Infection Control in Your Home

Tips on How to Minimize the Spread of Germs and Infection

It's something that we all know. Germs and bacteria are everywhere. If you looked on your body, clothes, and everyday household items and appliances with a microscope, it would scare you stiff. Now I'm not saying at all that we should walk around wearing masks and gloves but a few simple lifestyle changes can greatly reduce the spread of germs and bacteria. Many of them may seem common sense, but many of them we don't think about at all when we SHOULD.

Your Body

Daily bathing is essential. Don't just assume that as long as you're not stinking, that you don't need to bathe. Take showers NOT BATHS. As warm and soothing as a bath is, you are literally laying in your own filth. If you truly desire a bath, take a shower first to get your body clean. That will minimize the muck that will be left in the water during a bath.  A clean body promotes infection control.

Your Clothes

Wear clean and dry clothes. A clean body means nothing if your clothes are ridden with bacteria and germs.  Clean and fresh clothes promote infection control.

Your Home

Two rooms in particular are your bathroom and kitchen surfaces. The bathroom for obvious reasons and the kitchen simply because that is where you are preparing food for consumption. Use bleach based toilet, bathroom and kitchen cleaners. Bleach KILLS bacteria! Get rid of any wood cutting boards you may have in your kitchen. You can scrub them but they will still have bacteria embedded in them. A synthetic vinyl or plastic one is easier to clean and it will not just LOOK clean, it will BE clean.

Household Surfaces