You can keep your home from acting as a breeding ground for the cold or flu virus by following these simple tips.
1. Get new handles and hardware
Antimicrobial materials such as brass, copper, aluminum, lead, iron and silver actually kill bacteria. Brass is the most powerful germ killer out of all of them. So, because doorknobs are a common place for spreading germs, installing brass ones can be a stylish and effective strategy keeping your home flu-free.
2. Take off your shoes
Flu-causing bacteria and viruses can be carried in on your shoes. Make sure that you and your guests take their shoes off as soon as they walk through the door.
3. Wash plastic and rubber toys
If you have kids or dogs with lots of plastic and rubber toys, make sure to disinfect them regularly by running them through your dishwasher. The dishwasher is a much more efficient way to kill germs than spraying and wiping them down. Make sure you check to see if everything is dishwasher safe first!
4. Humidify your home
Did you know that viruses love dry air? Recent studies show that homes which are kept at 40-60 percent humidity will to have fewer flu viruses. Keep the air in your home at that range, and you can decrease the amount of flu virus in the air by as much as 30 percent.
5. Keep the remote control clean
The first thing people do after they call in sick to work or school is grab the remote and hunker down with the TV and chicken soup. Make sure that the germs won’t stick around by disinfecting your remote regularly.
6. Replace your kitchen sponge regularly
Your small kitchen sponge can carry a ton of germs. Replace it every week or so, and in-between new ones, kill that bacteria by blasting the sponge in the microwave for a few minutes.
