Protect your home during cold and flu season
MetroCreative
MetroCreative
MetroCreative
Tissues can catch germs from coughing and sneezing and be disposed easily.
MetroCreative
MetroCreative
MetroCreative
MetroCreative
MetroCreative
Keeping surfaces in your home clean is important in preventing illnesses.
Winter means cold and flu season is here, and germs are everywhere.
But there are steps that be taken to protect your home and prevent illnesses from spreading.
Nate Wardle, press secretary for the Pennsylvania Department of Health, advises, “Our first recommendation is make sure you have a flu shot. It’s the best way to protect yourself from the flu.”
The department recommends everyone six months of age and older be vaccinated against the flu, which spreads when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Germs can spread up to three feet in the air. They land on objects, such as door knobs, and can spread when people touch those objects and touch their mouths or noses before washing their hands.
After the flu shot, there are further steps that can be taken to minimize the spread of germs in the home.
- Keep plenty of tissue boxes around the house.
“Even if no one in your home is sick, you may have visitors who are,” said Wardle.
Tissues can catch germs from coughing and sneezing and be disposed easily. But remember to take out the garbage frequently.
- Wash your hands often and keep surfaces clean.
“It’s important to frequently wash your hands and disinfect surfaces,” said Wardle.
You should wash your hands with soap and water, rinse well and dry your hands with a clean towel.
Commonly used surfaces that need attention include faucets, countertops, door knobs, light fixtures and refrigerator handles.
Wardle added, “You may not be sharing a computer or cell phone, but people will often share them when they want someone to see something. If they have the flu virus, you may catch the germs. Clean electronic devices and remotes that are commonly used and passed around. Wipe them down and disinfect them.”
Don’t share cups, dishes and eating utensils, which is another way to spread germs. Wash everything in hot, soapy water or in the dishwasher.
And don’t forget the laundry. Germs can be fought by changing and washing hand towels frequently.
“Any surface that’s going to be touched can have the flu virus. If people don’t wash their hands completely and then use a towel, it could have germs,” said Wardle.
- Make sure you change sheets and pillow cases.
If someone is sick, change the linens as they recover. If no one is sick, is there a rule for how often to change sheets?
“There’s no set time,” said Wardle, “but during the flu season, it’s always good to err on the side of caution.”
Be aware that germs as well as salt from roads and sidewalks can be brought into your house through shoes so you may want to take them off when coming into a house. And don’t place lunch boxes and purses that have sat on the floor into tables, countertops or beds.
If you or someone in your family is sick, Wardle said, “Stay home and keep the germs at home.”
Besides not spreading germs to other houses, schools or workplaces, Wardle said, “They recover better in a comfortable environment.”
- Designating a sick room is a good way to minimize germs.
Make sure the sick room has everything the ill person needs: tissues, medicine and drinks. If he or she reads a book or watches television while recovering, remember to wipe and disinfect the surfaces of the book and the television remote.
Sick children should not share toys. But if they do, make sure to disinfect the toys.
It also helps if the sick person is able to have a designated bathroom. Otherwise, give the sick person his or her own towel instead of a common hand towel and, again, wipe and disinfect surfaces often.
Wardle said this year’s flu season in Pennsylvania is less severe than last year’s.
“We’ve had 20,000 cases in Pennsylvania. That’s on par with other years,” Wardle said. “It’s not been a bad year, but we’re not sure what will happen next month.”