are especially risky because they are resistant to heat (they ' can only be eliminated by high-temperature treatment, say 121°C for 3 minutes '), and the toxins they produce cannot be destroyed with heat. Death from eating starchy foods left out at room temperature is rare (and other health factors may have been at play in the case of the Belgian man who died), but it can happen. It's more likely that eating improperly stored food will cause classic food poisoning symptoms like vomiting or diarrhea that should clear up within a few days. This is why Aiken recommends putting your leftover rice and pasta — and all other foods — in the refrigerator or freezer as quickly as possible to avoid any potential issues. 'The rule you will hear me say a million times over ... there's this temperature danger zone between 40 degrees Fahrenheit and 140 degrees Fahrenheit where you really shouldn't leave your food in that range for more than two hours because that's when the bacteria start to multiply,' Aiken said. If something has been out for longer than two hours, you should consider throwing it away. In this episode, we also chatted with her about whether or not ketchup and other condiments really need to go in the fridge, foods that will stay good indefinitely, and much more. Listen to it here. After you've had a listen above, or wherever you get your podcasts, subscribe to 'Am I Doing It Wrong?' so you don't miss a single episode, including our investigations of how to improve our gut health, secrets for better teeth from a celebrity dentist, how to score the best deals on airline tickets, how to poop like a pro, apologizing, vanquishing your credit card debt, finding love online, overcoming anxiety, making a big life change and getting a tattoo.
Yahoo
16-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
This Is The 1 Thing An Eye Doctor Says You Should Never Do — And It's 'Bad... Real Bad'
The human eye is a wondrous thing. It is considered the body's most complex organ after the brain and contains over 2 million working parts. About 80% of all learning happens through vision. So how can we keep our eyes in tip-top condition? And what should we never do if we want them to stay as healthy as possible? That's what we — Raj Punjabi and Noah Michelson, the hosts of HuffPost's 'Am I Doing It Wrong?' podcast — asked Dr. Amanda Redfern, an ophthalmologist and assistant professor at Oregon Health & Science University's Casey Eye Institute, when she recently dropped by our studio. ″[Sleeping with contact lenses in your eyes] is bad. It's real bad. Don't do it,' Redfern told us, adding that this even applies to naps. 'It's like a game of Russian roulette.' That's because you can get a corneal ulcer, which is an infection on part of the eye that a contact covers. 'It's not going to happen every time, but when it happens, it's terrible,' Redfern said. 'It can be so bad you could, in really terrible cases, lose your eyeball.' In less severe situations, Redfern said you could end up with a scar on your cornea. 'If that scar is in the center of your vision, that could affect your vision permanently, unless you get a corneal transplant,' she said. Redfern also warned us not to engage in any activity that could cause lenses to become compromised or contaminated, including swimming in a pool or lake while wearing contacts or even showering with them. 'The problem with contact lenses is that it will sandwich bacteria between the lens and your cornea, and you can get infected and then have all the complications we talked about,' she said. 'In general, we frown upon anything where your eye is going to expose to something nonsterile.' That includes using tap water to rinse or store lenses. When asked what she would suggest if someone were on vacation and forgot to bring contact lens solution, pushing them to choose between sleeping while wearing contacts or using tap water to store them, Redfern refused to pick either choice. 'Both of those are awful options,' she said. 'I'd rather you [throw the contacts out] and just walk around a little bit blurry for the weekend.' One thing Redfern does want us to do to keep our eyes healthy? Use eye protection more regularly. 'I always wear eye protection if I'm doing a house project where I'm hammering, sawing — anything where something can fly at my eye,' she said. 'Always wear eye protection, because I actually spend half my time seeing hospital consults and the trauma that you see is just crazy.' If you end up getting something lodged in your eye, don't try to remove it yourself. Instead, tape a paper cup over your eye and immediately see a medical professional. 'Pulling it out in an uncontrolled fashion [could cause] the inner contents of the eye to come out with it,' Redfern said. She also busted some myths about other activities that may be harmful or beneficial for the eyes (spoiler alert — reading in the dark isn't going to ruin your vision), why we get floaters (and when we should see a doctor about them), and lots more. Listen to the full episode above or wherever you get your podcasts. Make sure to subscribe to 'Am I Doing It Wrong?' on so you don't miss a single episode, including our investigations of ; how to or ; how to or ; tips for , and ; ; how to ; ; shocking ; the ; and getting , plus much more. And for more from Redfern, check out her Instagram page. Need some help with something you've been doing wrong? Email us at AmIDoingItWrong@ and we might investigate the topic in an upcoming episode. The Number 1 Thing A Cardiologist Recommends You Avoid Eating For A Healthy Heart Forget 10,000 Steps A Day — This Is The Number You Should Focus On Instead Bad News — You're Probably Wiping All Wrong. Here's What You Should Be Doing.
Yahoo
09-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
The 1 Popular Thing You Should Immediately Stop Doing When Wiping, According To An Anal Surgeon
You've probably heard that few things in life are certain except death and taxes, but we'd like to add something else to the list: cleaning up in the bathroom. So, since we have to do it, what's the best technique? The preferred method of wiping 'is not wiping,' nationally renowned anal surgeon Dr. Evan Goldstein told us — Raj Punjabi and Noah Michelson, co-hosts of HuffPost's 'Am I Doing It Wrong?' podcast — when we recently chatted with him. 'When you're looking at someone's [anus], to the left and the right are these wrinkles ― it's like an accordion. It opens. It closes,' said Goldstein, who is also the CEO and founder of Bespoke Surgical. 'The front and the back ― towards the vagina, towards the penis and testicle area, or the tailbone, the skin there is not wrinkled. It's very thin. When we wipe, where do we wipe? Usually front to back — thin skin! We all wipe so much, so what happens over time? People tear the skin. It gets irritated. It gets angry at us.' Instead of wiping, Goldstein suggested cleaning the area without toilet paper. 'I'm a huge bidet [fan],' he told us, because it can thoroughly wash the anus without harming it. He also recommended a quick shower or rinse if you don't own a bidet. 'You always want to make sure you're drying yourself,' he added, because moisture in that area can cause irritation. This is one of the reasons why he says even though wet wipes are wildly popular, we should never use them. 'They are so terrible — not only for the environment, but for your hole,' he said. 'There's so many companies out there throwing wipes and I think they should all be banned. I see 90 people a week [in my surgical office], and I would say one-third of all the people coming through are coming in from wet wipe-induced issues.' That's because using them can change the microbiome of that area of the body. 'Think about it — we have good bacteria, we have bad bacteria, but they are in homeostasis. They are in equilibrium. Wet wipes fuck that in a really bad way,' Goldstein said. 'I see ridiculous dermatitis [in my patients] ... bacterial infections. ... Now that you've messed up that microbiome, it's causing so many problems.' If you are going to wipe using toilet paper, he recommended more of a 'blot' than a wipe and doing it in a 'standing squat,' because there's less blood flowing to that part of the body when you're standing. And that means less potentially problem-causing pressure on the delicate area. 'The longer you're sitting on the bowl, the more blood [down there], the more wiping, the more irritation. The body senses that,' Goldstein said. Instead, we want to get vertical again as soon as possible to relieve that pressure. 'So, you poop, wipe once or twice [while seated], finish standing up. Why? The blood starts to leave [when you stand up]. The mechanism starts to go back to the normal, daily [position],' Goldstein said. 'There are some people that it's harder [to wipe] when they're standing,' he noted. 'They don't feel like they're getting the full hole. ... But we don't need to go all up in there. If you are going all up in there, we need to go back to diet and fiber and pre- and probiotics, and thinking about better strategies. I always say, 'It's not butt health; it's gut health.' If you have gut health, you will automatically have butt health.' Goldstein also chatted with us about why squatting is the best position for pooping, what a perfect poop should look like and much more. After you've had a listen to the full episode here or wherever you get your podcasts, subscribe to 'Am I Doing It Wrong?' so you don't miss a single episode, including how to score the best deals on airline tickets, how to find love online or overcome anxiety, tips for online shopping, taking care of your teeth and pooping like a pro, secrets to booking and staying in a hotel, how to deal with an angry person, shocking laundry secrets, ways to experience more awe and wonder in your life, taking your best shower ever, protecting your privacy online, and much more. For more from Goldstein, visit his website or his Instagram page, and check out Future Method's Butt & Gut Daily Fiber. Need some help with something you've been doing wrong? Email us at AmIDoingItWrong@ and we might investigate the topic in an upcoming episode. The 1 Thing A Coffee Expert Says You Need To Make The Best Cup Of Joe Why 3-Star Reviews Should Be Your Secret Weapon When Shopping Online Psst... You're Probably Buying Airline Tickets All Wrong
