Keeping your home (and hands) clean is really important for you and your family. It’s no fun being sick or caring for a sick baby — or worst of all trying to do both at once.
Head off illness (or at least send most germs moseying down the road) by practicing simple hygiene and cleaning routines. While you can’t escape germs completely, it’s still smart to limit the allergens and microbes dwelling amongst you and your loved ones. Here are some helpful tips on keeping your house healthier:
Make hand washing a priority
You may have heard it a million times by now, but regular hand washing is hands-down the best way to keep germs from spreading.
Family members, visitors, and even your baby herself should wash their hands (or, in the case of your baby, have them washed) thoroughly and frequently: before eating or preparing food, after using the bathroom or changing a diaper, after coming in from outside, after playing with or caring for pets, while caring for someone who is sick and so on.
Make sure soap, water and clean towels are always available.
Banish foodborne illnesses
For adults and older children, a foodborne illness is unpleasant, but usually not dangerous. Not so for babies and toddlers, whose immune systems aren’t as ready to tackle tough bacteria. For everyone’s sake, keep bugs at bay with the following tips:
- Wash your hands in hot, soapy water before, during and after you prepare food. Be especially meticulous when you handle raw meat, poultry, fish or eggs.
- Stock up on cutting boards. Keep one for produce and another for proteins like meat and fish. Put them in the dishwasher after each use or scrub with hot, soapy water. Bacteria love to make themselves at home in those crevices.
- Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold.
- Wipe surfaces (countertops, handles, doorknobs and so on) with disinfectant frequently, and wash kitchen rags, sponges and towels regularly.
- Avoid cross-contamination. Don’t place cooked foods in a dish that previously held raw foods because the bacteria from the raw meat (or veggies) can transfer onto the cooked burgers (or veggies).
Read also: 5 Common Childhood Diseases And Symptoms Every Parent Should Be Aware Of
Sleep cleaner
Since you spend most of the night in your bed, you’ll want that environment to be a healthy one. Wash sheets once a week in warm or hot water — more often if anyone’s ill, especially with intestinal troubles. Crib sheets need more frequent changing, since they’re prone to be covered with all manner of leaks, spills, dribbles and drool.
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