The fear of catching the H1N1 virus has made many of us more conscience about germs. Nowadays, even when you go to Walmart, they have sanitizing wipes to disinfect your shopping carts. Although there is not alot we can do about germs in public, we can do something about it in our own home.
Germs abound everywhere, and they multiply rapidly. In optimal conditions a germ can multiply every 20 minutes. Fortunately, environmental conditions limit their growth.
If you want to reduce germs in the house, the number one thing you have to remember is to wash your hands. Although germs can be spread in other ways, your hands are the number one culprit in spreading germs. Approximately, 80% of infectious diseases are passed by humans, either directly or indirectly. Furthermore, infectious diseases are third leading cause of death in the United States and the leading cause of death worldwide.
Lets face it, unless you have OCD or are fastidious about germs, most of us don't wash our hands nearly as often as we should. According to statistics, less than 50% of people wash their hands after they use the restroom. Additionally, when HarrisInteractive did a survey on self-reported hand washing, they found only 21% of females and 18% percent of men washed their hands after handling money. In a study by the University of California at San Francisco, researchers found 18% of coins and 7% of paper money have disease-causing bacteria on them. Other studies have found that 94% of all one dollar bills have germs that could cause serious infections. According to Mercola.com, 65% of colds, 50% of diarrhea cases, and 50% to 80% of foodborne illnesses are caught in the home.
In addition to your hands, the soles of your shoes carry germs. If you don't take your shoes off when you enter the house, you are tracking germs throughout your home. In a study by the University of Arizona, researchers found nine different species of germs on shoes. Furthermore, the researchers tested whether the germs would transfer from the shoe to the floor. They found more than 90% of the time they did, and the floors had more germs than the toilet.
Second to the floors, the kitchen has more germs than any other area of the house. In light of this information, if you want to reduce germs in your house, the following tips will help:
- Wash your hands frequently.
- Take your shoes off at the door.
- Disinfect anything frequently touched. This includes: doorknobs, light switches, refrigerator handles, remote controls,
- Use clean dish rags and sponges at least once a week. If you use sponges, you can disinfect them by placing them in the microwave for 30 seconds if dry and one minute wet. Sponges are a harbor for germs.
- Air dry dishes rather than wiping them dry.
- Don't cross-contaminate food with the cutting board. Wash it in between different foods, especially when cutting up meat. If you have cracks in the board, replace it.
- Disinfect the faucet, sink, and counter tops in the kitchen and the faucet, sink, tub, vanity, and toilet in the bathroom regularly. The kitchen sink is one of the most germ-ridden objects in the house, even more than the toilet.
- Don't store toothbrushes together where they can touch each other. Let them air dry. Replace them every three months.
- Change your sheets at least once a week.
- Disinfect hard surface floors regularly.
By following these tips, you can reduce the number of germs in your house, and hopefully, increase your family's general health.
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