stop the germies

with all the uprising and talk of h1n1 (swine flu), people are all the sudden talking about how to keep themselves safe and clean. in reality, there are a few things you should do every single day to keep you, your fam and others safe from spreading nasty germies!

so, here are some very basic steps to think about in keeping germs at bay...

wash, wash, wash.

when sofia was born and in the NICU, you wash with two different soaps then use a waterless sanitizer and gown up. now, all that isn't necessary, but washing, and washing right is absolutely necessary!

wash your hands...all the time! and sanitize before eating anywhere or anything. we touch all kinds of stuff all day long that is covered in germs...money, keys, door knobs, telephones, elevator buttons, etc.

so in your home, wash those things...i use clorox wipes that save my cleaning time and kill the germs. almost daily, i wipe down the door handles in the main floor, the faucets, the tables, the phone, the light switches.

KID TIP: want to make sure your kids are washing long enough? have them since "happy birthday" twice...it's about 20 seconds and that's the right time to kill the germs!

don't be stupid.

when our 3 lb wonder came home from the NICU, we had a sign on our door that said, "we love that you came to see us. there is a preemie inside who has a compromised immune system. if you have a cough, sniffle or fever or have been exposed to one in the last 4 days, please do not enter."

and upon entering...the first thing everyone did was wash their hands.

be aware.

when having people over or going to other people's homes, ask nicely first if anyone is sick. i can't tell you how many times i have gotten somewhere and the hostess said, "we were all puking last night, but we're fine now."

isn't that just great? just ask...people understand. and no one wants you to bring the sickies to them either.

think.

when you don't feel good, don't go out into the mall or church or school. you are giving the gift of icky sicky and no one wants it. stay home and get better.

cover you mouth and nose when you cough and sneeze...and then make sure to wash your hands before touching anything else or you will spread your germies that way too.

when in public, most germs are spread by people touching an exposed surface then touching their own eyes, nose or mouth. it's really gross if you think of it, so sanitize, sanitize, sanitize!

you will get sick...we all will get sick. but do the easy things and make the sick time less for you and your fam.

want more information or tips, see the cdc's page HERE.

danyele @ a thorn among roses