Getting sick when your family is also under the weather can feel like a never-ending cycle. But with the right precautions, you can stop germs in their tracks and avoid getting sick multiple times throughout the year. The best way to defend against getting sick is by not being exposed to germs in the first place — but that’s not always possible. When you can’t avoid contact with germs, it’s imperative that you take every precaution possible to stop them from spreading further and making everyone as miserable as last time. This article will give you 10 helpful tips for stopping germs in your home when everyone is sick so that you don’t have to go through this process again for a long time.
1. Have a Sick Room
If someone in your family becomes seriously ill, the best way to avoid spreading the germs to the rest of the family is by giving them their own room — or at least their own set of sheets. If one of your kids gets chickenpox, for example, don’t put them in the same room as their healthy siblings. Instead, keep them sheltered in their own room, away from the rest of the family. If you have a sick child, keep them in one room and cover the other rooms in your house with sheets to keep the germs from spreading further. If someone in your family has a contagious illness and you don’t have the space to isolate them in their own room, be sure to keep them away from the rest of the family as much as possible.
2. Create a Clean Environment
One of the best ways to stop germs from spreading is to create a clean home. As soon as you or one of your family members becomes sick, take the opportunity to get a deep-clean of your whole house. You can start by mopping and vacuuming every room in your house. Next, wipe down every cabinet, countertop and surface in your kitchen, bathroom and any other rooms where germs are likely to act as a breeding ground.
Clean your floors and furniture with a steam mop. This will kill any germs and bacteria on the surface of your floors without having to use any chemicals — which can then be tracked back into the air by your feet and end up on other surfaces in your house! Next, move on to your bathrooms. Start by disinfecting your toilets. Then, clean your sinks, shower and any other surfaces in your bathrooms that are prone to collecting germs.
Finally, go through your closets, drawers and cabinets to remove anything you don’t need anymore. You can either donate it or throw it away to prevent it from collecting dust and germs in your house!
3. Throw out the Towels
When you clean your house, don’t forget about the towels in your bathrooms and kitchen. Germs can easily collect in their fluffy fibers, making them a breeding ground for bacteria and other contaminants that can lead to illness. Not only are dirty towels a breeding ground for bacteria, but they can also spread that bacteria to your skin or other surfaces in your house. When your towels become dirty, replace them with new ones. If you don’t have time to do a deep clean, at least put them in the laundry to remove some of the bacteria.
4. Change the Sheets
Changing your sheets is another great way to create a clean environment and stop germs from spreading. When you’re sick, the germs are likely to end up on your sheets. The next time you lie in bed, the bacteria on your sheets can easily be transferred to your skin. And if someone else in your family happens to lie in bed after you, they risk getting sick from the same bacteria. If you or someone in your family is sick, change the sheets on your beds as soon as possible. Wash your sheets on a hot setting, and don’t forget to put them in the dryer — this will kill any bacteria that may be living in your sheets.
5. Install an Air Purifier
An air purifier is the perfect way to create a clean environment in your home. Air purifiers are designed to clean the air in your home, removing any contaminants that can cause allergies or make you sick. Air purifiers can help stop bacteria from spreading through the air, from your furniture to your sheets, and even onto your skin! There are a variety of air purifiers on the market, ranging in price and quality. If you don’t have the money to buy a new air purifier, you can also purchase a HEPA filter. These filters can be placed inside your vacuum to help remove any bacteria that may be lurking in your carpet and furniture.
6. Don’t Touch Your Eyes, Nose or Mouth
If you’re sick, try to avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth as much as possible. This will limit your exposure to the germs that may be causing your illness, and it will prevent you from transferring those germs to other surfaces in your home. You should also try to avoid touching surfaces in your home with your hands — especially if you have an illness like the flu that can be easily spread from person to person. Keep your hands away from your face and eyes, and try to use tissues or hand sanitizer when you need to clean your hands. Try to avoid touching doorknobs, shopping carts and other surfaces in public and use a hand sanitizer on the go to clean your hands when you need to.
7. Use Hand Sanitizer
Hand sanitizer is a quick and easy way to clean your hands when you don’t have time to wash them. Hand sanitizer can also kill bacteria that lives on your hands and prevent it from being transferred to other surfaces. If you don’t have time to wash your hands, use a pump of hand sanitizer. Be sure to use the pump with the highest percentage of alcohol — this will help stop the bacteria from spreading. If you’re sick, use hand sanitizer when you need to touch things that other people will be touching later. This will limit your exposure to the bacteria that may be making you sick.
8. Add Febreze to Your Shower
As you’re cleaning your house, don’t forget about the bathroom. The bathroom is one of the germiest places in your house, but it’s easily cleaned. If you have the flu or another contagious illness, disinfect your bathroom as best you can. Start by wiping down the surfaces in your bathroom and scrubbing the floors. Then, finish up by spraying Febreze into your shower.
Clean, fresh scents like lilies, citrus and lavender can help eliminate bacteria from your bathroom and make it smell nice and clean. When you’re done cleaning, make sure you keep your bathroom clean. This will help prevent bacteria from regrowing and re-contaminating your bathroom. Clean your bathroom thoroughly at least once a week. This will keep bacteria from taking over and making your bathroom smell bad.
9. Disinfectant everything you can
When you’ve cleaned as much as you can, it’s time to disinfect your home. Disinfecting your home is the best way to kill any germs that may still be lingering in your house. Disinfecting your home is best done when everyone in your family has recovered from the illness they caught earlier. If you have the flu, wait until everyone else has gotten over it before disinfecting your home — you don’t want to risk getting sick again! If you have a serious enough illness, you can wait until everyone has completely recovered before disinfecting your home.
This will ensure that you don’t get sick again while trying to disinfect your home. Start by disinfecting your toilets and sinks. Then, move on to disinfecting your counters and cabinets. Finally, spray your couches and chairs to kill any bacteria and contaminants that may be living there.
10. Get a Humidifier
When you’ve finished cleaning and disinfecting your home, you can also use a humidifier to help prevent bacteria from growing in your home. Humidifiers emit water vapor into the air and can help keep your skin and lungs hydrated. They can also help prevent your home from becoming too dry, which can be a breeding ground for bacteria. Using a humidifier when you’re sick can help you stay hydrated.
