Healthy Hygiene
In addition to keeping your immune system at peak performance through a healthy lifestyle that includes a balanced diet, exercise and sufficient sleep, simple hygiene measures can help keep your family healthy.
● Always wash your hands before leaving the bathroom.
● Never touch the bathroom handle when exiting. Use a paper towel, or in paperless restrooms, use toilet tissue. Unfortunately, not every one washes their hands before leaving the bathroom. If you directly touch the dirty knob with your clean hands, you are still picking up other people's germs. (Instead of legislating kids' meals, maybe we could pass a law requiring all restroom doors to open hands-free!)
● Wash your hands before touching your face or eating.
● Use paper hand towels when possible.
● Change cloth hand towels often, but at a minimum before and after company.
● Disinfect faucet levers, light switches and doorknobs regularly.
● Keep sick family members "quarantined." Limit where they can go in the house and limit the family members they interact with - preferably to one. When possible, dedicate one bathroom to the sick family member.
● After the sick people are well, disinfect their quarantined area. This includes the bathroom and all doorknobs and light switches.
● Remove a sick person's toothbrush from a communal holder. After the sick person is well, replace his toothbrush.
● After the sick person is well, change all his linens - including sheets, pillow cases, blankets, towels and washcloths.
What additional measures do you take to keep your family healthy?