Latest news with #cleanliness
CNET
2 days ago
- Health
- CNET
Fresh or Filthy? Proper Bath Towel Hygiene
Keeping up with all your chores does more than leave a clean living space. It can also help your health and your peace of mind. Your bathroom should be a high priority, but there are still things you might miss after scrubbing the tub. Even though your bathroom towels may look clean, they could be holding massive amounts of bacteria and germs. Here's everything to know about how often you should wash your bath towels to keep them in tip-top shape. Plus, the best temperature for getting them the cleanest. Why do you need to clean your bath towels so often? When you dry off with towels, they get moist. This porous, damp environment is the perfect breeding ground for bacteria. A common bath towel can have yeast, mold and E. coli growing on it without you ever knowing it. Gross, right? Regular washing prevents bacteria from growing. LG's WashTower functions as one combined washer and dryer unit. LG When should you reuse or wash bathroom towels? Consumer Reports says that under normal circumstances, a towel can be used three or four times before it needs to be washed. That's "times" not "days." If you have many family members using a towel (like hand towels), it needs to be washed on the third or fourth use. The condition of the person using the towel matters, too. If they're sick, toss it in the laundry after one use. If it's flu season, it's best for every family member to have their own towel -- even if they aren't exhibiting symptoms -- to prevent the potential spread of germs. How often you wash towels also depends on how they're dried after usage. If towels find themselves on the floor, the lack of air circulation will cause bacteria to grow quickly. To prolong the life of your towel, be sure to place damp towels on a towel rack. Better yet, crack open a window or turn on the fan to reduce moisture in the room. Supercharge your dryer by cleaning its vent Supercharge your dryer by cleaning its vent Click to unmute Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Skip Backward Skip Forward Next playlist item Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 1:37 Loaded : 24.52% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 1:37 Share Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Close Modal Dialog This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. Close Modal Dialog This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. Supercharge your dryer by cleaning its vent What temperature is best for washing bath towels? The Infection Control department of Mid-Western Regional Hospital of Ennis, Ireland, recommends washing towels in water that is at least 140 degrees Fahrenheit (60 degrees Celsius) or more to kill bacteria. So if you have a sanitize mode on your washing machine, use it. If not, you may consider raising the temperature on your water heater while washing that load. Be sure young children are supervised around sinks, tubs and showers while you do laundry, though, to prevent burns. And, before you reach for the fabric softener, don't. Fabric softener leaves residue on towels that makes them less absorbent.
The Guardian
4 days ago
- Health
- The Guardian
Is your home a health hazard? 15 surprisingly filthy everyday items, from taps to toothbrushes
Most everyday objects are at least a little bit grimy. They rarely, if ever, make contact with soap or disinfectant – unlike your toilet seat, even though that's the one that's often used as a symbol of filth in studies of household cleanliness. Aside from pathogens that can cause disease and illness, 'for the most part, we're dealing with our own bacteria', says Jason Tetro, microbiologist and author of The Germ Code. This usually isn't a problem, especially for youngish healthy people – but, Tetro adds, 'when they accumulate, even if they are your own, it can lead to things like skin irritability, itchy scalp, cavities [in teeth from bacteria-heavy toothbrushes], that type of thing'. Does it matter that your reusable shopping bag might be carrying faecal bugs? Or that your watch strap is teeming with lifeforms? Are the studies – usually small, and sometimes conducted by cleaning-product companies – scaremongering or a grave matter of public health? Germ experts come clean. After going to the loo, or every time your hands are dirty, you touch the tap before washing them. 'If you don't have those [long lever] elbow taps like they have in hospitals, then you're going to be making your taps really gunky, and lead to the potential for cross-contamination,' says Tetro. Clean bathroom and kitchen taps regularly. In the kitchen, if you're washing your hands after handling raw meat, consider turning the tap on before you start. 'I would suggest you just keep a little stream going, and then you don't have to touch the taps until you've washed your hands properly.' Admittedly, this is wasteful, so you could also make sure you disinfect your kitchen taps afterwards. 'I'm surprised new lifeforms don't evolve in kitchen sponges,' says Chuck Gerba, professor of virology at the University of Arizona. They are prime habitats for microbes. 'They are always wet,' says Markus Egert, professor of microbiology at Hochschule Furtwangen University in Germany. 'They have a huge inner surface where a lot of microbes can grow, and you clean a lot of different stuff with them, so the microbes have a lot of nutrients to feed on. And they are rarely cleaned, so that makes them perfect. That's why there are so many microbes in it within a very short time, billions of microbes. The concentration – not the type of microbes – is similar to a human stool sample.' Studies have shown that sponges can contain harmful bacteria such as salmonella or campylobacter, which can cause severe food poisoning. For elderly people or young children, or those with a weakened immune system, this can be especially dangerous. If you do use one, you could clean it in the microwave. Wet it thoroughly, put a bit of washing-up liquid on it and microwave it for one minute, and then let it dry out well. 'This reduces the number of germs very significantly,' says Egert. But this could eventually prove counterproductive. 'The few microbes that survive probably can grow up very fast and so recolonise the sponge. If you do this several times, our hypothesis is that you select for more pathogenic, more resistant microbes than you had before. So you shouldn't do it too often.' Or preferably don't use one at all – most sponges are made of plastic and aren't biodegradable. One of the most neglected items in the kitchen, says Gerba, is the cutting board. 'People just rinse it off,' he says, 'or they'll cut raw meats and then they'll make a salad on it, and you have all those cuts and crevices from cutting that make it difficult to clean. Probably the most important thing is putting it in a dishwasher, or rinsing and scrubbing it.' 'A toothbrush is going to be mainly oral bacteria,' says Tetro. Some studies have shown a toothbrush can be home to 10m bacteria. 'But the microbiome in your mouth will change over time. If you have a lot of sugary, fatty foods, it may help change your microbiome towards bugs that are not so great, and they'll become even more populous, and then you're just spreading them in your mouth.' Give your toothbrush a clean every day. 'Run very hot water over the brush and underneath for five seconds. You should also be changing your toothbrush about once a month.' Watch out for your toothbrush holder, too, where gunk accumulates. 'All the bacteria in the toothbrush end up growing in the bottom,' says Tetro. Tetro is suspicious of anything named 'brush' that is never cleaned. 'With a hairbrush, it's going to be yeast and fungi. After you've washed your hair, using a [dirty] hairbrush may transfer it into your hair.' This could lead to dandruff, or scalp infections. It should be enough to clean your hairbrush once a month, says Tetro. Sometimes dark, always moist, with water left for hours, warming up. Add to that oral bacteria, food particles and (if you're not a regular handwasher) possibly faecal bacteria, and your water bottle becomes a banquet for germs. If you fill your bottle with protein shakes or sugary drinks, it's more like an all-you-can-eat for bacteria. One study found 20% of water bottles tested contained coliform bacteria (of faecal origin). Another study found an average water bottle had 20.8m colony-forming units – more than 40,000 times the number on a toilet seat. 'If you drink water from a swimming pool, you should expect to drink poop – but, if it's your own water bottle, probably not,' says Tetro. It's best to pour away old water, wash the bottle in hot water and washing-up liquid and, at least once a week, give it a good scrub with a (clean!) brush. Don't forget lids, straws and spouts. Your fancy smartwatch is telling you everything you need to know about your resting heart rate and sleep quality, but it is harbouring a dirty secret – it's teeming with germs. A 2023 study found that, while staphylococci were expected (they're naturally found on skin), there were relatively high rates of pseudonomas bacteria (some variants can cause infections in humans) and 60% had enteric bacteria (found in the intestine), including E coli. Rubber and cloth straps were the worst, with gold and silver straps performing well. You handle them multiple times, drop them on the floor, put them in your pocket, share them with other people, and then jam them in your ears – a warm, dark, moist place, home to your usual bacterial flora, and now the venue for a whole host of germs to party to your playlist. One study that swabbed 50 earphones identified fungi and bacteria, including E coli. Again, anything that comes into contact with human skin is expected to be loaded with bacteria, and a study on spectacles found, unsurprisingly, that nose pads and the parts that touched the ears had higher concentrations. While the bacteria detected wouldn't be a concern to healthy people, the study found about 60% of the bacteria could be risky to people with compromised immune systems. It also identified bacteria linked to eye infections. It found alcohol wipes were the best at decreasing bacterial load, but many opticians say they could damage the lenses and advise warm soapy water and a soft cloth. A 2023 food-handling study, following people who were making turkey burgers from raw meat, swabbed utensils and kitchen surfaces afterwards and found spice jars were the most frequently contaminated, with nearly half of the objects affected. Your salt and pepper shakers may also be giving you more than seasoning – a 2010 study by ABC News found shakers in restaurants were the second-dirtiest items on the table (after menus), and in a 2008 University of Virginia study, which tested objects that had been touched by cold sufferers, traces of the virus were found on all the shakers. 'Reusable bags tend to get contaminated with bacteria from raw meat and produce,' says Gerba. 'Putting them in a car trunk is like creating an incubator for the bacteria to grow in most climates.' In one of his studies where reusable grocery bags were collected from shoppers and tested, more than half contained coliform bacteria, which probably came from raw meat and other produce, and E coli was detected in 8% of bags. When the team deliberately contaminated bags with meat juices and stored them in the boot of a car for a couple of hours, the bacteria increased tenfold. 'They should be washed on a regular basis,' says Gerba. He favours cotton bags. A team from the University of Houston tested light switches, among other areas including bathroom sinks and floors, in hotel rooms and found they were significant harbourers of faecal bacteria. In another test, nearly a quarter of light switches were found to be contaminated with the cold virus an hour after someone with snotty fingers had touched them. Your TV remote might be 15 times more disgusting than your toilet seat. A survey for Churchill, the insurance company, found high levels of faecal bacteria on the remotes swabbed. Other surveys have found that between a quarter and third of people never clean their remote, a device that is touched by an average family of four an estimated 21,000 times a year. True, it's not as if you'll come out of the shower dirtier than you went in, but the curtain may be the dirtiest place in the bathroom. To use our trusty toilet-seat comparison tool, one study found shower curtains had 60 times more bacterial life. That was a laughably small study of three curtains, but it's obvious they're a danger zone – people have disgusting shower habits, such as urinating, and bacteria thrive in warm, wet places. So does mould. 'Shower curtains are disgusting,' says Tetro with a laugh. 'This is, again, one of those things where, if it's your shower, your curtain, who cares, right? But a lot of people will share the shower space. As a result, you are going to have a lot more of those human germs.' And not just from people's hands and faces, he points out. 'It's going to be coming from your whole body, which is why we really should be disinfecting those shower curtains every time we disinfect the tub or the shower stall.' You can also run the shower curtain through the washing machine every so often. You should be mindful of how clean any of your cleaning appliances are, from mouldy washing machines to stinky dishwashers. 'You should be careful when you empty the vacuum cleaner,' says Gerba. In samples of household vacuum cleaner contents, 'we found salmonella in about 10% of them. What you do is you pick up the bacteria and all this nice food for them to eat [in dust and debris], so it becomes a cafeteria for bacteria.' With a bagless cleaner, don't shake it into your bin in the kitchen – do it outside if you can).
The Guardian
4 days ago
- Health
- The Guardian
Is your home a health hazard? 15 surprisingly filthy everyday items, from taps to toothbrushes
Most everyday objects are at least a little bit grimy. They rarely, if ever, make contact with soap or disinfectant – unlike your toilet seat, even though that's the one that's often used as a symbol of filth in studies of household cleanliness. Aside from pathogens that can cause disease and illness, 'for the most part, we're dealing with our own bacteria', says Jason Tetro, microbiologist and author of The Germ Code. This usually isn't a problem, especially for youngish healthy people – but, Tetro adds, 'when they accumulate, even if they are your own, it can lead to things like skin irritability, itchy scalp, cavities [in teeth from bacteria-heavy toothbrushes], that type of thing'. Does it matter that your reusable shopping bag might be carrying faecal bugs? Or that your watch strap is teeming with lifeforms? Are the studies – usually small, and sometimes conducted by cleaning-product companies – scaremongering or a grave matter of public health? Germ experts come clean. After going to the loo, or every time your hands are dirty, you touch the tap before washing them. 'If you don't have those [long lever] elbow taps like they have in hospitals, then you're going to be making your taps really gunky, and lead to the potential for cross-contamination,' says Tetro. Clean bathroom and kitchen taps regularly. In the kitchen, if you're washing your hands after handling raw meat, consider turning the tap on before you start. 'I would suggest you just keep a little stream going, and then you don't have to touch the taps until you've washed your hands properly.' Admittedly, this is wasteful, so you could also make sure you disinfect your kitchen taps afterwards. 'I'm surprised new lifeforms don't evolve in kitchen sponges,' says Chuck Gerba, professor of virology at the University of Arizona. They are prime habitats for microbes. 'They are always wet,' says Markus Egert, professor of microbiology at Hochschule Furtwangen University in Germany. 'They have a huge inner surface where a lot of microbes can grow, and you clean a lot of different stuff with them, so the microbes have a lot of nutrients to feed on. And they are rarely cleaned, so that makes them perfect. That's why there are so many microbes in it within a very short time, billions of microbes. The concentration – not the type of microbes – is similar to a human stool sample.' Studies have shown that sponges can contain harmful bacteria such as salmonella or campylobacter, which can cause severe food poisoning. For elderly people or young children, or those with a weakened immune system, this can be especially dangerous. If you do use one, you could clean it in the microwave. Wet it thoroughly, put a bit of washing-up liquid on it and microwave it for one minute, and then let it dry out well. 'This reduces the number of germs very significantly,' says Egert. But this could eventually prove counterproductive. 'The few microbes that survive probably can grow up very fast and so recolonise the sponge. If you do this several times, our hypothesis is that you select for more pathogenic, more resistant microbes than you had before. So you shouldn't do it too often.' Or preferably don't use one at all – most sponges are made of plastic and aren't biodegradable. One of the most neglected items in the kitchen, says Gerba, is the cutting board. 'People just rinse it off,' he says, 'or they'll cut raw meats and then they'll make a salad on it, and you have all those cuts and crevices from cutting that make it difficult to clean. Probably the most important thing is putting it in a dishwasher, or rinsing and scrubbing it.' 'A toothbrush is going to be mainly oral bacteria,' says Tetro. Some studies have shown a toothbrush can be home to 10m bacteria. 'But the microbiome in your mouth will change over time. If you have a lot of sugary, fatty foods, it may help change your microbiome towards bugs that are not so great, and they'll become even more populous, and then you're just spreading them in your mouth.' Give your toothbrush a clean every day. 'Run very hot water over the brush and underneath for five seconds. You should also be changing your toothbrush about once a month.' Watch out for your toothbrush holder, too, where gunk accumulates. 'All the bacteria in the toothbrush end up growing in the bottom,' says Tetro. Tetro is suspicious of anything named 'brush' that is never cleaned. 'With a hairbrush, it's going to be yeast and fungi. After you've washed your hair, using a [dirty] hairbrush may transfer it into your hair.' This could lead to dandruff, or scalp infections. It should be enough to clean your hairbrush once a month, says Tetro. Sometimes dark, always moist, with water left for hours, warming up. Add to that oral bacteria, food particles and (if you're not a regular handwasher) possibly faecal bacteria, and your water bottle becomes a banquet for germs. If you fill your bottle with protein shakes or sugary drinks, it's more like an all-you-can-eat for bacteria. One study found 20% of water bottles tested contained coliform bacteria (of faecal origin). Another study found an average water bottle had 20.8m colony-forming units – more than 40,000 times the number on a toilet seat. 'If you drink water from a swimming pool, you should expect to drink poop – but, if it's your own water bottle, probably not,' says Tetro. It's best to pour away old water, wash the bottle in hot water and washing-up liquid and, at least once a week, give it a good scrub with a (clean!) brush. Don't forget lids, straws and spouts. Your fancy smartwatch is telling you everything you need to know about your resting heart rate and sleep quality, but it is harbouring a dirty secret – it's teeming with germs. A 2023 study found that, while staphylococci were expected (they're naturally found on skin), there were relatively high rates of pseudonomas bacteria (some variants can cause infections in humans) and 60% had enteric bacteria (found in the intestine), including E coli. Rubber and cloth straps were the worst, with gold and silver straps performing well. You handle them multiple times, drop them on the floor, put them in your pocket, share them with other people, and then jam them in your ears – a warm, dark, moist place, home to your usual bacterial flora, and now the venue for a whole host of germs to party to your playlist. One study that swabbed 50 earphones identified fungi and bacteria, including E coli. Again, anything that comes into contact with human skin is expected to be loaded with bacteria, and a study on spectacles found, unsurprisingly, that nose pads and the parts that touched the ears had higher concentrations. While the bacteria detected wouldn't be a concern to healthy people, the study found about 60% of the bacteria could be risky to people with compromised immune systems. It also identified bacteria linked to eye infections. It found alcohol wipes were the best at decreasing bacterial load, but many opticians say they could damage the lenses and advise warm soapy water and a soft cloth. A 2023 food-handling study, following people who were making turkey burgers from raw meat, swabbed utensils and kitchen surfaces afterwards and found spice jars were the most frequently contaminated, with nearly half of the objects affected. Your salt and pepper shakers may also be giving you more than seasoning – a 2010 study by ABC News found shakers in restaurants were the second-dirtiest items on the table (after menus), and in a 2008 University of Virginia study, which tested objects that had been touched by cold sufferers, traces of the virus were found on all the shakers. 'Reusable bags tend to get contaminated with bacteria from raw meat and produce,' says Gerba. 'Putting them in a car trunk is like creating an incubator for the bacteria to grow in most climates.' In one of his studies where reusable grocery bags were collected from shoppers and tested, more than half contained coliform bacteria, which probably came from raw meat and other produce, and E coli was detected in 8% of bags. When the team deliberately contaminated bags with meat juices and stored them in the boot of a car for a couple of hours, the bacteria increased tenfold. 'They should be washed on a regular basis,' says Gerba. He favours cotton bags. A team from the University of Houston tested light switches, among other areas including bathroom sinks and floors, in hotel rooms and found they were significant harbourers of faecal bacteria. In another test, nearly a quarter of light switches were found to be contaminated with the cold virus an hour after someone with snotty fingers had touched them. Your TV remote might be 15 times more disgusting than your toilet seat. A survey for Churchill, the insurance company, found high levels of faecal bacteria on the remotes swabbed. Other surveys have found that between a quarter and third of people never clean their remote, a device that is touched by an average family of four an estimated 21,000 times a year. True, it's not as if you'll come out of the shower dirtier than you went in, but the curtain may be the dirtiest place in the bathroom. To use our trusty toilet-seat comparison tool, one study found shower curtains had 60 times more bacterial life. That was a laughably small study of three curtains, but it's obvious they're a danger zone – people have disgusting shower habits, such as urinating, and bacteria thrive in warm, wet places. So does mould. 'Shower curtains are disgusting,' says Tetro with a laugh. 'This is, again, one of those things where, if it's your shower, your curtain, who cares, right? But a lot of people will share the shower space. As a result, you are going to have a lot more of those human germs.' And not just from people's hands and faces, he points out. 'It's going to be coming from your whole body, which is why we really should be disinfecting those shower curtains every time we disinfect the tub or the shower stall.' You can also run the shower curtain through the washing machine every so often. You should be mindful of how clean any of your cleaning appliances are, from mouldy washing machines to stinky dishwashers. 'You should be careful when you empty the vacuum cleaner,' says Gerba. In samples of household vacuum cleaner contents, 'we found salmonella in about 10% of them. What you do is you pick up the bacteria and all this nice food for them to eat [in dust and debris], so it becomes a cafeteria for bacteria.' With a bagless cleaner, don't shake it into your bin in the kitchen – do it outside if you can).
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Why I broke up with my new girlfriend after seeing her apartment for the first time
A man has dumped his new girlfriend after discovering a major problem during his first visit to her apartment. The man said he had been seeing a woman he thought was 'gorgeous' for a few months after they met through a mutual friend. Last weekend, she invited him over to her place and casually mentioned that her apartment was a 'mess' - but he laughed it off, thinking she was just being modest. But the moment he walked through the door, he was greeted by 'literal piles' of trash on the floor, a sink full of dishes overflowing onto the counter, stains on the couch and carpet, week-old food on the dining table and mountains of clutter. 'Not to mention the overpowering smell of mould and mildew that I could literally taste in my mouth,' the man said in a Reddit thread. The man said the state of her apartment was 'scarily similar' to an episode of the hit TV series Friends, where Ross Geller goes on a date with a beautiful paleontologist but is horrified to discover her apartment is extremely messy - and home to a rat. Ross ended up dumping her because he couldn't handle how filthy her home was. Sharing his personal experience, the man said: 'She'd mentioned her apartment was a mess and I laughed because I thought she was just being self-deprecating, but when we got to her place... holy s*** dude. 'I want to start off by saying I know that people have their reasons for stuff like this and I don't want to be disrespectful in any way... But the state of her apartment was genuinely shocking when I first went in. 'It was a pretty small place and I'm not just talking about clutter... It was just piles and piles of stuff everywhere.' He noticed the woman acted 'completely normal' as she told him to sit down on her stain-covered couch. 'I tried not to act weird but I'm sure she noticed,' the man said. 'I stayed for a bit and we watched a movie on the couch but I left before it got too late.' The next day, he broke the news that he didn't think their relationship was working. 'I called her and told her I didn't think things were going to be compatible between us and she got mad at me for leading her on and breaking up with her for no reason,' he explained. 'I didn't mention the apartment but I don't know, maybe I should have.' The man said he never imagined her apartment would be a deal breaker for him. 'Literally nothing about her appearance or personality would lead me to expect this so it was sort of unbelievable to see the state she was living in,' he said. 'I feel bad for her and I'm worried I might have acted too quickly.' His post was met with nearly 1,000 comments, with a majority of people agreeing he handled the breakup in the 'most mature way' - but many suggested he should have politely told her the truth. 'She has to change for herself otherwise what will happen when she breaks up? Goes back to the old habits until she deals with whatever got her like that to begin with, she won't change. He dodged a bullet,' one said. 'You want to be nice about it and give her a chance to change for the better. If she blows you off and tells you to go f*** yourself, it'll still linger in her mind. You've planted a seed of doubt in her lifestyle choices. After enough rejections, she will come to her senses,' another shared. 'You don't need a reason to break it off with someone. This would be it for me too. If you eventually lived together that is what you'd be dealing with. When you go to visit you have to sit amongst trash. No for me,' one suggested. 'I do think you should've mentioned the apartment. People who don't know what the problem is cannot take any corrective action. Tell her and move on,' another added. Meanwhile, many shared similar experiences they've had with 'mess' family members or friends who struggled with clutter in their homes. 'My niece is like this. She lived with us for a while and completely trashed her room and didn't appear to have any qualms about the kitchen or lounge either. She's a grown adult and we had to ask her to leave, such was the mess and stench,' one said. 'My oldest sister is like this, everyone has told her and offered to help her clean up her house, now she just doesn't let people into her house. Even her car is f***ing disgusting but if you knew her outside of those two scenarios you would never know. She dresses well and her hygiene and appearance is impeccable. She just won't change,' another revealed. 'I have a friend like this and I would clean his house on a regular basis. He bought an expensive loft and it was always filthy and I can't imagine it's safe to live in with the food situation. I thought it might be depression but it seems people are just slobs and don't care about the judgement that comes with living that lifestyle,' one added.
News.com.au
5 days ago
- News.com.au
World's ‘most tranquil' destination just three hours from Australia
Our friends over the ditch live in a country home to the most tranquil city in the world, with three surprising Aussie locations also on the list. If there was ever a reason to visit New Zealand, it would be now, with Queenstown topping Travelbag's 'Most tranquil destination for 2025' study. The UK-based long-haul travel specialists analysed 36 global destinations using key indicators such as noise and light pollution, cleanliness, the quality of green spaces, and levels of local congestion. The popular adrenaline destination, known for its unparalleled landscape on the South Island, scored the highest overall average across each category noting its impressive cleanliness score of 92 out of 100 and green space quality of 94, reflecting its pristine surroundings. It scored 25 for noise and light pollution levels, ensuring peaceful days and starry nights, and 88 in low travel congestion. In fact, the small coastal town of KaikÅ�ura, on the South Island, officially became an International Dark Sky Sanctuary, making it the 22nd location globally and the third sanctuary in New Zealand, alongside Aotea Great Barrier Island and Rakiura Stewart Island. The achievement supports New Zealand's goal of becoming a dark sky nation. The hotspot is where most tourists visit, with 43 per cent of Aussies visiting Queenstown and 58 per cent flying direct to the South Island, according to a Tourism New Zealand study. It also helps it's just a three-hour plane journey. 'Often referred to as the adventure capital, the variety of experiences on offer proves popular among Australians,' Andrew Waddel, General Manager – Australia, Tourism New Zealand, previously told 'From exploring local award-winning wineries, gliding down the luge at Skyline Queenstown, taking in the view on a scenic cruise to mountain biking through world-famous trails, there's something for everyone.' Queenstown was also previously ranked one of the most loved destinations in the world in 2023 – so it's definitely a destination high on travellers' lists. Meanwhile, its sister city Auckland located on the north island ranked sixth on the tranquil list with a noise and light pollution ranking of 44, cleanliness of 68, quality of green spaces 82 and travel congestion 166. Three Aussie locations on the list Coming in second place was Seychelles in East Africa followed by Cairns in Australia, sharing equal third with Kyoto, Japan and Banff in Canada. Travelbag described Seychelles as an island paradise that blends unspoilt natural beauty with serene ambience, 'making it an ideal retreat from urban life'. 'The islands boast the lowest noise and light pollution score of just 16.7, with the most tranquil spots being La Digue, Praslin, and Silhouette Island,' it stated. Cairns, which is considered the gateway to Australia's Great Barrier Reef, had a surprisingly low noise and light pollution score of 25. 'Cairns also stands out for its cleanliness score of 69.9 and a green space quality score of 78.5, reflecting its well-maintained, nature-rich environment,' Travelbag said. It also sits in second place with golden sands and tropical waters. 'Its beaches boast an impressive rating of 4.7 stars, supported by a strong cleanliness score of 69.6 and low water pollution (34.3).' Meanwhile, the Gold Coast also made the cut, ranking fifth with a score of 42 for noise and light pollution, 73 for cleanliness and 85 for green spaces. But for low travel congestion it scored 180. Sydney ranked seventh with a score of 40 for noise and light pollution, 69 for cleanliness, 80 for green spaces and parks and 192 for low travel congestion. Rounding out the top 10 were Whistler, Canada in fourth, Orlando, Florida in eight, Tokyo Japan in ninth and Cape Town, South Africa in 10th.
