(NAPSA)--Gardening is a rewarding hobby, but maintaining a flush garden is hard work. Your garden needs sunlight, water and attention to thrive. Additionally, while the bacteria, fungi and parasites present in potting mixes and soils can be your How does your garden grow? To your health. garden’s best friend, they maybe unhealthyfor you. Using paperprodacts such as Sparkle paper towels can help reduce the risk of contam- ination when you are planting your indoor or outdoor garden. Follow these tips from the Georgia-Pacific Health Smart™ Institute to ensure safe gardening: Use gloves when handling potting mix; bacteria lurk in soil making a thorough handwashing after gardening a must. Wash your hands well, rubbing them together with soap and water for at least 15 seconds, especially under your fingernails where bacteria hide. * Dry your hands with disposable paper towels to wipe off and throw away germs. * Proroptly disinfect any cuts or scrapes fromthorns, since the soil harbors various infective agents. See your doctor if wounds do not appear to be healing properly. * Use paper towels to clean work areas when your indoor gardening tasks are finished and to clean up spills when watering plants. This will prevent cross contamination of work areas with soil microorganisms. For xsore information on stay- ing healthy, please call toll-free 1-877-GPCLEAN or log on to www. gphealthsmart.com.
