Eventful December at the Water Cooler

Eventful December at the Water Cooler

December is a month chock full of occasions, annual observances and traditions.

A brief glance:

03 – 04 Dec –Tree Dressing Day

06 Dec – St. Nicholas Day

11 Dec – International Mountain Day

21 Dec – Winter Solstice

the list goes on.

This may be due to December being a pivotal period of the year as we enter the final transition from late autumn to winter and the close of yet another year.  Although the dropping temperatures and increase in blustery weather may make it difficult to believe, it’s still officially autumn until 21 December.

With so many observances, traditions and events on the go this month it’s easy to understand that we may let our changing hydration needs slip by the wayside despite there being a simple and cost-effective solution. A solution as simple as switching from a chilled drinking water dispenser to a cool and piping hot drinking water dispenser.

With AquAid, you’re spoilt for choice – we supply a wide range of top-quality water coolers, water boilers and Instant Taps – all backed by our superlative services pre, during and post installation.

We invite you to visit our informative website and browse our water cooler selection, suitable for all industries and any size staff contingent, then contact our helpful team via e-mail, telephone or at the website.

On the Way to the Water Cooler – More Strange Spills

On the Way to the Water Cooler – More Strange Spills

Quite some time ago we recounted stories of some of the oddest recorded road spills around the globe. Read about them here.

Time for an update we thought. So off we flew to the ether gathering information. Turns out, the best spill stories happen to come from an unexpected source!

20 tonnes of yeast extract

*A lot of yeast extract ended up across the M1 in South Yorkshire in 2011.

Specialist clean-up teams were needed to help clear the sticky black stuff off the motorway. It took 12 hours to clean up and fix the damage.

Thousands of lager cans

When a lorry shed its load of lager cans following an incident in Coventry in 2011, highways teams had to pick up every beverage by hand before reopening the motorway.

Powdered cement

Cement poses problems after a motorway spill. Specialist teams were called out to help clear the road before the cement could get wet and start to set. It eventually took 18 hours to clear the road.

I suppose, in this sea of rather sticky accounts of spills and mishaps, it’s nice to know that should your water cooler malfunction to such a degree, the worst thing spilling will be water – really not hard to clean up and no sticky, messy residue.

Even better and more reassuring though is that as per WHA guidelines, AquAid’s WHA accredited service technicians sanitise all bottle-fed water coolers every 3 months and all mains-fed water dispensers every 6 months, thus ensuring these high-quality water dispensers continue with their seamless delivery of refreshing drinking water.

*source: from an article at GOV.UK

Piping Hot Water – Seasonal Drinks AquAid style

Piping Hot Water – Seasonal Drinks AquAid style

There are a number of positives to installing an AquAid Hot & Cold Water Dispenser or Hot Water Boiler. The most common reasons are piping hot water constantly available for whatever hot drink you enjoy – tea, coffee, hot chocolate, hot lemon water – the list goes on.

Often though there seems to be a hot water drink (meal?) that is oft forgot but just as vital to getting you through the working or school day, albeit in a heated hydration method.

Nothing equates to a soup made from scratch, but as we go about our daily business or busy school day, there often is only a minute or two available to dispense piping hot water for a nourishing mug of soup. And instant soups hit the spot perfectly.

Instant soup has been around for decades, with firm favourites remaining popular however, tastes have broadened where we now have soup from further afield gaining popularity. Although there may be plenty people for whom a spoonful of Bovril or Marmite in hot water will suffice, there are other consommés that are just as nourishing and healthy. Think miso soup for example!

Whatever your favourite hot water brew, AquAid has a boiling hot water drink dispenser to meet your requirements.

If you’d like know more about AquAid hot & cold dispenser and water boiler products as well as our life-saving charity partnerships, please * e-mail or us on 0800 772 3003. It will be our pleasure to assist you.

Water Power or How Power Naps can aid Productivity

Water Power or How Power Naps can aid Productivity

As I have said – okay, typed – before, drinking water = power (or energy) but who would have thunk it, apparently, naps too = power.

Before you get the idea that I’m trying to propagate my ‘Sloths Rule!’ philosophy, let me assure you, this power nap deal is not only true, but also a fact!

From the blogista’s friend Wiki:

A power nap is a short sleep that terminates before the occurrence of deep sleep or slow-wave sleep (SWS), intended to revitalise the subject. The expression was coined by Cornell University social psychologist James Maas.

Characteristics

The power nap is thought to maximise the benefits of sleep versus time. It is used to supplement normal sleep, especially when a sleeper has accumulated a sleep deficit.

Various durations are recommended for power naps, which are very short, compared to regular sleep. The short duration of a power nap is designed to prevent nappers from sleeping so long that they enter a normal sleep cycle without being able to complete it. Going beyond sleep stages I and II but failing to complete a full sleep cycle, can result in a phenomenon known as sleep inertia, where one feels groggy, disoriented, and even sleepier than before beginning the nap. Brief naps can improve alertness directly after awakening without the detrimental effects of sleep inertia associated with longer naps.

Scientific experiments and anecdotal evidence suggest an average power nap of around 30 minutes is most effective.  Any more time, and the body enters into its usual sleep cycle. People who regularly take power naps may develop a good idea of what duration works best for them, as well as what tools, environment, position, and associated factors help induce the best results.

To this, I can certainly attest.

I’ll come clean though, I have never actually had a power nap at work – what I have had though, is a power nap when I’ve been running on empty between Job A and Job B in one day.  I leave Job A, zoom home and have a gap of an hour or so before needing to leave for Job B.

Perhaps I’ve been remiss about my water intake for the day (yes, it does happen) and my battery is blinking red. It has happened where I’ve sat down, leant back and closed my eyes on the (most comfortable) sofa.  When I magically wake up, 20 to 45 minutes later, without any type of alarm, I definitely feel better, not groggy or tired at all.

I can’t say that it will work for everyone, as I believe everyone’s make-up is different, but I can say that it most definitely does work. So, more power to you, fellow nappers, as you embark on the Journey of the Power Nap.

Oh, whether you have or don’t have power nap opportunities, might I suggest that you, at least, aim towards drinking a good few bottles or glasses of water every day.

How to Counteract Thirst with AquAid

How to Counteract Thirst with AquAid

Are you one of the ‘if your popcorn doesn’t have a Red Sea amount of salt on it, it isn’t popcorn’ people? And, even after doing this, you wonder why you are so thirsty.

Or, are you more of a be out all day in warm weather, keeping active, running from place to place, sweating a bit and wait-until-the-last-minute where you’re absolutely parched and then you guzzle fizzy drinks (packed full of sugar) which will probably make you more thirsty than before you drank them.

Or, do you load up on fast food which is packed with too much salt (and then you still add loads of salt to your meal or chips) and again, wonder why you’re feeling so thirsty?

Whatever your thirst metiér is, I’m sure it doesn’t help realising that most of our extreme thirst is self-imposed. That being said, there are simple solutions to counteract these determined efforts to keep thirsty.

That’s where AquAid come in. We understand the importance of keeping you informed about how vital it is to drink water; to advise about how to keep from becoming dehydrated (occurs more often and easier than you might think); what to drink; how often to drink it and in general, how to keep yourself healthily hydrated.

Part of achieving this is through the provision of our spankingly smart range of:

Bottled Water Coolers

Mains Fed Water Coolers

Water Boilers

Hotel and Catering Solutions

Water for Schools

and

Instant Taps

We invite you to click on any of the above listings to browse our range of water dispensers and complete the simple contact form to have one of our experienced team get in touch and provide you with any information you require.

 

Water Cooler Health – Peel Power II

Water Cooler Health – Peel Power II

Recently, we learnt all about the natural health benefits found in orange peel. And they are numerous, as are those found in a banana peel.

Banana peels are full of antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins, so they can naturally cure many ailments and can aid cell regeneration.

* Water Filtration – Research shows they have a capacity to absorb lead and copper from water. We wouldn’t suggest trying this using the office water cooler + AquAid’s water doesn’t need to be filtered.

Bug Bites – Just rub a banana peel on a bug bite to soothe the skin and reduce the itch.

Bruises – With regenerative properties, banana peel can speed up the healing of bruises.

Teeth Whitening – Rub the inside of a banana peel on your teeth for a couple of minutes every other day, and your teeth could be noticeably whiter in a few weeks.

Warts – Banana peels help eliminate warts and prevent their return. Tape a piece of banana peel to the wart overnight for about a week or rub the banana peel on the affected area daily. This can also work for plantar warts.

Scrapes and Scratches – Rubbing a banana peel on small cuts or scratches can help promote healing.

Splinters – The enzymes help dislodge the splinter and can help kick-start the healing process if you tape a piece of the peel over a splinter for a couple hours.

Acne – A banana peel can soothe the inflammation and irritation of acne. It also helps to prevent future outbreaks. Rub a peel over the acne every night. You should see a positive change within a few days.

Psoriasis – Once or twice a day, try rubbing a banana peel on a psoriasis-affected area. Bananas have properties to reduce itchiness, moisturize, and heal psoriasis. You should see noticeable differences in a few days.

Rashes and Itches – Poison ivy, mild rashes, dry skin, irritated skin and even sunburn. Banana peel is good for relieving itch and promotes healing of the skin. Rub the peel over the rash or affected are twice daily until it is gone.

Whereas immersing orange and citrus peel in water can make for a pleasant, refreshing drink, we wouldn’t suggest the same using banana peels. Nor should you immerse bananas in your water cooler to create naturally flavoured water. It’ll produce an awful mess and most likely you’ll be getting the bill for cleaning out your water dispenser.

*excerpts from an article at Natural Cures Not Medicine