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Defend your home against cold and flu season

Healthy personal habits  and a clean house will go a long way in warding off germs.

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By DeAnn Owens, Contributing Writer 7:57 PM Wednesday, December 14, 2011

The sounds of the season are ringing in loud and clear. But it’s not caroling, sleigh bells and reindeer feet that are making all that noise. It’s the coughs, sneezes and wheezes that are filling everyone’s ears with the message that cold and flu season is in full swing.

So, how is it possible to protect yourself, your family and your home from the invasion of flu and cold germs when they seem to be everywhere?

Being proactive with your health and practicing good cleaning will go a long way in fortifying your defenses to this season’s sniffles.

Protect yourself, your family

Melissa King, DO, General Pediatrician at Dayton Children’s Health Clinic and Dr. Mom blogger at blog.childrensdayton.org, recommends these healthy winter tips: get your flu vaccine; practice good hand washing; stay home if you have a fever and do not return to work or school until 24 hours after the fever is gone without medicine; eat healthy with five servings of fruits and vegetables daily; and don’t underestimate the value of a good night’s sleep.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, www.cdc.gov, simple steps can help prevent the spread of germs like: coughing or sneezing into a tissue or your elbow or upper sleeve instead of your hands and using soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds for frequent hand washings and using an alcohol-based hand rub in the absence of soap and water.

Get rid of the germs

Despite your best efforts of avoiding cold and flu germs, inevitably they will invade your home, especially your kitchens and bathrooms. But with some elbow grease and a cleaning solution, those germs can be destroyed.

To safely eradicate germs from toys and surfaces, King recommends, “using water and/or soap or detergent and manual labor to remove germs physically from objects. Consider the washing machine if the toy parts can withstand. You can use a mixture of one cup white vinegar and one cup warm water in a spray bottle and wipe toys/surfaces with a soft cloth.”

According to King, toys should be disinfected every few months and after any sickness.

“You can use one part bleach with 10 parts water solution; dip toys or soak toys, depending on their composition, rinse and allow to air dry,” King said.

And don’t forget the bath toys.

Because the bathroom is one of the germiest places in your home, bath toys can become germy, too.

“Use a mesh net or lay toys out after a bath to allow to completely air dry. Heat-resistant plastic toys can be put in the dishwasher. Read and follow manufacture recommendations for each toy,” King said.

King recommends bath toys be disinfected every few months, too.

“If the toys cannot be placed in the dishwasher, washer or be cleaned as above, place in a plastic bag, sprinkle some baking soda and shake vigorously, leave in bag for 20 minutes, and then brush or vacuum off the baking soda,” King said.

Germs aren’t the only things that will make your home uncomfortable this season. When it’s cold outside, the impulse is to keep things warm inside. But, fiddling with the thermostat too much can cause problems.

“The ideal humidity in the house should be 40 to 60 percent. Keep the air warm but not too hot,” King said. “You can use blankets or small heaters if there is one particular area that your family lounges in more regularly; please follow safety guidelines for heater use. If you have forced air, you can set a dish of water in front of the vent to allow for moisture. Avoid hot showers; drink plenty of water.”

At night, King suggests using a humidifier or a cool mist vaporizer.

“The AAP recommends cool mist to avoid burn injuries if the device happens to spill on anyone. Change the water and clean frequently to avoid mold or mildew build-up,” she said.

By keeping your house clean, eating healthily and practicing simple steps to prevent the spread of germs like frequent hand washings and covering your mouth with a tissue or your elbow when coughing or sneezing, the joyful sounds of the season, like bells, songs and even reindeer feet, will fill your ears.

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