Essay assignment

University is one of the most important decision are can made in life , these making the right decision about choosing the right universities always been a huge problem for post SPM student . Among many factors that are considered in choosing the right universities , fees , influenced from peers and facilities offered are the most important factors .

Firstly , money or fees are the first thing to be considered. Nowadays , fees are getting more expensive. Even though most fees already covered books and notes but there are a lot more than that . For instance , library fees , internet fees , activities fees , transport and hostel fees are only covered in the first semester only . Thus , it is very important for student to choose university that offer student loan such as PTPTN .

Secondly , course offered by the universities also played an important role in choosing which universities to enrolled to . Even though must universities does offer common and popular course , student still need to consider which one is the best one in terms of lectures experience . Other than that , accreditation of the courses also need to be considered . Thus , student must pay extra caution in choosing universities based on courses offered .

Other than fees and courses offered , facilities provided is also another factors to be considered especially if they stay far away from the universities . Hostel and transportation are the main facilities to think of . It is much better to chose universities that could provide hostel for the student but as mentioned earlier , must universities only provide hostel in the first semester . Other than hostel , other important facilities are library , resources centre and internet connection are other thing to consider a universities of choice . Therefore , student need to carefully look into the facilities provided before making the choice .

All of the 3 important factors in choosing the right universities had been discussed above. Fees, facilities and courses offered need to be considered in choosing universities. Chosen universities will confirmed success in future thus making the right choice is very important for students.

Tiny pink mark.

Last spring I went to see my GP about a pink mark on my face. It was about the size of two pinheads and went bright red in the cold.

The GP rolled her eyes, said it was nothing but referred me to a dermatologist — probably to get me out of the surgery.

I’d had the mark — rather like a large mosquito bite that wouldn’t heal — for about five years. It didn’t itch, but hurt a little if I pressed it hard. Every time I visited the GP generally, I would draw her attention to it, but was told it was nothing to worry about.

So I attacked it with gusto: clarifying lotions and IPL (Intense Pulsing Light, a laser treatment mainly used to even skin tone).

I also subjected it to thread-vein treatment which involves injecting the vein with a hot needle and killing it — painful yet effective on veins, but not on this.

But nothing shifted it. One eminent skin expert told me Fraxel would clear it up — a pretty drastic laser treatment that takes off the top layers of skin. Thank goodness I was too scared to try it.

I’d requested that the GP refer me to dermatologist Dr Neil Walker at The Lister Hospital, London, as I’d done some research and he was really highly thought of.

I was beginning to get a bad feeling about this stubborn mark. His waiting list is lengthy, but with medical insurance I got an appointment with his assistant, Dr Maria Roest, for six weeks ahead.

Later, he was to tell me that had I been referred by the GP on the NHS with a suspicious mole, I’d have been seen within about a month. As I didn’t have a mole, I would have waited for anything up to six months.

Dr Roest thought it was nothing to worry about, but took a biopsy. I went to Montreux for the weekend and sat in the sun. I have to confess to doing that a lot over the years — I’m fair-haired but tan quite easily — rarely with a hat but usually, not always, with sunscreen.

So I returned for the biopsy results the following week in a fairly relaxed state, which evaporated as Dr Roest called Dr Walker into the room.

I had a superficial malignant melanoma. It was very rare for it to show in the form I had on my face — usually it would be a changing mole — and it had most probably been caused by sunburn as a child; we holidayed in America every summer when I was young and I don’t recall much sunscreen being slapped on by my mother.

There are about 8,000 reported cases of malignant melanomas a year in the UK. It is entirely different and more dangerous than the commonest form of skin cancer, which is a basal cell carcinoma, of which there are about 150,000 reported cases a year — 40 per cent of these are on the nose.

Skin cancer has been on the increase since the rise in foreign holidays and the use of sunbeds (I did them, too). I was terrified.

There was now a distinct sense of urgency in the air. The method of removal the doctors recommended is called Slow Moh’s. It’s painstaking but considered the most reliable method of catching all the cancerous cells.

The doctor cuts away an area, sends it to the lab to be analysed and if there are cancerous cells on the outer and lower margins then the patient is recalled for a wider area to be taken until all the edges show only healthy cells.

Dr Roest cut a chunk out of my cheek around the pink spot under local anaesthetic and sent it off to be analysed. I was too scared to look at the hole in my face, but it was probably about the size of a 10p. After several stitches I was sent away with a large plaster.

A week later I was back at the hospital. The edges of the flesh removed still showed malignant cells, so she cut a larger portion away. And so it went on until after the third sample a week later. Histology reported clear margins all around.

I had got off lightly — apparently the worst case Dr Walker has seen so far took 17 excisions — and as all the margins were clear, including underneath, it was safe to assume it hadn’t started to spread.

At present, malignant melanoma kills around 2,000 people a year in the UK. However, I had a hole the size of a 50p piece high on my left cheek. And looming was a trip long since booked, in New York based round my husband’s work.

It involved many glitzy parties and celebrities and red carpets. And I really shouldn’t have gone. It was utter, self-conscious misery.

By this time, a piece of skin from the underside of my arm had been grafted over the hole and covered with a dressing that stretched from under my eye to my chin. With the stitches removed before I flew out, the first time I changed the dressing and saw my face was in New York, in the bathroom mirror of a smart hotel.

It was so awful I just sat on the edge of the bath and cried. A huge piece of pale skin from my arm, different both in tone and texture to the rest of my face, was tacked onto my face in a large circle. It was appalling. And it was made worse because I felt I had nobody to blame but myself. Why had I been such a sun worshipper?

We’re all vain in some way, I guess, but I could never have predicted how much this would affect me. When I was two, I was voted the most beautiful child in Britain by some daft newspaper competition. There was a lot of attention and my picture was used to advertise baby products, so I think the fuss probably shaped my perception of myself.

Anyway, last summer was hell. How my husband and family put up with it I can’t imagine. I kept telling myself the skin graft would settle down by the autumn; Dr Walker kept reassuring me, but it looked like a mushroom on my face.

The skin was a completely different colour. It was so bad I preferred to wear a plaster over it. You could see everybody having a good stare, plus I became something of a zealot and hectored girls who used sunbeds.

I know, I know, I should have been grateful it had been removed before it had spread, which it would have done eventually, said Dr Walker.

He did, however, reassure me that he didn’t think the laser and other treatments I’d unwittingly used on it had made it worse. I still wonder about that though.

In November I consulted plastic surgeon, Dr Adriaan Grobbelaar, to get the skin graft removed and have reconstruction on my face. In hindsight I should have done this immediately after the Slow Moh’s, but how was I to know?

When you’re in a panic and scared witless, you go along with what’s suggested, and Dr Walker did say I could always have plastic surgery later if it was deemed necessary.

So in January Dr Grobbelaar — who works out of London’s Royal Free and the Wellington (my insurance covered me for the latter) — took off the skin graft and replaced it with a flap of skin lifted from lower on my cheek.

Because it is so close to my eye he put some tiny stitches in the corner to stop the lower lid being dragged down. It was done under general anaesthetic as a day patient.

I have a Z-shaped scar which is now healing and which I can cover with make-up. The total cost of my treatment — dermatology and plastic surgery — came to £6,519, covered by my insurance.

And you learn as you go along. Two nurses — who founded Fiona and Marie Aesthetics in London’s Harley Street, whom I discovered through my work on a woman’s magazine — taught me how to mix and apply specially formulated make-up that camouflages scars far better than any over-the-counter concealer.

Then a friend recommended Manual Lymphatic drainage which reduces swelling and stimulates the lymphatic system after surgery. It made a huge difference.

A year later I am beginning to feel OK again and people have stopped staring. I’ve just had a six-month check-up with Dr Walker to ensure nothing else has sprung up. He is thorough; last week he found a malignant melanoma on a patient’s tummy button.

I am to have twice-yearly checks for the rest of my life, but that seems a small price to pay. I’m lucky I got treated.

'I felt I had nobody to blame but myself.

Why had I been such a sun worshipper?
'

Reference : www.dailymail.co.uk

Smiling through the agony: Twins struck with breast cancer learn that just one of them is going to survive

As children, identical twins Judith Brownhill and Heather Mole looked alike and dressed alike. They even had the same illnesses.

When that trend continued into adulthood, the consequences were more serious.

They were diagnosed with breast cancer within two months of each other.

But in a cruel twist, their mirrored lives may now be about to divide – as Judith’s disease has gone into remission while Heather is terminally ill.

Identical twins Heather Mole (left) and Judith Brownhill have both beaten breast cancer in the past. But Heather is now terminally ill while Judith has been given the all clear after they both developed it again.

The twins, 54, have both had the disease before – Mrs Mole 20 years ago and Mrs Brownhill ten years ago.

But with remarkable courage they say their relationship has been strengthened by the latest ordeal.

‘We’ve done everything together,’ said Mrs Brownhill, a retired teacher.

‘We had the same childhood illnesses, so in a strange way it does not surprise me that we both have the same illness now.

‘I should have been punching the air when I finished my treatment but instead I was tearful at the thought of losing my sister.

‘It’s the worst blow you could be dealt, but seeing Heather so happy for me makes me appreciate life and want to live every moment for her.’

Mrs Mole, a retired nurse, said: ‘It was wonderful news when she told me she was okay, even though I knew it would be tough for her to tell me.

‘It’s strange, but it felt like a relief as much as anything, as I knew she would be there for my son when I’m gone.

‘Cancer is a cruel disease, but it is the best news ever that Judith is recovering – I wouldn’t want it any other way.’

Mrs Brownhill realised something wasn’t right when she was on holi day in Bermuda with husband Roger, 70, in September 2008.

Heather (left) and twin sister Judith in 1960 aged 4. Heather said she was glad her sister will survive as she can look out for her son.

When she returned home, she went to her family doctor and tests confirmed she was suffering from the disease again.

Her diagnosis convinced her twin she should be checked and just weeks later she discovered she was also suffering from the disease for a second time.

Mrs Brownhill, of Prestbury, Cheshire, and Mrs Mole of Mossley, Greater Manchester, began their gruelling courses of chemotherapy at almost the same time.

But further tests revealed that Mrs Mole’s cancer had spread to her liver and was terminal.

Last week Mrs Brownhill finished a course of the breast cancer drug Herceptin, and was told her cancer was in remission.

Mrs Mole said she was relieved when she heard her sister was in remission because she would be able to ‘watch out’ for her only son, Robert Pullan, 30.

There is a history of breast cancer in their family. Their mother Sheila Pendlebury, 81, was diagnosed with the disease 13 years ago and their aunt was struck down at 37, though both survived.

But their case is rare as they do not have a gene muta tion which would make them pre disposed towards the disease.

The twins are undergoing treatment at Christie Hospital and St Ann’s Hospice’s Neil Cliffe Centre in Manchester.

Dr Sacha Howell, from the Chris tie Hospital, said the risk of women getting breast cancer is one in nine.

But for identical twins of women already diagnosed with the disease the risk rises to one in three.

Despite the blow, the sisters are determined to make the most of the time they have left together.

Mrs Mole said: ‘We feel like our case is one in a million.

‘We are unlucky but feel philo sophical – I’ve had a good 20 years of life [since her first diagnosis] and have seen my son grow up. I am grateful for every day I get with my wonderful family.

‘In a weird way, Judith getting cancer the sec ond time probably prolonged my life as it persuaded me to get checked out. It was a bombshell but I’m just grateful one of us has got through it.’

Mrs Brownhill said: ‘Although my cancer is in remission I haven’t been given the all clear and I had to take it one day at a time. These are difficult times but we are there for each other.’

To raise money for the St Ann’s Hospice the twins are to take part in a fashion show in October.

A study published yesterday showed the number of breast can cer deaths in the UK has fallen dra matically since the 1980s.

The number was down from 41 in every 100,000 to 28 – equivalent to 12,000 lives saved a year.

Reference : http://www.dailymail.co.uk

Amazing...Survive without breathing while sleeping...

His heartbroken parents were told he would only live six weeks.

But Liam Derbyshire has defied all the odds to make it to 11 - despite stopping breathing every time he falls asleep.

The schoolboy has to be plugged into a life support machine every night to keep him alive.

He suffers from a rare condition called central hypoventilation, also known as Ondine's Curse, which means he stops breathing whenever he nods off.

The family, of Gosport, Hants, have spent thousands on electricity bills for his equipment and have also installed emergency lighting in case of a power cut at night.

Liam attends Heathfield special school in Fareham, Hants, and has to permanently wear a tracheostomy breathing tube in his throat.

He is in remission from cancer that he had as a young child.

But despite his problems, Liam has defied doctors' gloomy predictions.

Mum, Kim, 50, said: 'Every day the doctors are amazed at how fit he is. He has defied all the odds.

'We have been very fortunate with Liam that he has had the life that he's got. We always wanted him to have as normal a life as we could give him. He's exceeded all expectations.

'We have to keep a very close eye on him. He goes from being totally active and then his heart rate slows right down.

'He is so full of life, he's fantastic. He's constantly smiling and laughing. He's very affectionate. He has all the normal traits of a lot of kids. Every day of his life is a bonus.'

Dr Gary Connett, who treats Liam at Southampton General Hospital, Hants, said: 'It's an extremely rare condition. Liam was the first patient I diagnosed with central hypoventilation when I came to this hospital 12 years ago.

'The really unusual thing about Liam is that he had a cancer growing inside of him and he had a problem with his bowel.

'I couldn't find any reports of children who had all these problems and survived.
It's quite amazing. I would say he's unique worldwide.'

Ondine's curse is a reference to the myth of Ondine, a water nymph who had an unfaithful mortal lover.

He swore to her that his every waking breath would be a testimony of his love, and when he was unfaithful to her, she cursed that if he should fall asleep, he would forget to breathe.

Liam has round the clock care and a carer comes into the house at night to watch Liam and to allow his parents to sleep.

He has a battery operated ventilator in case he falls asleep in the car or on a plane.
He has to eat huge portions of food regularly as he has a very small digestive system.
The family spend £700 a month on food because of Liam's extraordinary appetite.

Be happy to get a Baby

Women who had higher levels of a stress-indicative enzyme

were 12 per cent less likely to conceive during the fertile period of their cycle (posed)

High stress levels can damage a woman's chances of getting pregnant, researchers warn.

Those who are anxious are 12 per cent less likely to conceive during their fertile time than those who stay calm.

It is the first proof that stress makes it less likely a woman will fall pregnant, despite long-standing anecdotal evidence that being relaxed can improve the chances.

Although the fall in success rates appears small, experts claim it can make a big difference to older women trying to have a baby when their fertility is naturally declining because of age.

In a study at Oxford University and the U.S. National Institutes of Health, blood levels of a marker for a stress hormone called alphaamylase were consistently higher in women who had trouble conceiving.

Dr Cecilia Pyper, from the National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit at Oxford University, said: 'This is the first study to find that a biological measure of stress is associated with a woman's chances of becoming pregnant-that month.

'We found that those women with high levels of a marker for stress were less likely to succeed in conceiving.

'The findings support the idea that couples should aim to stay as relaxed as they can about trying for a baby.

'In some people's cases, it might be relevant to look at relaxation techniques, counselling and even approaches like yoga and meditation.

'Many couples are very keen to know what they should do to improve their chances of conceiving and having a healthy baby, and this will help us provide the best advice.'

The researchers, who published their findings in the journal Fertility and Sterility, carried out saliva tests on 274 women aged 18 and 40 who were all planning pregnancy but not tried for more than three months.

They analysed levels of the stress hormone cortisol and the enzyme alpha-amylase, which is a marker for adrenalin - the 'fight or flight' hormone. Researchers carried out the tests on day six of each woman's menstrual cycle for a total of six cycles or until the woman fell pregnant.

They used fertility monitors to identify ovulation and confirmed the pregnancies with testing kits.

The study found no effect from cortisol on the chances of falling pregnant.

But women in the group with the highest levels of alpha-amylase had a 12 per cent lower chance of becoming pregnant for each day of their most fertile days than those with the lowest levels of alpha-amylase.

The researchers said: 'Irrespective of the day or frequency of sexual intercourse during the fertile window, women with higher concentrations of alpha-amylse were less likely to conceive than women with lower concentrations.

'Stress significantly reduced the probability of conception each day during the fertile window.'

Dr Pyper said it was unclear how the stress hormone affected fertility, although it might reduce blood flow in the fallopian tubes which could affect transportation of the egg or sperm.

She said previous research appears to have focused on the stress hormone cortisol, rather than alpha-amylase, which may explain why it has been difficult to prove a link with fertility chances until now.

'The difference in your chances of getting pregnant could be important to older women in their late 30s trying for a first baby, or even a second or third child, at a time when their fertility is declining because of their age and it all takes longer,' she added.

Dr Pyper said women were highly likely to benefit from relaxation techniques, particularly as such therapies had been shown to improve IVF pregnancy rates.

Leading fertility specialist Dr Allan Pacey described the findings as 'intriguing'.

'It's important for women to relax when they are trying to have a baby, but it's easier said than done,' he said. 'My advice to couples is to throw away the fertility charts and don't make trying for a baby a chore - it will stress you both out.'

A teddy bear who got MRSA!

All of these might be a bacteria farm. And all of it is our normal house items.

Last month, a Which? report found that a mobile phone keypad could contain up to 18 times more harmful bacteria than the average family toilet flush handle.

Worse still, of the 30 phones they tested, one showed high enough levels of contamination to cause a serious stomach upset.

The results show what many hygiene experts have been warning for some time: that harmful bacteria is not where we expect, but lurking in the most unlikely places.

'We often find that the family loo is one of the cleaner places in the average family home,' explains Dr Lisa Ackerley, MD of hygiene Audit systems and an expert on TV shows such as Watchdog and The Secret Tourist.

She says: 'Loos are bleached and disinfected. On the other hand the same, apparently clean, home may be crawling with bacteria elsewhere.'

But where exactly are these germs lurking in the average family home? A recent protect Kids play report conducted by Dettol showed 61 per cent of mothers were worried about germs.

The only way to find out is to swab various items and send the results off to the lab - and that's what I did.

My husband and I, our three boys aged eight, 11 and 13, two guinea pigs and one cat live in our Victorian, four- bedroom cottage in rural Northamptonshire.

Like most working mothers, my cleaning routine has been honed to make it as time-efficient as possible. Every weekend the entire family spends a couple of hours blitzing the house. For the rest of the week, I just tidy as I go.

THE EXPERIMENT

Lisa swabbed 12 household items and her lab searched for five different bacterial readings per square centimetre. The bacteria are:

1 Good, bad and live bacteria: the total number of harmful and harmless germs on the object - and a good indicator of cleanliness. Fewer than 1,000: satisfactory. 1,000-100,000: unsatisfactory. More than 100 , 000 : heavily contaminated.

2 Enterobacteria: mainly harmless germs, but if present in large enough quantities they can indicate that disease- causing bacteria such as salmonella are present.
Fewer than 100: satisfactory. 100-10,000: unsatisfactory. More than 10 , 000 : highly contaminated.

3 E. coli bacteria: carried in human waste, this can cause serious infection starting with sickness and diarrhoea, leading to kidney failure and even death. A reading of anything above ten is bad news.

4 MRSA: germs found on the skin. The germs are passed by contact and become harmful only when they enter the body either orally or through a cut. They can cause food poisoning, skin and urine infections, pneumonia and blood poisoning.
Fewer than ten: good. Ten-20: unsatisfactory. More than 20: unhygienic levels.

5 Two moulds: Aspergillus and penicillium. These are germs carried into the house from outside on our clothes, hair and skin and can be responsible for allergies and respiratory infections. Anything over ten is considered to be highly contaminated.

COMPUTER KEYBOARD

The family computer is used by everyone. I use it for several hours a day to write on and the kids use it to play games. While I do clean the screen, I don't always do the same with the keyboard, as it's so tricky to do.

Total bacteria: 33 million - highly unsatisfactory.

Entero: under ten - good.

E. coli: nil.

MRSA: under ten - good.

Mould: 10million - highly contaminated.

EXPERT'S VERDICT: ' This is absolutely vile,' says Lisa. 'These are shockingly high levels of bacteria and mould, caused by food being eaten over the keyboard.

'All those leftovers give the bacteria a great breeding ground to grow on. Then we use our hand to type again and then eat our sandwiches and crisps. The answer is to not eat at our desks.'

FRIDGE DOOR HANDLE

With three hungry boys, our two-year-old fridge is constantly being opened and closed. I give the inside a good clean every two weeks, but I admit that I hardly ever clean the outside.

LAB RESULTS

Total bacteria: 850,000 - highly contaminated.

Entero: 10,700 - highly contaminated.

E. coli: nil.

MRSA: nil.

Mould: 150 - highly contaminated.

EXPERT'S VERDICT: 'Grim results, but also pretty common. Fridge door handles are a classic harbinger of germs and can be found in the cleanest kitchens,' says Lisa.

'You chop some raw meat, then go to the fridge and grab an onion. Then you wash your hands afterwards, but the fridge door is contaminated.

'The high levels of Entero indicated that it contained disease- causing germs, which can include salmonella. You are lucky there has been no sickness in the house.'

Poor teddy...

TEDDY

This is a very old family teddy that's been used by all the kids and has, to my shame, never been washed.

LAB RESULTS

Total bacteria: 1,500 - unsatisfactory.

Entero: 500 - unsatisfactory.

E. coli: nil.

MRSA: ten - unsatisfactory.

Mould: 40 - highly contaminated.

EXPERT'S VERDICT: 'Cuddly toys, particularly older ones, will usually have something lurking,' says Lisa.

'Think about how often very small children get tummy bugs and colds and then how they need comfort from their teddy when they are poorly.

'Teddy bears start to get splits and tears, which is a perfect environment for bacteria to sit and multiply. The main danger is if the child cuddles their teddy and then eats at the same time.

'The safest thing is to pop them in the washing machine when the children are at school. They'll never know.'

MOBILE PHONE

A flip model, two years old. Used constantly by me and occasionally the kids, but, I admit, never cleaned.

LAB RESULTS

Total bacteria: 32,000 - unsatisfactory.

Entero: fewer than ten.

E. coli: nil.

MRSA: nil.

Mould: Ten - borderline unsatisfactory/highly contaminated.

EXPERT'S VERDICT: ' You find most contamination on objects that are used by several people,' explains Lisa. 'Unless you are in the middle of nasty bacterial stomach upset or infection, or have some rather unpleasant hygiene habits, personal use objects are usually relatively germ free. The flip design also protected your keypad.'

TEN-YEAR-OLD WOODEN CHOPPING BOARD

Used every day, but washed in hot soapy water after every use.

LAB RESULTS

Total bacteria: 4,200 - unsatisfactory.

Entero: fewer than ten.

E. coli: nil.

MRSA: nil.

Moulds: 50 - highly contaminated.

EXPERT'S VERDICT: 'This isn't a bad result for such an old board,' says Lisa. 'You must be washing it in very hot water after use, although you certainly should think about sanding down the source to get rid of the cracks. 'It is essential to keep a separate board just for chopping raw meat. Chicken contains salmonella, which can survive for several days, and campylobacter, which lives for several hours.
' Both strains of bacteria can cross- contaminate other foodstuffs if not cleaned in between use. E. coli can survive for a couple of days and can be found in raw meat.'

PIANO

Everyone plays the piano in our house and the kids' friends love having a bash on the keys whenever they come over, too. It's five years old and I clean it once a week with a standard furniture spray polish.

LAB RESULTS

Total bacteria: 7,500 - unsatisfactory.

Entero: fewer than ten - good.

E. coli: nil.

MRSA: fewer than ten - good.

Mould: 890 - highly contaminated.

EXPERT'S VERDICT: 'A piano is a typical multiple-hand contact surface,' explains Lisa. And these results reflect that. Nobody would ever think to wash their hands before playing, but small children may have remnants of food on their hands which they transfer on to the keyboard, which then becomes the perfect breeding ground for bacteria. The high mould reflects the fact that people often come in from outside and as they walk past the piano they have a little play. Mould is almost always carried inside on the hands.'

GEARSTICK

Our family Saab is only three months old, so we've never had it valeted, although it regularly goes through the car-wash.

LAB RESULTS

Total bacteria: 1,900 - unsatisfactory.

Entero: fewer than ten - good.

E.coli: nil.

MRSA: Ten - unsatisfactory.

Mould: 80 - highly contaminated.

EXPERT'S VERDICT: 'All the readings are well within safe limits, although the mould reading is quite high. This is because people are outside and then get into the car, bringing with them bacteria and spores from mould which they then leave on the gear stick or the steering wheel . An enclosed environment which is highly contaminated with mould can exacerbate respiratory problems or existing allergies.'

DOWNSTAIRS LOO TOWELS

Our downstairs cloakroom is mostly used by the boys and their friends. The towels do get pretty grubby, but I change them twice a week at least.

LAB RESULTS

Total bacteria: 4,000 - unsatisfactory.

Entero: Ten - good.

E. coli: nil.

MRSA: 20 - unsatisfactory/highly contaminated.

Mould: 20 - highly contaminated

EXPERT'S VERDICT: 'If you sat and thought up the perfect way to breed harmful bacteria, you would probably come up with the bathroom hand towel,' says Lisa.

'Nice and moist with a constant supply of bacteria from people who haven't washed their hands quite enough - or at all - after using the loo.

While the readings aren't sky-high, there is a variant of contamination including quite high readings of MRSA which can enter the bloodstream through a cut.

'On the positive side there was no E. coli, which is a sign people are at least washing their hands properly. Towels really do have to be washed at 60C at the very least.'

Still loving this boys?

PLAYSTATION HANDSET

The boys got a Playstation for Christmas, so it's eight months old. I never use it, but they are on it all the time and it's never cleaned at all.

LAB RESULTS

Total bacteria: 1,900 - unsatisfactory.

Entero: fewer than ten - good.

E. coli: nil.

MRSA: 360 - highly contaminated.

Mould: ten - unsatisfactory.

EXPERT'S VERDICT: 'The handset was highly contaminated with MRSA, a potentially harmful bacteria,' says Lisa.

'If this germ enters the body it can cause skin and urine infection, pneumonia and blood poisoning. The risk with the Playstation is that the boys may be playing and eating at the same time.'

BATHROOM LIGHT SWITCH PULL TOGGLE

I'm paranoid about bathroom germs and clean very carefully. I try to wipe the light switch toggle a couple of times a day with an anti-bacterial wipe.

LAB RESULTS

Total bacteria: 1,000 - unsatisfactory.

Entero: fewer than ten - good.

E. coli: nil.

MRSA: fewer than 10 - good.

Mould: ten - unsatisfactory.

EXPERT'S VERDICT: 'A perfect example of the bathroom being cleaner than other places,' says Lisa. 'People will clean every inch of their bathroom, but neglect food preparation areas.'

IPOD HEADPHONES

These belong to my eldest son and are about 12 months old. I do borrow them sometimes and we both wipe them clean before use.

LAB RESULTS

Total bacteria: 230 - satisfactory.

Entero: fewer than 10 - good.

E. coli: nil.

MRSA: fewer than 10 - good.

Mould: fewer than 10 - good.

EXPERT'S VERDICT: ' The cleanest item in the survey,' says Lisa 'They hit a low bacterial and mould score. This probably reflects the fact only two people use it and also that we're often reluctant to put something visibly dirty in our ear.'

CONCLUSION

'Apart from the headphones, none of the items could be considered entirely clean and free from germs and mould,' says Lisa.

'But many of the items rated well and it was a very good sign we didn't detect any E.coli anywhere. This means handwashing is of a high standard.

'I would advise you regularly wipe things like the Playstation handset and your computer keypad and give them a regular antibacterial spray. But overall, your bacterial levels were typical of a family home.'

Even our house can't be 100% sure that it is clean. -_-