How to Prevent and Fight Germs Around the House

Kids are headed back to school which means the start of fall isn’t too far behind. Both the change in season and back to school time can have a profound impact on your household. For example, do you dread the beginning of the school year as it likely means plenty of sick days?

If these events seem to get the best of your family every season, check out these tips for keeping germs out and preventing the spread!

1. Teach and Practice Proper Handwashing

Germs that your family brings home from work, school, and other sources live on many objects throughout our homes. Therefore, regularly washing your hands is one of the best (and easiest) ways to avoid getting sick. While this likely does not come as a surprise, studies show that proper hand hygiene is often neglected. In fact, good hand washing habits have declined since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Between April 2020 and January 2022, the proportion who reported handwashing with soap and warm water “always” or “most of the time” declined from 79 percent to 68 percent. 

If you are looking to keep your family healthy, ensuring good hand washing habits is a critical first step. We recommend taking time to educate your children on the importance of washing their hands and how to properly wash their hands. However, don’t forget to set a positive example and review your hygiene habits as well! In fact, a recent survey found forty-five percent of adults in America do not utilize soap when washing their hands. 

2. Take Off Your Shoes Before Entering the House

What are you carrying around with you on the bottom of your shoes all day? While you might not be exactly sure, we know that none of it has a place in your home.

When you bring your shoes inside your home with you, you’re bringing in bacteria. Two types of bacteria that can be found on shoes are E.Coli and Clostridium difficile (also known as C.Diff). Bad E.Coli can cause diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal cramping, for example. However, that isn’t all the bad news. Once C. Diff is in your home, you might have trouble getting rid of it as C. Diff spores are resistant to many disinfectants.

 Your shoes may have oil, antifreeze, pollen, particulate pollution, and more on them. What’s worse is that you can also be confident that fecal matter is on your shoes. A study of ten people who wore new shoes for two weeks and then had their shoes sampled for bacteria found fecal bacteria appeared on 96% of the shoes. 

3. Disinfect and Clean Your Home Regularly

Keeping your home clean is important for both preventing germs from reaching your home and having them spread. 

How often do you touch your eyes, nose, mouth, or the rest of your face? While doing so may seem minor, and you may not even notice, it can easily make you sick. Germs from different viruses can live on the surfaces in your home for hours. When it comes to spreading germs, cold germs, for example, can live on your hands for up to one hour. Therefore, disinfecting surfaces regularly, especially after a family member is sick, should be a top priority. You will want to focus on high touch items including door knobs, light switches, countertops, toilets, and more. 

Yet, this isn’t the only reason why we advocate for cleaning your home regularly! The dirt in your home does not only take away from its good looks, but can be a risk to your health. Researchers have identified over 9,000 different species of microbes, bacteria, and fungi in dust samples from 1,200 US households.

Could you use help staying on top of the germs and dirt in your home? We offer a variety of cleaning services and cleaning frequency options to suit your needs. If you’re interested in learning more about hiring our team, contact us for a free house cleaning quote!