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Reducing your risk for illness at home
Did you know that house cleaning is one of the first weapons in your arsenal to prevent illness at home? Let’s face it, you and your family can get germs everywhere, and there is no way to avoid contact with the outside world during the cold and flu season. Eventually a contagious illness will find its way into your home. However, there are ways that you can reduce the chances of these germs spreading throughout your family. It is impossible to get rid of all the germs in your house, and in fact, some bacteria are normal and live on or inside our bodies. If we eradicated these kinds of germs, they might be replaced with worse ones. We are not suggesting that you can or should make your home completely germ-free. Here we will offer a few common-sense precautions to keep hands and surfaces free of contagious germs.
If you have little ones you know that the probability of one of them catching a cold or virus in the winter is almost inevitable. Once one family member gets sick, we brace ourselves expecting that eventually everyone will get sick. You can take action to hopefully prevent that from happening by implementing a little house cleaning routine when someone gets sick. Consider the following areas of your home that are hotbeds for passing germs from one family member to another:
Wash your hands often – Hand washing is the first line of defense when dealing with contagious germs. Remember, you will be handling dirty towels, clothing, handkerchiefs and tissues, making you both at risk and a carrier. Wash your hands every time you come in contact with a sick family member or need to prepare a meal.
Clean the bathrooms often – Keep a box of disinfecting wipes on hand, they should be used every time someone uses the bathroom. Instruct everyone to wipe down the sink handles, toilet handles, and seat. If it is possible, have the sick members of your house use one bathroom exclusively while they are sick. This may be helpful in keeping the illness contained.
Disinfect common areas – You should also use disinfecting wipes or rubbing alcohol on a cloth pad to wipe down drawer and cabinet knobs, light switch plates, door handles, the refrigerator handle, counters, and table tops.
Change the hand towels and bedding – Once you know someone is sick, change every hand towel in the house. You should continue to change hand towels daily until you are confident that everyone is better. Also, keep an eye out for soiled handkerchiefs and clothing. Change the pillow cases, but leave the bedding in place until the sick person is better. Once everyone is healthy, you can launder pillows, comforters, quilts, and blankets.
Electronic devices: Take a cotton cosmetic cotton pad or plain cotton ball to apply rubbing alcohol on Television remotes, cell phones, land lines, video game controls, tablets, alarm clocks, and computers. Be sure to test an inconspicuous area before wiping the entire device.
Clean, and then replace toothbrushes – Soak everyone’s toothbrush in its own solution of hydrogen peroxide for about 5 minutes, and rinse thoroughly in water. Replace the toothbrushes when illness is no longer present.
We cannot assume that you will get through the season without being sick yourself. What will you do if you are the one who is sick? Do you have a backup plan to make sure that your household is properly cleaned and cared for? A great option is to hire one of the top maid services in the Charlotte area.
Convenient maid services in Charlotte, NC
Every home is unique, and that is why Gloria M’s Cleaning Services are customized to meet your cleaning and housekeeping needs. They offer free in-home consultations in an effort to understand your expectations for your household cleaning. Gloria M’s Cleaning Services offers flexibility in the frequency of home cleanings, and options for “green” cleaning services upon request. Keeping your special considerations and your budget in mind, they provide consistent and dependable house cleaning services.