Cleaning Your Way to a Flu-free Household

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The flu. We’ve all been there, curled up at home feeling absolutely miserable for days on end with no relief in sight. Influenza, or the flu, is a highly contagious respiratory illness that affects 5 to 20 percent of Americans each winter season. It is very easily spread from one person to another through coughing, sneezing or touching someone with the symptoms. It can spread 1 to 2 days before the person even knows they have the flu, all the way up to 7 days after getting sick.

So how do we avoid this nasty plague? The last thing any of us want is our entire family coming down with the flu so it’s important to focus on prevention. It’s more than just telling your children to wash their hands at school; it starts in the home.

These tips will help you keep your home flu-free by stopping the nasty virus in its tracks.

Look for Germy Hot Spots

The flu is very easily transmitted through touching, so it is important to sanitize surfaces that are often touched or may have had prolonged exposure to dirt, germs and viruses. These are called “points of contact.” Think of how many items you touch in a single day and how many others touch that same object. For example, door knobs, light switches, keyboards, soap pumps, desks, countertops, phones, railings, and children’s toys all are breading grounds for the pesky flu virus. In order to keep these items clean, make a list of the 10 most commonly touched surfaces in your home and sanitize them daily. In addition, give immediate attention to any surface that is visibly dirty or has been through extra human contact.