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Why is a messy house such an anxiety trigger for me and what can I do about it?

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/erika-penney-1416241">Erika Penney</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-technology-sydney-936">University of Technology Sydney</a></em></p> <p>Do you ever feel overwhelmed by the sight of clutter and mess in your home? Have you walked in the door only to feel overloaded by scattered papers, unwashed dishes and clothes in disarray? Maybe you’ve even had arguments because it bothers you more than it bothers you partner or housemates.</p> <p>You’re not alone. Many people report a messy house can trigger feelings of <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0146167209352864">stress</a> and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0272494421000062?via%3Dihub">anxiety</a>.</p> <p>So why do clutter and chaos make some of us feel so overwhelmed? Here’s what the research says – and what you can do about it.</p> <h2>Cognitive overload</h2> <p>When we’re surrounded by distractions, our brains essentially become <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21228167/">battlegrounds</a> for attention. Everything competes for our focus.</p> <p>But the brain, as it turns out, <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1994-43838-001">prefers</a> order and “<a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2015.00086/full%22%22">singletasking</a>” over multitasking.</p> <p>Order helps reduce the competition for our attention and reduces mental load. While some people might be better than others at <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.1523471113">ignoring distractions</a>, distractable environments can overload our cognitive capabilities and memory.</p> <p>Clutter, disorder and mess can affect more than just our cognitive resources. They’re also linked to our <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23907542/">eating</a>, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0360132318307157?via=ihub">productivity</a>, mental health, <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1207/s15374424jccp3401_9">parenting</a> decisions and even our willingness to donate <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23907542/">money</a>.</p> <h2>Are women more affected than men?</h2> <p>Research suggests the detrimental effects of mess and clutter may be more pronounced in women than in men.</p> <p>One <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0146167209352864">study</a> of 60 dual-income couples found women living in cluttered and stressful homes had higher levels of cortisol (a <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19596045/#:%7E:text=After%2520controlling%2520for%2520the%2520individual,and%2520poor%2520self-rated%2520health.">hormone</a> associated with stress) and heightened depression symptoms.</p> <p>These effects remained consistent even when factors like marital satisfaction and personality traits were taken into account. In contrast, the men in this study seemed largely unaffected by the state of their home environments.</p> <p>The researchers theorised that women may feel a greater responsibility for maintaining the home. They also suggested the social aspect of the study (which involved giving home tours) may have induced more fear of judgement among women than men.</p> <p>We will all live with clutter and disorganisation to some degree in our lives. Sometimes, however, significant clutter problems can be linked to underlying mental health conditions such as <a href="https://beyondocd.org/information-for-individuals/symptoms/ocd-related-hoarding#:%7E:text=Examples%20of%20hoarding%20in%20the,are%20not%20needed%20any%20more">obsessive-compulsive disorder</a>, <a href="https://beyondocd.org/information-for-individuals/symptoms/ocd-related-hoarding#:%7E:text=Examples%20of%20hoarding%20in%20the,are%20not%20needed%20any%20more">hoarding disorder</a>, <a href="https://psychcentral.com/depression/messy-room-depression#does-it-exacerbate-symptoms">major depressive disorder</a>, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0005796704000531">attention deficit hyperactivity disorder</a>, and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0887618510001647">anxiety disorders</a>.</p> <p>This raises a crucial question: which came first? For some, clutter is the source of anxiety and distress; for others, poor mental health is the source of disorganisation and clutter.</p> <h2>Not all mess is a problem</h2> <p>It’s important to remember clutter isn’t all bad, and we shouldn’t aim for perfection. Real homes don’t look like the ones in magazines.</p> <p>In fact, disorganised spaces can result in increased <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23907542/">creativity</a> and elicit fresh insights.</p> <p>Living in constant disorder isn’t productive, but striving for perfectionism in cleanliness can also be counterproductive. Perfectionism itself is associated with feeling overwhelmed, anxiety and <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28026869/">poor mental health</a>.</p> <h2>Mess makes me anxious so what can I do about it?</h2> <p>It’s important to remember you have some agency over what matters to you and how you want to prioritise your time.</p> <p>One approach is to try to reduce the clutter. You might, for example, have a dedicated de-cluttering session every week. This may involve hiring a cleaner (if you can afford it) or playing some music or a podcast while tidying up for an hour with your other household members.</p> <p>Establishing this routine can reduce clutter distractions, ease your overall mental load and alleviate worry that clutter will spiral out of control.</p> <p>You can also try micro-tidying. If don’t have time for a complete cleanup, commit just five minutes to clearing one small space.</p> <p>If the clutter is primarily caused by other household members, try to calmly discuss with them how this mess is affecting your mental health. See if your kids, your partner or housemates can negotiate some boundaries as a household over what level of mess is acceptable and how it will be handled if that threshold is exceeded.</p> <p>It can also help to develop a self-compassionate mindset.</p> <p>Mess doesn’t define whether you are a “good” or “bad” person and, at times, it may even stimulate your <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23907542/">creativity</a>. Remind yourself that you deserve success, meaningful relationships and happiness, whether or not your office, home or car is a mess.</p> <p>Take comfort in <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0013916516628178">research</a> suggesting that while disorganised environments can make us susceptible to stress and poor decision-making, your mindset can buffer you against these vulnerabilities.</p> <p>If clutter, perfectionism or anxiety has begun to seem unmanageable, talk with your GP about a referral to a <a href="https://psychology.org.au/psychology/about-psychology/what-is-psychology">psychologist</a>. The right psychologist (and you may need to try a few before you find the right one) can help you cultivate a life driven by values that are important to you.</p> <p>Clutter and mess are more than just visual nuisances. They can have a profound impact on mental wellbeing, productivity and our choices.</p> <p>Understanding why clutter affects you can empower you to take control of your mindset, your living spaces and, in turn, your life.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/211684/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/erika-penney-1416241">Erika Penney</a>, Lecturer in Clinical Psychology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-technology-sydney-936">University of Technology Sydney</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-is-a-messy-house-such-an-anxiety-trigger-for-me-and-what-can-i-do-about-it-211684">original article</a>.</em></p>

Mind

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"He was a mess": Harry's drunken behaviour outed by ex-soldier

<p dir="ltr">A former soldier has revealed Prince Harry accidentally triggered a panic alarm at St James’s Palace after a drunken night out.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Duke of Sussex reportedly stumbled into a sentry box when he returned from a night out, banging into the emergency response button.</p> <p dir="ltr">Three armed soldiers from the Guards Division dashed out to find Harry, who was 27 at the time, on the floor in a “mess”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Two armed police officers also attended the scene and helped carry the young prince back to his apartment.</p> <p dir="ltr">A former soldier, who served in the Guards Division and was part of the Quick Response Force that found Harry, revealed how the Prince was “blind drunk”.</p> <p dir="ltr">He recalled, “He was a mess, he was on the floor drooling on himself.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“When we tried to get him up he was uncooperative and abusive.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The ex-soldier, who did not want to be named, said, “It was around midnight. An alarm went off in the guard room, but we’d never heard it before.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“One of the senior lads said it was one of the sentry boxes.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“Within a couple of minutes three of us who were in the QRF were out the door. There were two Met Police guys there as well.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“But instead of an intruder or terrorist, we found Prince Harry.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“He was slurring his words, not making any sense.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“When we tried to pick him up he started yelling, ‘Get off me, I don’t need any help’.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“He was pushing us off and being very abusive.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The source said they took him inside and up to his apartment – which was in a “right state”.</p> <p dir="ltr">He said, “It was like student digs, it was sh*t.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“The double bed was unmade, there were clothes and socks over the floor, cans of lager and dirty coffee cups lying around and packs of cigs.”</p> <p dir="ltr">He said the team carried Harry to his bed where the royal “passed out” and was left to sleep it off.</p> <p dir="ltr">He said, “We all had a good laugh and a joke about it.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The ex-soldier, an injured veteran with more than a decade’s service, came forward about the incident after becoming enraged by claims Harry made in his memoir <em>Spare</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">He said the Prince had a reputation among military circles for being a “social hand grenade” who would often make trouble with his drunken antics.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

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9 surprising ways bad posture can mess with your health

<h2>You can have bad posture at any age</h2> <p>Posture is an issue for older people, right? Not at all, say experts. “It’s a concern for everyone,” says Dr Eeric Truumees, director of spine research at Dell Seton Medical Center at The University of Texas, Austin. In fact, health conditions that affect the spine also impact your brain and nervous system, and can have a huge effect on your wellbeing. “While some conditions are more easily understood and treatable, spine and posture issues sneak up on you and can be hard to manage once they appear,” Dr Truumees says. Here’s what you need to know about keeping your posture, and your overall health, in great shape.</p> <h2>What is posture, anyway?</h2> <p>There are two types of posture: dynamic posture (your body position when moving) and static posture (your body position when sitting, standing, or sleeping). Good posture means that your head sits above your shoulders and your shoulders are over your hips, a position that maintains a neutral spine.</p> <h2>Thanks, electronic devices</h2> <p>Our phones and tablets aren’t going away, but “the problem is that as we become more and more dependent on these devices, we are getting used to sitting or standing in a hunched-over position that contributes to poor posture,” says sports-medicine doctor Dr Stacy Spivack. While electronics use tends to affect your neck and shoulders, your spine also can be harmed.</p> <h2>Bad posture can trigger muscle spasms</h2> <p>It’s hardly surprising – but worth a reminder – that if you sit while slouched over, which drives your head and neck forward, you may be left with significant neck pain and spasms, says Dr Spivack. Correcting bad posture may offer a significant source of relief for the nearly 20 per cent of the population with neck pain, according to a 2018 study in the Brazilian Journal of Physical Therapy.</p> <h2>Bad posture can make it hurt to move</h2> <p>The body likes to be in alignment. But when you’re sitting and standing with poor posture day in and day out, your body gets used to it. It accepts it as the new normal – something that can spell trouble for you. “When your muscles become accustomed to being in a shortened position, it may hurt to move,” says Dr Spivack. Getting ahead of these bad posture habits now can help prevent nerve damage, osteoarthritis and musculoskeletal problems later in life, says Dr Truumees.</p> <h2>Bad posture can make you weaker</h2> <p>Even if you’re not feeling it, stand tall. In one 2016 study on 33 people published in the journal Biofeedback, people took turns standing erect or slouched. When they stood with better posture, they had greater arm strength during a strength test than when they stood in a saggy position. Studies published in 2016 in the Journals of Gerontology, Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences, suggest body-weight workouts such as yoga that improve flexibility as well as body strength are best to keep the spine strong, supple and pain-free.</p> <h2>Bad posture can contribute to rib pain</h2> <p>If your shoulders remain rounded for much of the day, your body will compensate. “The chest wall will become tight, causing rib and sternal [sternum] pain,” says Dr Spivack. Rib pain can also be a sign that something else is going on – including shingles or costochondritis (inflammation of the cartilage between the ribs), notes physical therapist Dr Szu-Ping Lee. Shingles is a reactivation of the chicken pox virus that can cause pain and blisters on one side of the body that has nothing to do with posture.</p> <h2>Bad posture brings you down</h2> <p>A droopy body leads to a droopy mindset. While research shows upright posture improves self-esteem and mood in just about everyone, a 2017 study published in the Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, suggests adopting an upright posture may also help depressed people feel happier and less fatigued, and self-conscious. The lesson? Instead of letting the day get you down, sit up and see how you feel.</p> <h2>Bad posture can exacerbate arthritis</h2> <p>If you’re suffering from arthritic changes in your shoulders, hips, or spine, poor posture can worsen the pain, says Dr Spivack. Plus, if you’re dealing with arthritis in your neck, the head-forward position can pinch a nerve, resulting in tingling that radiates down your arm, she says.</p> <h2>Bad posture can make you tired</h2> <p>Feeling as if you’re not breathing easy these days? It might be due in part to your phone usage. For a 2016 study published in Journal of Physical Therapy Science, researchers compared people who used their smartphones for less than four hours a day with those who used their phones longer. They found that people who spent more time on their phone had worse posture, which may compress the lungs and compromise respiratory function.</p> <h2>Bad posture may trigger heartburn</h2> <p>If you’ve ever been saddled with stomach symptoms, check your slouch. Sitting slumped over, especially after eating, can give you a belly ache and even trigger acid reflux and heartburn.  “If you slouch too much, you put pressure on your abdomen and can eventually affect your digestion,” adds Dr Truumees. “It’s better to take a quick walk.”</p> <h2>How you can improve your posture</h2> <p>Yes, you’ll need to straighten out, but first, one powerful habit that combats bad posture is getting up more. “Avoid sitting in one position for a prolonged period of time,” says Dr Spivack. She suggests standing every 30 minutes for at a minimum of a few minutes at a time. If you need a reminder so that you don’t get lost in work to-dos, set a timer.</p> <h2>Switch up your space</h2> <p>If your works allows it, talk to human resources about the possibility of getting a sit-to-stand desk. “This is a newer change we’re encouraging patients to take advantage of,” says Dr Spivack. “This allows you to stand for parts of the day and alternate as needed with sitting.”</p> <h2>Make changes</h2> <p>An ergonomic desk setup that addresses the height of your computer screen, keyboard, and chair is necessary for improving your posture while you sit, says Dr Spivack. Every time you sit down to work, take time to make sure your setup is correct.</p> <h2>There’s an app for that</h2> <p>There are a slew of apps and trackers that help with all your health goals, including those that send an alert when you’re slumping. Dr Truumees says people who enjoy technology seem to respond well to these features, but notes that no one should spend a lot of money on a high-tech solution to what is usually a low-tech problem. “It may just as effective to have someone in your life remind you to stand up straight,” he notes.</p> <p><strong>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/healthsmart/9-surprising-ways-bad-posture-can-mess-with-your-health?pages=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader's Digest</a>.</strong></p> <p><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p>

Body

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New Treasurer claims ScoMo left economy in "a mess"

<p>New Labor Treasurer Jim Chalmers has claimed Scott Morrison left Australia's economy in "a mess", and warned Aussies of a "serious economic challenges" ahead. </p> <p>At a press conference on Wednesday, Chalmers told the media that inflation and interest rates were higher since the end of March, petrol prices were up 12 per cent since the end of April, and wholesale electricity and gas prices were also significantly higher under the Morrison government. </p> <p>“We do have labour shortages and we do still have Covid absenteeism, and the international environment has become more challenging as well,” he told reporters.</p> <p>“There is no point tiptoeing around these serious economic challenges. There is no point mincing words about the sorts of conditions that we have inherited."</p> <p>“We have inherited high and rising inflation and rising interest rates, we’ve inherited falling real wages and we’ve inherited $1 trillion in debt.”</p> <p>He went on to say that the economy forecast was weaker in March than the Morrison government claimed at election time, while saying, “Consumption, dwelling investment, new business investment, exports and nominal GDP were all weaker in the March quarter than was anticipated by our predecessors.”</p> <p>“These national accounts are a glimpse of the mess that the former government left behind for us to clean up."</p> <p>“Obviously, we want the economy to recover strongly. Obviously, we want household consumption and other key elements of the national accounts to be as strong as possible.</p> <p>“But even when, on the surface, they might look stronger than they have been during the worst of Covid, they are still short of what the government was hoping for.”</p> <p>In relation to growing energy costs, Chalmers said there was a "perfect storm" of challenges facing the energy market. </p> <p>“These are the costs and consequences of almost a decade now of a government with 22 different energy policies failing to land the necessary certainty to improve the resilience of our energy markets,” he said.</p> <p>“This is the chickens coming home to roost when it comes to almost a decade now on climate change and energy policy failure from our predecessors."</p> <p>The Albanese government has been passionate about their climate change policy, with a strong goal of reaching net zero by 2050. </p> <p>Despite the government's passion for energy reform, financial experts have warned that growing oil and gas prices could plunge Australia into a recession before Christmas if radical change isn't made sooner rather than later. </p> <p>Chalmers also said that workers on a minimum wage should not be further disadvantaged through the ongoing cost of living crisis. </p> <p>“Minimum wage workers were in many cases the heroes of the pandemic. They shouldn’t be going backwards in this cost of living crisis,” he said.</p> <p>Although Labor are dedicated to reducing the cost of living, The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) said global events – including the rolling conflict in Ukraine – would continue to impact the Australian economy in the months ahead.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images </em></p>

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Clever capsicum chopping hack for doing away with mess

<p dir="ltr">Tired of finding rouge capsicum seeds in the kitchen long after you’ve cooked with it? Next time try this trick to virtually eliminate any mess. </p> <p dir="ltr">Shared on TikTok, this “tried and tested” hack for cutting up capscicum has gone viral – and for good reason. </p> <p dir="ltr">Grace, a nurse from the UK, shows how she turned the capsicum (which she calls a 'pepper', of course) upside down, and – using a sharp knife – cuts a simple cross in the bottom.</p> <p dir="ltr">She then pulls the four sections apart, which leaves the large seeded centre behind, making it easy to dispose of.</p> <p dir="ltr">In the comments she added: "Easy way to chop them without getting seeds everywhere”.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Literally! Life-changer."</p> <blockquote class="tiktok-embed" style="max-width: 605px; min-width: 325px;" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@goldilocks.bears.x/video/6930302759128419590" data-video-id="6930302759128419590"> <section><a title="@goldilocks.bears.x" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@goldilocks.bears.x" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@goldilocks.bears.x</a> How do you cut yours!? 🫑 <a title="minimalwaste" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/minimalwaste" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#minimalwaste</a> <a title="foodwaste" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/foodwaste" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#foodwaste</a> <a title="cookingtips" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/cookingtips" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#cookingtips</a> <a title="cookingtiktok" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/cookingtiktok" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#cookingtiktok</a> <a title="learnontiktok" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/learnontiktok" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#learnontiktok</a> <a title="foodtips" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/foodtips" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#foodtips</a> <a title="foodhacks" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/foodhacks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#foodhacks</a> <a title="♬ UCKERS - Shygirl" href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/UCKERS-6750665582753875970" target="_blank" rel="noopener">♬ UCKERS - Shygirl</a></section> </blockquote> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-812fd3d7-7fff-b38b-47b4-a6fd9bb08277"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">The video clocked up over 1.2 million views with many thanking Grace for sharing the tip.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: TikTok</em></p>

Food & Wine

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8 ordinary things you don’t realise are messing with your brain

<p><strong>Doors</strong></p> <p><span>Ever walk into a room with some purpose in mind, only to completely forget what that purpose was? Turns out, doors themselves are to blame for these strange memory lapses. Psychologists at the University of Notre Dame have discovered that passing through a doorway triggers what’s known as an event boundary in the mind, separating one set of thoughts and memories from the next. Your brain files away the thoughts you had in the previous room and prepares a blank slate for the new locale.</span></p> <p><strong>Beeps</strong></p> <p><span>If you can’t concentrate during the irritating sound of a truck reversing, blame the brain baffle on an evolutionary glitch. Natural sounds are created from a transfer of energy (say, a stick hitting a drum) and gradually dissipate, and our perceptual system has evolved to use that decay of sound to figure out what made it and where it came from. But beeps don’t typically change or fade away over time, so our brains have trouble keeping up.</span></p> <p><strong>Wide-open spaces</strong></p> <p><span>We walk in circles when we traverse terrain devoid of landmarks, such as the desert. Even though we’d swear we’re walking in a straight line, we actually curve around in loops as tight as 20 metres in diameter. German research from the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics reveals why: with every step a walker takes, a small deviation arises in the brain’s balance (vestibular) or body awareness (proprioceptive) systems. These deviations accumulate to send that individual veering around in ever-tighter circles. But they don’t occur when we can recalibrate our sense of direction, using a nearby building or mountain, for instance.</span></p> <p><strong>Attractiveness</strong></p> <p><span>We say ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’, but unfortunately, our brains tend to do just that. In what’s known as the ‘halo effect’, a single positive quality in a person can dupe our brain into thinking that person has many good qualities, even if we don’t know them at all. For instance, when we find someone physically attractive, we may also automatically have the impression that he or she is smart, kind, funny, etc. This is by far the most common example of the ‘halo effect’, to the extent that the effect is also known as ‘the physical attractiveness stereotype’. This has a lot to do with celebrities, and why we feel like we ‘know’ them when we really don’t.</span></p> <p><strong>Being up high</strong></p> <p><span>For many people, being at a certain height, especially for the first time, creates a surreal sensation of detachment. This is known as the ‘breakaway phenomenon’. “You feel as if you’re disconnected from the Earth, literally, even though you’re in a building or an aeroplane,” says Dr James Giordano, a neurology and biochemistry professor at Georgetown University Medical Center. Though some experience this sensation at the top of a tall building, or on a balcony, it’s most commonly felt while flying. This sensation is totally separate from fear of heights; in fact, it makes some people feel very calm and peaceful. “Some people actually enjoy the way that feels; others, it makes them uncomfortable,” says Dr Giordano.</span></p> <p><strong>That one time you ate bad chicken</strong></p> <p><span>If you’ve ever wondered why one bad experience can ruin something for you, blame your brain. A single unpleasant experience with food, in particular, can taint the taste of that food in your mind, even if you actually really enjoy it. This is known as the ‘Garcia Effect’, because of a scientist named Dr John Garcia who tested it on rats. If you experienced nausea or sickness shortly after eating something (whether or not the food itself is what made you sick), you’ll likely develop what’s known as a taste aversion to that food. This triggers your brain to be hesitant about consuming it again, even if it’s a food you love. Unsurprisingly, this occurs frequently with a certain type of alcohol or even a non-alcoholic mixer.</span></p> <p><strong>Arrows</strong></p> <p><span>Though they seem straightforward, arrows have the potential to trip up our brains quite a bit. They can distort our perceptions of distance, direction and length; in fact, two popular optical illusions use arrows to trick the mind. One is the ‘Muller-Lyer illusion’, which takes three lines of equal length and uses arrowheads to make them appear different lengths. The other, the ‘Flanker task’, is more interactive; it shows you a screen with several arrows on it and makes you select the direction that the middle arrow is pointing. (It’s harder than it sounds!) The arrows that are not in the centre are ‘irrelevant stimuli’, distracting your brain by pointing in different directions.</span></p> <p><strong>A bargain</strong></p> <p><span>Salespeople can fool your brain into thinking you want a product you really don’t. According to Dr Deborah Searcy of Florida Atlantic University, retailers use this sneaky trick all the time: they tell you the price of an item and try to get you to buy it. If you say that price is too much, they’ll offer you a lower one. Because your mind has been ‘anchored’ around the higher price, you think you’re getting a great deal, and you’re more likely to buy the item. But, if the salesperson had offered you the lower price right off the bat, chances are you wouldn’t have bought the product. Your brain is duped by the allure of a good deal.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Written by Meghan Jones and Natalie Wolchover. This article first appeared in </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/true-stories-lifestyle/science-technology/8-ordinary-things-you-dont-realise-are-messing-with-your-brain" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Reader’s Digest</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, </span><a rel="noopener" href="http://readersdigest.innovations.com.au/c/readersdigestemailsubscribe?utm_source=over60&amp;utm_medium=articles&amp;utm_campaign=RDSUB&amp;keycode=WRA87V" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">here’s our best subscription offer.</span></a></em></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Getty Images</span></em></p> <p><img style="width: 100px !important; height: 100px !important;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7820640/1.png" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/f30947086c8e47b89cb076eb5bb9b3e2" /></p>

Mind

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Sylvia Jeffreys accidentally messes up live gender reveal

<p><em>Today Extra</em><span> </span>host Sylvia Jeffreys wanted to celebrate her second son on the way by doing a gender reveal live on air.</p> <p>Despite knowing she was already having a new baby boy, she wanted to try out the trend.</p> <p>Jeffreys went for a simple approach by popping a balloon with coloured confetti inside, blue for boys and pink for girls.</p> <p>"I may not have stuffed up the reveal a little too early by trying to test the strength of the pin," she said as footage of her holding a balloon and pin began to play.</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height:281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7840125/sylvia-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/9b7213caccb1427898aabb28f696707f" /></p> <div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text redactor-styles redactor-in"> <p>Luckily, Karl Stefanovic called for a do-over.</p> <p>"We're just going to ignore what happened before. This is the magic of television," he said.</p> <p>"It's a surprise. You're having a boy," he said.</p> <p>Jeffreys giggled and asked if she could call her husband, Pete.</p> <p>"I might just call my husband and let him know, if that's alright. We feel alright about that?</p> <p>"That was a really happy moment. Thanks for sharing it with me."</p> <p><em>Photo credits:<span> </span></em><a rel="noopener" href="https://9now.nine.com.au/today/today-show-sylvia-jeffreys-bungles-own-gender-reveal/6d5ee0d9-3a2a-4364-9c00-a7d14967a2d0" target="_blank"><em>Today</em></a></p> </div> </div> </div>

Family & Pets

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7 ways a full moon can mess with your emotions

<p><strong>Swayed by the moon</strong><br />For a long time, it has been thought that a full moon makes people crazy. And while it may not turn you into a werewolf or land you in the psych ward, there must be some truth behind the idea that we are emotionally connected to the moon, right? LA-based astrologer Dr Athena Perrakis explains, “The full moon affects our bodies and it affects the oceans. Since our bodies are made up, proportionally, of so much water, it’s easy to understand how the moon would pull us and sway us just like the ocean.” When the moon is full, Dr Perrakis claims that it is high tide for emotions, and you best be careful not to get swept away.</p> <p><strong>It magnifies emotions</strong><br />Everyone has both light and dark inside them. Positive or negative, the full moon takes your strongest qualities and enhances them. According to Dr Perrakis, the full moon has a way of bringing both sides out into the open. “In the literal sense, what the full moon does is expand and it magnifies everything.” The sign of Aries, for example, is ambitious, outgoing, and personable. The positive side of an Aries during a full moon is the greater desire to be social and to share their opinions with others; however, Aries is also very headstrong. “Aries is ruled by Mars, which is a planet of war; they don’t hesitate to engage in conflict, especially in conversation. So at the full moon, they can feel agitated.” If you find yourself in an argument with an Aries around the time of the full moon, brace yourself, because they are prone to anger and will not hold back.</p> <p><strong>It intensifies feelings</strong><br />At the same time that a full moon can magnify an astrological sign’s natural characteristics, it can also make people feel things more intensely. This can be good or bad, depending on your state of mind when the full moon rises. The passionate Scorpio, for example, is already an intense sign, so things can get even more heated for this sign under a full moon. “Scorpio is the darkest sign of the zodiac, meaning that it takes all of its water energy that it shares with Cancer and Pisces and takes it to a deeper, darker place,” Dr Perrakis remarks. Moreover, Scorpio is known as the most sexual sign of the zodiac, and that can manifest itself twofold during the full moon: the intimacy a Scorpio is able to conjure up during a full moon is unparalleled, but the downside to the full moon is that it can intensify drama, stubbornness, and controlling aspects. Pisces, while also very passionate, is almost the exact opposite of a Scorpio in this instance. Instead of projecting intense emotions, Pisces open themselves up to them. “Of all the signs of the zodiac, Pisces is the most empathic. That can be a great thing at the full moon. It can make you feel really close to people. But if you’re too empathic and you don’t shield your energy well, you could end up feeling really drained.” On the bright side, Pisces can find itself feeling more inspired than ever during a full moon.</p> <p><strong>It energises</strong><br />The full moon can also lend an increased sense of energy, which each sign of the zodiac handles differently. For instance, a Leo would react much differently to the energy of a full moon than would a Virgo. “Leo loves the full moon because Leo is all about passion and creativity and enthusiasm,” Dr Perrakis says. “Leo is constantly craving access to bigger energy, so at the full moon you’re going to see Leos being extremely outgoing, extremely enthusiastic, [and] possibly creating something new. Leos tend to be very entrepreneurial and so they take that full moon energy and put it towards new ventures.” The dark side of those qualities, however, is that a Leo can become overly enthusiastic to the point that they are overbearing and bossy. A Virgo, on the other hand, enjoys the increased energy brought on by the full moon because it allows them to increase their work productivity. “Virgos love to get organised and they love to prioritise and they find that extra energy helps them get more work done.”</p> <p><br /><strong>It illuminates</strong><br />Yes, the full moon obviously provides more literal light than other phases of the moon, but it also has an illuminating property in terms of awareness and realisation. Now, Virgos don’t like this very much because they don’t thrive in the spotlight like some of the other zodiac signs do. “Virgos don’t like to be the focus of attention or conversation,” Dr Perrakis. “I always call the full moon the astrological spotlight because it just highlights whatever it touches. It makes Virgo a little uncomfortable.” Capricorns are a different story. “The magnifying energy of the full moon can actually help [Capricorns] have a better sense of visibility about their priorities. It actually will illuminate the path to achievement and success for them.” The overwhelming brightness of the moon can put some on edge while others use it as a powerful guide.</p> <p><strong>It destabilises</strong><br />While Capricorns do enjoy the increased success they might have during the phase of the full moon, on the whole, they find this time rather troublesome. All of the magnified energy that the full moon provides shakes up the usual routine. As emotions sway and strengthen, it is a time of uncertainty, which is one thing Capricorns hate and why they don’t like full moons. “Capricorns like to maintain a state of equilibrium in their life. They are about creating solid foundations and about making progress,” Dr Perrakis says. “They don’t like energies that destabilize their environment; it makes them uncomfortable.” But while Capricorn can get frustrated by the uncertainty of the full moon, Sagittarius and Aquarius revel in it. Aquarians love the full moon because they love to take on new things. This sign actually loves change, so any destabilizing effect the moon might have won’t bother them. Sagittarius, too, tends to be more positive about it. “Sagittarius has the most fun at the full moon because Sagittarius is the sign of freedom,” she explains. “At the full moon, they feel like it’s an opportunity to break out of old patterns, to find new ways to create excitement or to break a cycle that they’ve been stuck in.”</p> <p><strong>It makes moody Cancer moodier</strong><br />Cancer has the distinction of being a sign that is ruled by the moon, so everything about the full moon hits harder for them. “Cancers are the sign that feel everything very intensely, especially as it relates to home,” Dr Perrakis says. “The light side of that at the full moon is they feel like they have more energy than ever to communicate their feelings, to love their family, to be intimate with their partner. The other side of that is that they can become overwhelmed by their own feelings.” Don’t be surprised, Cancer, if you find yourself crying a lot at the full moon because your emotions are welling up and you can’t control them, she says. Normally adventurous, sociable, and fun-loving Geminis can have a hard time, too. “Sometimes Geminis feel misunderstood. They can feel isolated and alone, which Geminis do not like,” Dr Perrakis says.</p> <p><strong>Money woes for Taurus</strong><br />“Taurus has a focus on finances,” Dr Perrakis states. “And so at the full moon you might see a heightened anxiety about money.” While the full moon could provide great potential for success with financial endeavours, it can also cause a Taurus much more concern than usual. Libra, on the other hand, is not so consumed by material things, rather, it is a sign that preoccupies itself with creating harmony between others. This in itself might be anxiety-inducing during the full moon. “Full moons tend to bring out intense energy between people and so it’s harder for [Libras] to establish harmony. If you have an Aries who’s arguing with a Taurus about money, the Libra is going to want to make them both happy, and at the full moon that’s going to be harder to do than at any other time.”</p> <p><strong>How to handle a full moon</strong><br />While there’s nothing you can do to stop a full moon, obviously, what you can control is you. If you find yourself becoming increasingly agitated or negative around a full moon, take a step back. “For everyone, the key is awareness,” Dr Perrakis concludes. “Think about the strongest qualities of your sign. What would those qualities look like if they were given a turbo charge of energy? You have to be aware of that in yourself so you can understand how people react to you.” If you know that the moon gives you an excess of emotion or energy, think about how to direct it in a way that is positive. Instead of being at the mercy of the moon, use it to your advantage.</p> <p><em>Written by Taylor Markarian</em><em>. This article first appeared on </em><a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/culture/7-ways-a-full-moon-can-mess-with-your-emotions"><em>Reader’s Digest</em></a><em>. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, </em><a href="http://readersdigest.com.au/subscribe"><em>here’s our best subscription offer</em></a><em>.</em></p>

Mind

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How to hang art (without messing it up)

<p>While everyone may have different tastes in art, there are some general tips and tricks you should keep in mind when hanging your favourite pieces.</p> <p><strong>Keep it level</strong><br />From photographs to sculpture to pastels, art is meant to be seen. That means it's important to hang it at eye level. It's typically a good idea to have the centre of the artwork about 1.5 metres from the ground.</p> <p>Also make sure that the work is hanging properly. A crooked painting can ruin the entire atmosphere of a room. And heaven forbid you hang it upside down!</p> <p><strong>Think big picture</strong><br />Unless you have your own private gallery at home, you'll need to make sure your art fits with the rest of your possessions - particularly your furniture.</p> <p>Art should enhance your home decor, not clash with or take away from it. Keep this in mind when it comes to art placement, as well as the colour of frames and the works themselves.</p> <p><strong>Safety in numbers</strong><br />While you don't want to overwhelm the senses, it's a good idea to remember how art can work in groups.</p> <p>For instance, say you want to hang a painting above your sofa. While your first inclination may be to centre it directly above the furniture, unless the artwork in question is the right size, it could throw off the look of the room. If it's too big it will dwarf the sofa, and if it's too small it just won't look right compared to a big piece of furniture.</p> <p><strong>The 1.45 rule<br /></strong>This one tip guarantees success when placing your art. Always make sure the centre of the artwork is exactly 1.45m above the floor. This is the average human eye-height and is often used as a standard in galleries and museums. </p> <p>People tend to hang art too high but if you stick to this rule, you’ll create consistency across all the artwork in your home, as all your pictures will share a midline as you look around, no matter what the outside dimensions may be.</p> <p><strong>Step by step</strong></p> <ul> <li>Measure and lightly mark 1.45m on your wall with a soft pencil</li> <li>Measure the height of your artwork and divide by two to get the centre measurement</li> <li>Measure the top of your picture frame to the tightened wire</li> <li>Subtract the tight wire measurement from the half height amount to achieve your ‘to the hook’ amount. This helps you establish how high above 1.45m your hook should be placed</li> <li>Lightly mark your wall just above 1.45m with your ‘to the hook’ amount</li> </ul> <p>With groups of pictures, think of the group as one picture.</p> <p><strong>Avoid catastrophe</strong><br />When you’re hanging a frame, check the picture wire and attachment points for wear. Picture wire is made from many fine wires wound together. Over time and after many moves, some of these fine wires can start to break. This will usually occur right where the centre point of the wire is; the point at which it rests on the wall hook.</p> <p>As you’ve adjusted your frame to keep it level, this wears away at the wire and eventually it can snap – with potentially disastrous results. If a painting or picture is particularly heavy, make sure you use a double strand of picture wire and be very careful about your choice of wall hooks and mounting locations.</p> <p>If your walls are made from gyprock, purchase a stud finder from your local hardware shop. This will help you locate your home’s timber framework so you can place screws or hooks at the points of greatest strength. If you prefer to use special gyprock mounting hooks, pay very close attention to their weight limits and always use a bigger hook than you need for the job.</p> <p><em>Written by Stewart Bunn. Republished with permission of <a href="https://www.wyza.com.au/articles/property/how-to-hang-art-without-messing-it-up.aspx">Wyza.com.au.</a></em></p>

Art

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The life-changing magic of making a mess

<p>We're programmed from childhood to tidy our rooms, make our beds, keep our desks and our schoolbags neatly packed. Tidiness and organisation, we're told, reflects a calm and organised mind, allowing us to be more efficient, more productive, less stressed.</p> <p>But is this really the case, or, as author of new book M<em>essy: How to be Creative and Resilient in a Tidy-minded World</em> Tim Harford argues, can being messy be of far more benefit than we think?</p> <p>The trouble with tidiness is that, in excess, it becomes rigid, fragile and sterile. Harford's approach reveals how qualities like creativity, resilience and responsiveness can be nourished far more effectively with a bit of mess around, and that messiness lies at the core of how we innovate, how we achieve, how we reach each other, how we succeed.</p> <p>Harford says his book is "a celebration of everything we can't quite tidy up - of creative disorder, unlikely partnerships, improvisation and of course, messy desks.</p> <p>"We tend to be tidy-minded about a lot of things, we instinctively like structure and order. That's all very well if you're a librarian or bookkeeper, but all too often we try to over-prepare and over-organise in situations where we'd be better off tolerating a little mess."</p> <p>"A few years ago two psychologists, Alex Haslam and Craig Knight, set up various 'ideal' office spaces and invited people to work in them to see how productive and happy they were. It turns out that most people aren't super minimalists; they like a little decoration in their office - a pot plant, say.</p> <p>"But the main discovery Haslam and Knight made was that what really matters isn't how the office looks - it's who gets to decide it. When people had the power to control their spaces they were happy and productive. When researchers overrode their decisions they felt distracted and resentful.</p> <p>"The lesson here is that office managers should just let people have more control over their own space, even if that means it gets a bit cluttered."</p> <p>So how does the author of a book celebrating mess feel about Marie Kondo's bestseller<em> The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organising</em>?</p> <p>Harford says he's actually a big fan, and they are in total agreement on one thing: there's no point trying to organise your way out of an overstuffed situation.</p> <p>"If you have too much junk in your house then clever filing systems and pegboards won't really help you. Organisational systems, says, Marie Kondo, are a trap. I agree.</p> <p>"But while Marie Kondo's radical minimalism works really well for your kitchen or sitting room, it doesn't automatically carry over to managing a project at work or your email inbox. It's not that it's wrong – it's just that it's not directly relevant. Can you really manage an inbox by keeping only the emails that spark joy? No: we're talking about a different kind of problem.</p> <p>"And it's when you get into these areas of creative collaborative projects with a complex flow of information that I think my embrace of ambiguity, improvisation and, yes, plain old mess, can reap dividends."</p> <p>Harford says researching the book was also a sharp shock to him as a parent.</p> <p>"I realised I was depriving my children of the power to mess up their bedrooms - and that autonomy was much more important than a space that kept my inner neat-freak happy."</p> <p>Is he then a neat person turned messy or has he always been more on the messy side?</p> <p>"If you saw my kitchen or my bedroom, you'd say I was a neat person," says Harford. "But if you saw my desk you'd think it belonged to a different person - it's piled high with books and papers.</p> <p>"One of the things I learned writing the book, though, was that there's a time and place for tidiness and for mess.</p> <p>"In the kitchen I follow the familiar advice, 'a place for everything and everything in its place'. Works brilliantly for corkscrews and spices.</p> <p>"But that plausible-sounding advice just doesn't work for the typical desk of the typical office worker. We have paper and digital documents, email and social media all pouring in over our physical and our digital desktop, and we have to make sense of this stuff.</p> <p>"And it turns out that allowing some documents to pile up physically on your desk is often a more effective approach to sorting it than prematurely labelling it and filing it away before you really understand what it is - or even if you need to keep it at all. 'Piling' tends to beat 'filing' as a strategy for knowledge workers.</p> <p>"Fortunately my wife is like me - she's tidy in the kitchen and she has a messy desk.</p> <p>"Our children are, of course, wonderfully messy. But writing the book has helped me to realise that they need their autonomy and space to make a mess. I still make them hang up their coats and clear away their plates, but I don't make them tidy their room unless they ask for help with that.</p> <p>"The freedom to own your own mess is important."</p> <p><strong>Five little ways to embrace messiness:</strong> </p> <ul> <li>When your child disrupts your plans with a crazy idea, try to embrace it rather than shut it down.</li> <li>Write down six daring options for your weekend and roll the dice.</li> <li>Don't use slides for your next presentation; speak spontaneously about one thing that truly matters.</li> <li>Next time you make a mistake, tell yourself it was your intention all along, and work with it.</li> <li>Allow yourself a physical space where you don't have to feel ashamed of the mess.</li> </ul> <p><em>Written by Josie Steenhart. First appeared on <a href="/%20http:/www.stuff.co.nz/"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Stuff.co.nz</span></strong></a>.</em></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/health/mind/2017/02/signs-you-are-ready-for-a-big-change/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>4 signs you’re ready for a big change</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/health/mind/2017/01/margaret-cunningham-on-time-to-do-nothing/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>In praise of doing nothing</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/health/mind/2017/01/how-to-focus-on-what-is-important/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>How to focus on what’s important</strong></em></span></a></p>

Mind

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Cleaning tips every dog owner should know

<p>From Australia’s favourite domestic gurus Shannon Lush and Jennifer Fleming, the latest in the <em>Spotless</em> series of ingenious cleaning tips is Spotless Pets, filled with inexpensive, green solutions to cleaning up the stains and messes from your pet. Because as we much as we love our pets, they’re no doubt they are the messiest member of any family! Here Lush and Fleming share their advice for cleaning the obvious and common stains in the home: dog poo and urine off your floor.  </p> <p><strong>Problem: Dog poo on carpet</strong></p> <p>What to use: Plastic comb/paper towel; cake of bathroom soap, cold water, old toothbrush/pantyhose, vacuum cleaner; or bucket, cold water, dishwashing liquid, old toothbrush; glycerine</p> <p>How to apply: Remove excess by lifting the solids with a plastic comb or by blotting liquids with paper towel. Scribble with a cake of bathroom soap dipped in cold water. If stubborn, scrub with an old toothbrush or pantyhose. Leave to dry. Vacuum. Alternatively, remove excess then fill a bucket with cold water and enough dishwashing liquid to generate a sudsy mix. Apply only the suds with an old toothbrush, using as little water as possible. Absorb moisture by covering the area with paper towel and stand on it. Continue to change the paper towel until it’s no longer wet when you stand on it.</p> <p>If food is high in fats or oils (including fat from meat), remove protein first by rubbing with a cake of bathroom soap and a cold, damp cloth. To remove the fats and oils, place 2 drops of dishwashing liquid on your fingertips and massage into the stain with your fingers. Close your eyes so you can feel when the texture becomes like jelly. When this happens, the oils have become emulsified. Either wipe with a cold, damp cloth or rinse with water. Then follow either of the methods above. If the diet is high in dry food, caramel colouring will leave a tannin-like stain. For a new or old stain, lightly brush across the surface with 2 drops of glycerine on an old toothbrush. Don’t push into carpet or fabric backing or you will release tannin stains. Leave for 90 minutes. Dip a cake of bathroom soap in cold water and scribble over the stain as you would with a crayon. Fold a damp cloth flat and polish the stain out with your hand flat on the cloth. Then follow either of the methods above.</p> <p><strong>Problem: Fresh dog urine on carpet</strong></p> <p>What to use: Ultraviolet light, white chalk, paper towel, white vinegar, old toothbrush/ cloth; glycerine </p> <p>How to apply: In a darkened room, turn on an ultraviolet light and the urine stains will show up yellow. Mark around the yellow stains with a piece of white chalk so you can see where to clean. Absorb excess by blotting with paper towel until the towel is no longer damp. Wipe with a cloth wrung out tightly in white vinegar. Repeat if needed. Absorb moisture by covering the area with paper towel and standing on it. Continue to change the paper towel until it’s no longer wet when you stand on it. If the stain isn’t completely removed, lightly brush across the surface of the carpet with 2 drops of glycerine on an old toothbrush. Leave for 90 minutes. Wipe again with white vinegar and dry with paper towel. If the stain is still not removed, leave for 24 hours and wipe with white vinegar once again.</p> <p><strong>Problem: Old dog urine on carpet</strong></p> <p>What to use: Ultraviolet light, white chalk, white vinegar, cloth, paper towel; glycerine, old toothbrush </p> <p>How to apply: For old stains, first find where the urine is. In a darkened room, turn on an ultraviolet light and the urine stains will show up yellow. Mark around the yellow stains with a piece of white chalk so you can see where to clean. Wipe inside the chalk marks with a cloth tightly wrung in white vinegar. Absorb moisture by covering the area with paper towel and stand on it. Continue to change the paper towel until it’s no longer wet when you stand on it. If the stain isn’t completely removed, lightly brush across the surface of the carpet with 2 drops of glycerine on an old toothbrush. Leave for 90 minutes. Wipe again with white vinegar and dry with paper towel. If the stain is still not removed, leave for 24 hours and wipe with white vinegar once again.</p> <p><em>The is an extract from </em>Spotless Pets<em> by Shannon Lush &amp; Jennifer Fleming (ABC Books RRP$19.99).</em></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/05/reasons-your-dogs-health-is-as-important-as-your-own/"><em><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">6 reasons your dog’s health is just as important as your own</span></strong></em></a></p> <p><a href="/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/04/scientists-say-dogs-are-smarter-than-we-think/"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Dogs are smarter than we give them credit for</span></em></strong></a></p> <p><a href="/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/04/why-cats-like-boxes/"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Why do cats like boxes?</span></em></strong></a></p>

Family & Pets

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