How to Flu Proof Your Place

Flu viruses, or influenza, spread throughout a household very easily. Flu vaccines prevent the spread of influenza, but they may not protect against certain strains of the flu and are not always readily available for the general population. Also, not everyone is eligible to receive a flu vaccine. If you catch the flu, stay home to rest and avoid spreading the flu virus to others. Recognize, however, that this makes your home a breeding ground for the flu virus. To kill flu viruses and avoid spreading them to others in your home, wash your hands often and take special measures to flu-proof your home.

Things You'll Need

• Anti-bacterial hand soap
• Disinfectant
• Humidifier

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Instructions

• 1

  Disinfect bacteria hot spots daily; clean telephones, children's toys, doorknobs, sinks, remote controls, counter tops and toilets. Disinfect desktops weekly; desktops may have even more bacteria than toilet seats. Sanitize cutting boards after every use. Flu viruses can spread by touching an object a sick person has coughed on, sneezed on or even touched

• 2

  Clean or replace cleaning products regularly. Replace or disinfect kitchen sponges every couple of weeks; to disinfect a sponge, place it in a microwave for one minute or wash it in the dishwasher. Disinfect dust rags, dishrags and mops after every use to avoid spreading around the germs you are trying to clean.

• 3

  Use a humidifier; bacteria are not able to thrive as easily with increased humidity. Clean individual units regularly and have house systems serviced yearly. If the units are not regularly cleaned, they may actually breed bacteria.

• 4

  Keep soap and cleaning products on hand. Choose cleaning products that say "disinfect" or "sanitize" right on the label; these products are best for killing germs. Choose anti-bacterial hand soaps. Washing your hands often is the best way to prevent flu, so always keep enough soap on hand.

• 5

  Change your sheets once a week. Even if they look clean, your body sheds bacteria on the sheets every night. Change children's sheets even more often. Take special care when handling clothes and sheets of someone with the flu; try not to hold the material too close to your body and wash your hands immediately after placing clothes and sheets in the washing machine.