My beloved has been snuffling, coughing, sneezing, and aching for three days now.  Poor guy.  But I’ll admit it–right up there with “Can I bring you some soup, Sweetie?” in my mind is, “Don’t you dare get me sick.”

As I’ve fussed over him to help him feel better this week, I’ve also been majorly into prevention (or germaphobic, depending on your perspective) for myself.  Here are some tips for how to protect yourself when your spouse–or boyfriend/girlfriend, child, roommate, or even coworker–is a sickie.

3 Ways to Protect Yourself When Your Spouse Has a Cold

1.  Take Out the Trash – I’ve been emptying the garbage cans in the bathroom, bedroom, and kitchen a couple of times a day this week because just looking at all those gooshy tissues, I can almost hear the germs saying, “hey, can I come hang out with you next?”

2.  Sleep on the Couch – or, as I’m lucky enough to be able to do, the guest bed.  Because people with colds tend towards night sweating, mouth-breathing, and uncovered coughing.  Plus, will you really sleep well if your mind is focused on “is he breathing on me?”

3.  Do all the Cooking and Cleaning – I become very June Cleaver when Rob gets sick, in violation of our usually unwavering “I cook, you clean” policy.  I do this not only because he’s feeling lousy and I want him to rest, but because I don’t want the hands that just caught a sneeze touching a) food b) clean dishes c) the cabinets, drawers, counters, etc.

Do you have more tips for practicing cold and flu prevention when someone within your home has got a bug?  Do tell!

Like what you see? Click here to subscribe and get Fresh Living in your in-box every day.