Flu season is the time of year every parent dreads. All of the coughing, sneezing, and altogether yuckiness that passes from family member to family member like falling dominoes can take its toll on any household.
You do not have to face flu season without any defenses, though. In fact, there are both things you can do now to both help prevent your family from getting sick and make taking care of them easier if you do. Check out the five tips below to help get your house ready for the upcoming flu season.
- Create a Regular Cleaning Routine
One of the best ways to keep germs from spreading in your household is to clean your home, especially surfaces where germs can easily stay, regularly. This means wiping down counters and high traffic areas like doorknobs daily.
It’s also a good idea to wipe down remotes, light switches, your bathtub, and toilet regularly with a disinfectant solution. This can be either disinfecting wipes or a solution made from either ½ cup of bleach per gallon of water or equal parts water and white vinegar.
- Make A No Shoes in The Home Rule
According to a study done at the University of Arizona, an average of 421,000 bacteria live on the outside of a single shoe. When you wear those shoes in your house all of the bacteria come into your house with them. To keep your floors clean you should consider implementing a no shoes in the house rule. This will not only help to keep the germs out of home, but you will also find that you don’t have to vacuum your floors as often either.
When you do need to vacuum and mop your floors make sure you are taking the time to disinfect them as well. You can mop with the bleach mixture mentioned above if you are mopping tile or other nonporous floors. Or you can consider mopping with a steam mop that uses the power of steam to not only clean but disinfect your floors as well. And they are as easy to use as a vacuum. You can find out more about the benefits of a steam mop at https://steamclean.reviews/best-mop-tile-floors/
- Get in the Habit of Washing Your Hands
Clean hands are your number one defense against getting sick this flu season. Doctors recommend you wash your hands after using the bathroom, before and after eating or prepping food, after touching someone who is sick, and before touching your hands, eyes or mouth.
To get the most out of washing your hands start with warm water and soap, them wash your hands for twenty seconds as they are facing fingers down in the sink. You want to make sure you pay attention to washing your palms, under your fingernails, and between your fingers for the best germ fight effects.
- Build Your Immunity
Another great defense against getting sick is the system in your body created to fight infections. Not all immune systems are created equally, and you might need to boost yours a bit in order to keep from getting sick.
You can do this by assuring you get enough sleep at night, avoiding tobacco and alcohol, and making sure to get the recommended amount of fruit and vegetables daily. If you feel that your immunity needs even more help you can also consider taking a probiotic and immune-supportive herbs like eleuthero, ginseng, and astragalus.
- Prepare For if it Happens
Sometimes no matter how much you plan sickness can still sneak in. It’s best to plan for it before it happens, so that you can focus on getting you and your family well when it does. The last thing you want to be doing when you or child gets sick is run to the store for supplies.
This can involve stocking up on sick day supplies like tissues and making sure your medicine cabinet is fully stocked with cold medicine, fever reducers, and medications to help with an upset stomach. You can also prepare a get-well basket with sick day toys and special movies for your kids and prepare freezer meals that can be thrown in the oven for days when you don’t feel up to cooking.
Flu season can be a beast, and no one wants to deal with. Hopefully these tips will help you fight the flu before it starts, and keep your family well this flu season.