About the Scientist

About the Scientist

If you are new to my website, let me tell you a little about myself. My name is Annie Pryor. I have a Ph.D. in biochemistry from The Ohio State University. After a few years working in a research lab, I "retired" to be a stay-at-home mom. When my first baby got a terrible stomach virus that required a trip to the ER, I decided to research the subject and created this website dedicated to reducing the prevalence of the stomach flu in the world. I realize that "stomach flu" is just a nickname. It is not related to influenza, the real flu. So, if you are offended and upset by the phrase "stomach flu", I'm very sorry. There just isn't a good collective term for all of the vomiting and diarrhea illnesses that I hate. They technically aren't "bugs" either.

My 3 children keep me busy, but I still get a hankering to do experiments now and then. I've tested cleaning products, hand sanitizers, essential oils and many other products. If you would like to see the results of all of my experiments, please visit my website www.DrAnniesExperiments.com. I have many more experiments to do. If you would like to be informed when new experimental results are posted, please like my Facebook page.

About the Drying Rack

I also happen to be the inventor of a really useful drying rack. I invented it because I needed a convenient place next to the kitchen sink to hang baby bibs up to dry between meals. It is also perfect for drying sports water bottles, dish cloths, food-storage bags, cleaning cloths and many other items. It is (12.75 inches tall), manufactured in the USA, and is available here on Amazon

About the Author

I am also very proud of my daughter, Katie Scarlett. At the age of 8, she has wrote, illustrated, and published the first 2 books in a delightful series! Princess Katie and the Fairy Tea Party ,and Princess Katie and the Mermaid Lagoon , Then when she was 9 she published Princess Katie and the Kitty Club , and Princess Katie and the Sweet Shop. They are available on amazon. The stories are so sweet and teach about kindness, forgiveness, including others, doing the right thing, and working hard. I think every little girl would love them! Please consider buying them for a little girl that you love. Boys do enjoy the books but they are definitely geared more towards girls. Katie gets about a $2 royalty from amazon for each book sold that is getting deposited into her college savings account.You can read more about her and her books on her website www.PrincessKatieBooks.com.

My thoughts on being "too clean".

Many people are confused and think that I want to kill all the germs in the world. This is not true. There is good bacteria in our bodies and our environment that is extremely important. I consider myself a "norophobe" and not a "germaphobe". I mainly detest stomach viruses and anything that will kill you. I also detest toxic chemicals. So, I don't want to waste my time using a toxic cleaning product that isn't really doing anything or isn't necessary. That is why I wanted to test these products and figure out what is best. So, I don't think you need to sterilize your entire house. It would be impossible anyway. Our bodies, produce, carpet, floors, clothing, and environment are full of germs. Most of them are harmless or even helpful. My kids come inside covered in dirt every day and snuggle with our dog. Everyone gets PLENTY of germ exposure. If you have ever taken a toddler outside to play, you know that they get dirt in their mouths, and it is pretty much impossible to keep them "too clean". However, from my schooling and research I have learned that most nasty illnesses are spread through poop. So, I see no harm in having a clean toilet and washing hands before eating. Washing your hands before eating, keeping a relatively sterile toilet and food preparation surfaces is not going to make a dent in the total number of germs that you are exposed to every day. It will just reduce the likelihood of you coming in contact with a terrible germ. We have a big black labrador named Luke so my floors are filthy with dog hair, mud, and dog drool. Pretty much the ONLY places in my house that are nice and clean are the toilets and food preparation surfaces. Although, there is almost always a dog hair on every dish that I get out of the cupboard.

Contact

Feel free to email me your questions, comments, personal stories, and experiment suggestions. You are also welcome to like and post on my facebook page.

--Annie Pryor, Ph.D

phd.annie at gmail.com