The 10 Essential Professional Wardrobe Items

No matter what profession, career, and/or vocation one taken to avoid dressing like a tight ass prick every day, there always this one time that one need to dress formally and professionally. Perhaps may it be a first ever job interview, a meeting for bank loan, to secure documentation like passport in a government facility and/or simple formal occasion. There is no escape so it is better to be prepared than to be caught off guard.  

There are 10 simple, basic and versatile, thus making it essential, wardrobe items would ease the anxiety of vexing if one is under or over dress in a professional or formal interview, meeting and/or gathering. It is not recommended to buy everything in haste, this is just a heads up in case one is going window shopping and does not have these certain items. Always give some thought and time in finding the right size, fitting, design and style to suit one’s need, taste and comfort. Do not worry, one can still used these items in casual and informal occasions, all one need is a little imagination. 

10 Essential Items in a Professional Wardrobe

1. White Polo Shirt

A white simple well-fitted polo shirt makes everything look formal and put together, even if it is worn in a casually. Acquire a fabric that match one’s climate, example in tropical climate cotton is the best. It is light, soft and breathable but some wrinkle easily, which would be a setback for the next factor to consider, a fabric that needs no or minimal ironing. There are fabric-combinations like cotton-polyester that nice in a hot climate and wrinkle the leas, take time and effort to find it.

2. Gray Shirt

A gray semi-formal shirt, worn with well-fitted blazer completes the formal look. Neck line, rounded or v-neck, would depends on one’s face shape.  

  

3. Basic Black Dress for females and Well-Fitted Basic Suit for males

A basic black dress or a well-fitted suit alone is suitable in every occasion. With a few accessories it would create a brand new wardrobe hence it is versatile that it can be worn endlessly.

4. Slack

A well-fitted, comfortable black slack provide a formal setting whether it is worn with a white polo shirt or gray shirt with blazer and any combination.

5. Dark Blue Jeans

A clean pair of jeans paired with white polo shirt, or gray shirt, or any shirt with blazer present formality, more so if one act with politeness similar to Keanu Reeve in most recent movie interviews.    

6. Blazer

Invest in a well-fitted black blazer, an item that would make an informal shirt to formal. It is a versatile item would help put together a multitude of combination. Make sure the shoulder fits perfectly.  

7. Basic Flats for females and Loafer or Sneakers for males

Comfortable pair of shoes is useful on active and busy days.  These would receive the most wear invest a comfortable, good quality but not expensive pair.   

8. Leather - Ankle Boots for female and Lace-up Formal Boots for male

This is an additional footwear item for more professional meeting. There are heavy duty utility boots that look like as a formal boots, 

9. Leather Belt 

A solid good quality leather belt is to support slack or jeans. Preferable if it matches with formal shoes in color, material and metal accessories, to project a uniformed, snappy and clean look. 

10. Functional Bag

A light weight, medium size but heavy duty every day bag to place everything you need to survive in one’s work day. A comfortable shoulder strap would be helpful in securing a bag while both hands are needed to complete a task.

Final Thoughts 

These items are not vanity items, that is only be displayed on special occasion, nor a trendy fashion, that is short lived.  Before wasting hard earn cash on trendy fashion, invest on these items first. And since these items are worn and used the most, buy the best quality one can afford for durability and longevity.

For items to be unnoticeable of being used everyday, it is smart to stick with solid neutral or just black palette, and traditional or classical design. To present a clean formal and organized look closely match in color, texture and/or material of items like slack, belt and shoes.

Would like a comprehensively take on this subject? Please share your thoughts and leave comments, questions, reactions, suggestion and corrections below. It would inspire useful additional and comprehensive post. And please don’t forget to follow to help this blog to create better content. Thank you!

As always keep it amazingly simple and pretty. Enjoy!

Prevent Body Pains with Ergonomic

Work Should Not Hurt

There is a recent trend of developing concept concerning work comfort, safety, productivity and efficiency. This concept is called ergonomic, defined as an applied science concern with understanding human abilities and limitations, and utilizes that knowledge in designing and arranging things people use to have the most efficient and safe interaction.  It is also known as biotechnology, human engineering, comfort design, functional design, universal design and system, and human factors [1]. It may pertain to designed product, but also creating system and processes. It accounts human physicality, cognitive ability and social behaviors that may influence work.

Short-Term Cost Saving Benefit

Ergonomic chairs were the first office furniture that gain attention, and provide a spotlight to ergonomics itself. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) based on evidence that ergonomics programs can cut labor costs, increase productivity and decrease employee turnover [2]. In the workplace, goals are to reduce the total economic cost of work-related injuries and illnesses, from workers’ compensation, medical cost, re-training cost of new employees and the likes, and have a result that increases productivity and profitability. Hence, it has been utilized in almost all industries from deploying personal protective equipment, safer equipment, stream lining processes and even safer consumer products.

In the greater population, ergonomic or human factor designs are steadily seeping in as part of marketing strategy to attract safety conscious consumers and environmental advocates. A healthier and safer product is the aim, and the concept has been applied in aviation, automotive manufacturers and similar industries.

The user-friendly and organize system used mainly by industries has seeped through sport, recreations and into homes. Greater number of people is becoming aware of its core advantages on efficiency and preventative measures in safety and overall health.

Long-Term Health Benefit

Significant benefit is as one exerts less physical effort; prevent repetitive strain injuries, results to lower risk of work-related injuries and illnesses, like musculoskeletal disorders. Some of these long-term illnesses and disabilities developed overtime, it may start as acute benign pain, but unknowingly such discomfort becomes a persistent and chronic result to loss of functional capacity. Mental acuity is dull by increasing persistent pain and discomfort. In the end, both physical and mental abilities are affected and disable a person to work productively, efficiently, comfortably and passionately. On the whole, ergonomic goal is to create a short-term benefits of optimize production and safer environment, and long-term health benefit and self-actualization of passion.

Application in the Kitchen

The concepts of ergonomics have been applied in homes especially in the kitchen; a functional kitchen floor plan is a great example. It consider the kitchen work flow with goal to organize the process that would result to less time spent, less effort but the same amount of productivity. An efficient kitchen flow in a small kitchen flow the sink, stove and refrigerator are traditionally placed at the points of a triangle, while in bigger& busier kitchen, work station approach is utilized, in which an ample space or landing area of at least 15 inches is provided around frequently use major appliance of a certain cooking station.

Another ergonomic discovery that answered what is the difference between comfortable-ideal kitchen worktops heights, including sink depth, and a body ache. This also helps erase some prejudices on clumsiness in the kitchen as it could be due to factors [3].  The ideal, comfortable, and efficient height of different countertops or worktops and depth of sink are proportional to the user’s height, as shown in the illustrations below.

Ergonomics optimizes the human anatomy and cognitive reflex and ability in order to create a comfortable, easy to use, efficient and aesthetic product, safe work environment and/or work process, thus it is applicable to any daily activity. This science is still at its infancy in the regulation standard hence take great care in jumping into any products or services that aggressively advertise and claims to apply this concept to their products and/or services. This science has great and noble intentions for human well-being; so always consider its concept, in making things better and safer.

Is this subject matter interesting? Would like to know more, please share your thoughts and leave a comment or questions below. And please don’t forget to follow. If you find this article lacking please feel free to post your reactions, suggestions, and corrections. And maybe follow to help this blog create better content. Thank you!

As always keep it safe, comfortable, efficient and simple. Enjoy!

References

1. Merriam-Webster’s collegiate dictionary (10^th ed.). (1993). Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster.  

2. Jeffress, C.N. (27 October 2000). BEACON Biodynamics and Ergonomics Symposium. University of Connecticut, USA.

3. Valcucine. (n.d.). Height and Depth of Worktops. [Blog Post]. Retrieved from http://www.valcucine.com/en/planning/ergonomics/height-depth/

Vinegar - A Must Have

Vinegar is a familiar and ordinary item in the kitchen, now it becoming a must have household product. It is a sour- tasting liquid, used mostly in cooking as a culinary ingredient and as a condiment, and in pickling as a preservative. Since an advocacy of environmentally safe products, vinegar has become one of the top alternatives and has been at par based on popular demand with commercial cleaning and disinfecting products. 

What is Vinegar?

Vinegar is a sour liquid traditionally produced by fermentation of dilute alcoholic liquids, like wine, cider, or beer. This traditional fermentation process takes place slowly for few months, or even a year, where a natural biological processes of accumulation of a certain bacteria that oxidized ethanol to produce acetic acid. Another, faster method that takes only between 20 hours to three days, is by adding bacterial culture to the preferred liquid to promote fermentation and production of acetic acid.

The most important organic acid in our modern industrial times is acetic acid. It is also the main component of vinegar about 5-20% together with water and other trace chemicals. This organic acid gives vinegar not only its sour taste but also its acidic quality.  Acid is any compound that can easily lose a hydrogen ion, since a hydrogen ion is a simple proton, hence it is also called a proton donors, or sometimes electron. Acids react with bases and alkalis to form neutral compounds called salts. It is said to neutralize bases when they do this, as the common table salt or sodium chloride (NaCl) , formed when hydrochloric acids reacts and neutralized sodium hydroxide to sodium chloride and evaporated water. Vinegar cannot react corrosively that it could melt a penny but it is more acidic than an orange juice. It could melt a chicken’s egg shell in 48 hours but it is less acidic than gastric acid [1].

Types of Vinegar

There are dozens of different types of vinegar depends on the source of liquid. Varieties of vinegars have pH ranging from 2.6 to 6.0. Some may believe that some vinegar is alkaline-like, however and without a doubt vinegars are acids. They are weak acids in which it doesn’t lose it protons easily than strong acids. Here are some types of vinegar, commonly used and a must have in a pantry and/or a cleaning closet, or at least have a try.

1. White Vinegar

Among vinegars the white vinegar is quite unique as it is made of laboratory-produced acetic acid through fermentation of distillated alcohol, then diluted with water; hence the name and known for as “distilled white vinegar” or “distilled vinegar.”  The solution is compost of 5% to8% acetic acid in water and having a pH of 2.4 to 2.6. It is the most acidic among vinegars which makes it a good cleaner. As Dr. Rutala concluded in their study of natural cleaning products, undiluted vinegar is effective against two specific disease-causing microorganisms, which are S. Typhi and E. coli [2]. With its acidity it is a popular alternative for an environmentally safe cleaner and disinfectant. And so it is used in laboratory, and for medicinal and therapeutic reason. As a food ingredient it is commonly used in cooking, baking, and food preservation.

2. Balsamic Vinegar

This is the vinegar that prompted this article, great concern that  there are some cheap balsamic vinegar posing as the much expensive, marked, traditional, aged balsamic vinegar. The original and traditional balsamic vinegar is made from the concentrated juice of white Trebbiano grapes aged from 12 to 25 years, in successive variety of wood barrels, in the provinces of Italy [3]. Moreover, it has no balsam fruit in it. Importantly, it has a “Protected Designation of Origin” status and marked “tradizionale” or “DOC” this is to protect names and quality of regional agricultural products across European Union. This vinegar has a very dark brown, rich, sweet, mellow and complex, and notably aromatic. It usually has a pH of lower than 3, yet its acidic has been masked by the sweetness of other   ingredients. The cheaper non-DOC commercial form, also known as “aceto balsamico di Modena” or balsamic vinegar of Modena, is typically made from concentrated grape juice mixed with a strong vinegar, then coloured and slightly sweetened with caramel and sugar .    

Balsamic vinegar is used as a good quality food ingredient, from a salad dressing to marinades. It is used to add flavor and bring flavors together by using it to finish soups and sauce and braise dishes. It can be reduced to syrup and drizzled over vanilla ice cream or plain crepe. And a vinegar-based cocktails and soda are surely a healthier option.

3. Cider Vinegar 

Also known as apple cider vinegar or ACV is a type of vinegar made from cider or squeezed apple juices. It has a pale to medium amber color, while unpasteurized ACV has a cobweb-like appearance and slightly congealed as it contains cellulose and acetic acid-forming bacteria. It is used as a food ingredient such as a salad dressing, vinaigrettes, marinades and chutneys, as a food preservative in pickling, and as vinegar-based drinks.

4. Cane Vinegar

This type of vinegar is made from sugarcane juice, fermented either by slow or fast method. Well-known variations are from the Philippines, Brazil and India, but the kind of vinegar from the Philippines is the most appealing.  It ranges from dark yellow to golden brown in color. Similar to balsamic and rice vinegar, it has a mellow flavor, and much “fresher” taste compare to distilled white vinegar. It is mostly used as a food ingredient in vinegar-based stock for soup, dressing for raw fish dishes and marinades.  

Other Uses of Vinegar

1.  As cleaner and mild disinfectant:

• clean and disinfect cutting board
• clean, disinfect and neutralize chemicals on vegetable and fruits
• shine dishware and glassware
• clean pots and pans
• de-clog and deodorize drain
• dissolve and clean soap scum and brines or water stains deposit showerheads

2.  As an odor neutralizer:

• remove foul odor from drains, refrigerator, and microwave
• remove foul odor on clothes and  perspiration discoloration
• prevent and remove unpleasant smell produced by bacteria on the skin or body odor
• unmark pet spot

3.  As a fabric  softener:

• soften clothes and brighten colors

This is just a short introduction about vinegar, its different types and different uses.  A more detailed description on how to use vinegar as a cleaner and disinfectant, odor neutralizer and fabric softener will be available in the next cleaning tips blog post. Please watch out for it.

Do you like this article? If you do and want to know more please leave a comment and questions below and don’t forget to follow. If you find this article lacking please feel free to post reactions, suggestions, and corrections. And also follow to help this blog to create better content. Thank you!

As always keep it clean and simple. Enjoy!

References

1. Kinkead, E.B., Sehbai, D.S. & Tunney, C.J. (Eds.). (1972). Modern Century Illustrated Encyclopedia ( Vols. 9). Australia: McGraw-hill Far Eastern Publishers.

2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (Last Updated February 2017.). Guidelines for Disinfection and Sterilization in Healthcare Facilities, 2008.  Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/infectioncontrol/guidelines/disinfection/

3. Italia Regina. (n.d.). History of Balsamic Vinegar. [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://www.italiaregina.it/balsamic-vinegar-aceto-balsamico-del-duca/ 

Effective Way to Clean and Disinfect a Cutting Board

Cleaning and disinfecting kitchen items are important part in food preparation. These food hygiene activities substantially eliminate or reduce disease causing microorganisms and decrease microbial load. A good standard hygiene, especially food hygiene, could reduce infections in the home. It is impossible to eliminate being infected by pathogens, as there are other ways that germs can be transmitted, like human-to-human contact, but other risk factors, like surface-to-human transmission, can be interrupted.

Targeted Hygiene Concept

The “targeted hygiene concept” as described by CDC is identifying situations and areas where risk exists for transmission of pathogens. This simple concept not only  points out to an  effective cleaning and disinfecting method but also efficient work flow, as it provide a reasonable way to identify when disinfection might be appropriate[1].

Advantages

Applying the targeted hygiene concept in the kitchen, clearly cutting boards are on the top of the list as most likely a source of surface-to-human transmission of pathogens, hence a thorough cleaning and regular disinfection is required. Short term gains are having a clean, odourless and flavor free board thus better tasting food. While long term gains directly concludes on financial aspect as it would lengthens the life span of the item, and avoid food poisoning which aids in maintenance of good health.

A crucial part in food preparation, it has been emphasized in a previous blog post to have two cutting boards: one for ready to eat vegetable and fruits, and cooked foods, and another cutting board for uncooked meats and such items. The rationale for such food safety practice is to avoid cross contamination. Also help reduce infections in the home.

Steps in Cleaning and Disinfecting Cutting Board

1. Cleaning. Wash clean cutting board with dish washing soap and warm water. Wet board with water to remove visible and large particles. Lather surfaces with dish washing soap using either a coarse surface sponge or a soft brush, this produce friction to dislodge or remove smaller particles and stains. Rinse.

2. Disinfecting. Disinfect with 3.0% hydrogen peroxide for 15 minutes, once a day preferably at the end of the day. Keep 3.0%hydrogen peroxide in a handy dark-colored spray bottle for kitchen use. Spray the bottled disinfectant into the washed cutting board. Let it sit for 15 minutes. Rinse and hang dry. 

If using other disinfectants and detergents always follow manufacturers’ instructions for proper use, like recommended dilution, material-compatibility, storage; and also its safe use. 

That is how simple and easy to clean and disinfect a cutting board. It is applicable to any type of cutting board materials.

Do you like this article? If you do and want to know more please leave a comment and questions below and don’t forget to follow. If you find this article lacking please feel free to post reactions, suggestions, and corrections. And also follow to help this blog to create better content. Thank you!

As always keep it clean and simple. Enjoy!

References

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (Last Updated February 2017.). Guidelines for Disinfection and Sterilization in Healthcare Facilities, 2008.  Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/infectioncontrol/guidelines/disinfection/