When it comes to keeping kids healthy I've learned to expect the unexpected, but even then I'm often caught off guard when my son catches a cold or whatever virus just so happens to be going around daycare.
With the H1N1 virus scare still rocking the country, I find that I've become overly concerned with cleaning the house, washing hands and making sure I have a stock of Clorox disinfectant wipes in my cleaning cabinet.
Speaking of Clorox, the company has teamed up with the What to Expect Foundation, and has created a Healthy Home Growth Chart which can be downloaded by clicking here. Plus, it's free!
Did you know that the average child can touch up to about 300 surfaces every 30 minutes? When I stop to think about it I realize that can add up to a lot of germs!The What to Expect Foundation, as part of its mission to keep families healthy and help them know “what to expect” during pregnancy and beyond, developed this timeline with a grant from The Clorox Company. It’s full of helpful tips on how to keep your home safer and healthier for your family – now, and as your little ones grow.
We all know that and washing is the most effective way to help keep germs from spreading. We've made hand washing a rule in our house, and if we're away from home and away from a sink, soap and water, we rely on the stock of anti-bacterial hand sanitizer I've stashed in the car, my purse and diaper bag. I've also got anti-bacterial wet wipes in the glove compartment, too.
When cold and flu season rolls around, I make sure to clean surfaces regularly, such as door handles, light switches, telephone hand sets and dialing pads, cell phones, laptops and computer keyboards and anything our hands may touch on a frequent basis.
My husband even takes our kitchen, bathroom and bedroom garbage cans to the mudroom and disinfects the inside and outside surfaces once a month. One can never be too careful, he says.
Reading through the Healthy Home Growth Chart, I learned some tips for cleaning baby's bottles (important for me to know, especially now that I'm expecting Baby #2 in less than ten weeks!), including the bottle nipples and other parts. Hot soapy water and using a bottle brush for those nooks and crannies works wonders.
I've discovered it's important to clean baby's toys and rattles and other plastic surfaces, too. Just by soaking in hot soapy water or tossing them into the dishwasher can quickly kill germs. I still soak Dawson's Legos twice a month. He plays with them every day. Who knows how many germs can be found on those things.
The one thing I didn't even think about was cleaning the car steering wheel, door handles and other surfaces I touch every time I drive. Using a disinfecting wipe does the trick. I can't believe I was so concerned with the surfaces in my house and didn't realize that cars can be germy, too.
The Healthy Home Growth Chart offers tips for keeping our home and kids healthy, beginning with 1 month old through 5 years of age. Packed with great tips and advice for keeping our families healthy, this guide is definitely worth checking out.
Have any tips for keeping your family healthy? Share them in the comments!
-----
I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Clorox and the What to Expect Guide, and received a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate. Mom Central has asked me to review the product in connection with this blog tour.
