As children go back to school this month, Dettol Mission For Health aims to guide you through the best steps to keep them germ free. Getting children to regularly wash their hands is a good habit to get them into during school and play time.
 
Keeping their bedrooms and the home environment thoroughly clean will lessen the contact they have with the most common allergens that lead to nasty colds and infections.
 
Hand Ups for Clean Hands
Because we touch so many things in the course of a day, our hands are just like public transport for germs. As children are always curious and learning – they touch a lot of things in the course of a day. Children are more susceptible to germs because their immune systems are still developing, so here are some pointers to minimise your children's risk from infections.
 
Every time we touch something or someone, germs are transferred to and from our hands. Then, when we touch our mouth, eyes or nose, they can easily pass into our bodies. No big surprise, then, that washing our hands with antibacterial soap is one of the most effective ways to stop the spread of germs!
 
Be sure to hammer home the importance of hand-washing to your children; you can substantially reduce their chances of becoming ill. So make sure they know when to wash their hands  - with this handy  ‘before and after’ checklist:
 
Always wash your hands...
 
Before
  • Eating & drinking
  • Bedtime
After
  • After playing
  • Going to the toilet
  • Blowing your nose
  • Spending time the family pets and their toys and beds
  • Being on the bus to school
  • Putting rubbish in the bin
Your 4 hot hygiene tips:
  • A quick rinse under the tap doesn't kill germs; take the time to really wash your hands properly!
  • A good rule of thumb is to sing the Happy Birthday song twice while washing your hands
  • Antibacterial soap will wash away the dirt you can see and kill the germs you can't
  • Don't forget your wrists, in between your fingers and your nail beds
  • Dry your hands thoroughly using a clean, dry towel.
Clean Your Room
 
Bedrooms
If your kids have allergies, the main goal of bedroom cleaning should be to control allergens. Bedrooms contain many soft furnishings, which are ideal places for dust, dust mites, dust mite debris, pollen and pet dander to accumulate. Controlling allergens in the bedroom is particularly important because so much time is spent there.
 
Reducing Allergens and Germs in the Bedroom:
  • Don't allow pets in bedrooms.
  • Remove or reduce unnecessary soft furnishings. These collect dust and are therefore havens for dust mites.
  • Wash bedding every week on a hot wash (at least 55ºC) to kill the dust mites in it.
  • Minimise clutter and put items away so that they don’t accumulate dust.
  • Use an antibacterial surface cleanser or wipes to help remove pollen particles, pet dander, and dust mite debris from hard surfaces.
  • Frequently clean and disinfect hand contact surfaces such as television remote controls, light switches and telephone receivers, especially if someone is sick with a cold or flu.
  • Choose soft toys that are washable. Launder them regularly on a hot wash (at least 55ºC) to remove dust mites.
  • Clean and disinfect hard toys regularly. Be sure to rinse them thoroughly after disinfection
Controlling House Dust Mites – The most common allergen
House dust mites are the most frequent cause of allergies. They are microscopic animals that belong to the spider family. They eat discarded human skin cells (which are constantly shed from the body as dust), and they get their water from humidity in the atmosphere. They thrive in high humidity and they reproduce very quickly.
Dust mites are found in not only in mattresses and bedding, but in carpets, upholstery, old clothing, stuffed toys, and any other place where human skin cells accumulate. It is the dust mite’s droppings that cause allergic reactions. When disturbed, these tiny faecal particles become airborne, where they can be inhaled. However, dust mite allergens are heavier than other allergens, so they land and settle on surfaces relatively quickly, rather than staying airborne.
 
Controlling Dust Mites
  • Reduce household dust.Household dust contains all kinds of tiny particles – but much is made up of human skin cells. Dust also contains the droppings and dead bodies of dust mites.
  • Damp-dust hard surfaces and floors regularly using cleaning products that are proven to remove mite allergens.
  • Use a damp cloth or wipe (rather than a dry one) to help prevent dust from becoming airborne.
  • Remove unnecessary soft furnishings and clutter.This reduces places for dust to collect.
  • If allergies are particularly prevalent in your family, if redecorating consider replacing carpets with lino, tiles or wooden floors. Hardsurface flooring is easier to keep clean.
  • Reduce your home's humidity.Home humidity should ideally be below 50%. You can reduce humidity by avoiding damp conditions and increasing ventilation, for example by opening windows or trickle-vents, using extractor fans in bathrooms and kitchens and, if necessary, using a dehumidifier.
 

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