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"When it comes to certifications and seals on the products you buy, it&amp;#039;s hard to know which to trust. We, of course, recommend looking for our own Good   Housekeeping Seal (right). When you see our Seal on a label or tag you can be sure that if the product proves to be defective within two years of your purchase, we will stand behind it, refunding your purchase price or replacing the item. Check out our online information for a more detailed explanation of how The Good Housekeeping Seal protects you.    Another certification we value on the products we test in our Good Housekeeping Research Institute labs is the one from NSF International (left). This organization, founded in 1944 as the National Sanitation Foundation, develops standards and certifies that products meet the requirements for public health and safety, especially in the area of food and drinking water safety. If you own a water-filtering pitcher or have a filter mounted to your faucet, you may have seen the NSF mark on the package, confirming that the filter removes the contaminants claimed.  Where I look for the NSF certification mark (and suggest you do, too) is on dishwashers, washing machines, and clothes dryers with sanitizing or antibacterial cycles. You&amp;#039;ll often find it on a sticker or tag along with the model number and UL symbol. This tells you that a machine&amp;#039;s cycles are long enough and hot enough to kill bacteria and sanitize clothing or dishes. Now, it&amp;#039;s not just germs NSF is tackling, but allergens too, with a new certification protocol. Starting this year, Whirlpool Duet and Maytag Performance Series front-loading washing machines are the first to have been certified to remove at least 95% of dust mite and pet dander allergens from clothing and bedding, to heat the wash water to the required 131 degrees for 3 minutes, and to have a design that prevents the accumulation of dirt and debris inside the machine--- all features that will help allergy sufferers breathe a little easier. To find out specifically which appliance models are certified, visit NSF&amp;#039;s website. For more ways to keep allergens under control at home, check out my colleague Christina Peterson&amp;#039;s blog about mold and other asthma-triggering irritants. If you are looking for help cleaning up hair and other pet-related messes, read about our favorite tool and 2009 VIP Award Winner, the Scotch Fur Fighter, and our online advice about tackling pet stains and odors. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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