Practicing good hygiene is our first line of defense against the coronavirus and other pathogens, both during the pandemic and after. As a parent of young children, you’re always concerned about their safety, and protecting them from the coronavirus tops the list.
Germs are everywhere. Multitudes of people touch the same surfaces every day, making it impossible to avoid them. That said, it’s more important than ever to teach your kids about good hygiene if you want to remain healthy throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and flu season.
Below, we discuss several hygiene habits you should practice daily to keep yourself and your family healthy and safe throughout the pandemic and beyond.
1. Wash, Clean, and Disinfect Regularly
With most people staying home more these days, your house can quickly become infested with germs. The easiest way to keep viruses and other nasties from taking over and jeopardizing your health is to wash, clean, and disinfect daily.
If you have a baby, use the best baby bottle sterilizer to ensure all bottles are germ-free. Make sure to wash all dishes and silverware thoroughly so germs can’t pass from one person to the next. Lastly, disinfect all hard surfaces regularly as they harbor millions of germs and bacteria that can easily transfer with a single touch.
2. Wash Your Hands Regularly
Washing your hands is the best way to prevent the spread of germs from one person to the next. It’s a fact that most people don’t wash their hands enough, but you can do your part to help stop the pandemic by teaching your children to wash their hands several times a day and doing so yourself. If you’re prone to getting dermatitis or eczema from hand washing and hand sanitizers, a good quality balm can protect and soothe your skin.
3. Sneeze or Cough into Your Sleeve – Not Your Hand
Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze – this tidbit of advice has been drilled into most people since early childhood. Unfortunately, no one ever specified what to cover your mouth with. Many people use their hands to cover a sneeze or cough, but all this does is create the perfect opportunity for spreading germs to surfaces and other people.
Instead of using your hands, stifle a cough or sneeze in the sleeve of your shirt. Bury your nose and mouth in the crook of your elbow (or as close to your elbow as possible) to keep germs from flying everywhere, and since you used the inside of your elbow, they are far away from your hands and impossible to spread around.
4. Be Aware of What You’re Touching
Without realizing it, we touch surfaces all day long that dozens (hundreds?) of other people have already touched. Unfortunately, most of these surfaces are never sanitized. To avoid sharing germs, be aware of what you’re touching, and use tactics to avoid directly touching surfaces when you can.
For example, use a paper towel or disposable glove when pumping gas or open a door using your hip or closed fist.
5. Keep Hand Sanitizer Handy
While washing your hands regularly is the best way to avoid spreading germs, it’s not always possible, so keep hand sanitizer on hand for quick and effective disinfecting when hand washing isn’t an option.
Good hygiene is more important than ever before. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, you must practice these essential hygiene habits to keep yourself and your family healthy and safe.
