Healthy Home: How To Keep Your Home Germ-Free This Flu Season

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Flu season and its troop of germs can really get in the way of your enjoying the otherwise beautiful fall season and the holidays. The flu, however, is not inevitable. There are important steps you can take to help prevent it from rearing its ugly head in the first place. Start by making your home a germ-free environment. Here are some things you can do this season to keep the flu from entering your home:

Use quality filters

Harmful bacteria, including those that carry the flu virus, can slip right in through those tiny spaces in your air filters. To keep these unwanted guests out of your home, invest in high efficiency filters that will keep out harmful substances that can comprise the air quality in your home. These high efficiency filters will help keep the air you breathe fresh, clean and free from flu-friendly germs.

Fix any leaks

Check all your pipes to make sure there are no leaks. If there are, you need to fix them right away. Moisture is a breeding ground for bacteria. Left unattended, leaks can quickly bring bacteria and other unwanted little organisms that can bring diseases into your home. Contact a professional who can find the source of the leaks and make sure the problem is addressed correctly the first time, say the experts at Plugged Piper Drain Service. Mold can quickly become a problem that can spread in your home, causing it it be unhealthy, especially to those with asthma and allergies.

Do your laundry

The clothes you have been wearing out all day in public germ-riddled places should be immediately put in the wash when you get home. This will keep the germs from lingering on your clothes and infecting other areas of your home. Also change your sheets, towels and other frequently used items every week or so to keep germs from spreading. Wash the rags you use to wipe things down so you’re not simply recycling those germs back into your home.

Keep your home clean

Of course, you need to keep your home as clean as possible in order to keep germs away. Take off your shoes when you come in from outside. Sweep, mop and wipe regularly. Pay special attention to parts of your home that are most frequently used, such as the refrigerator, chairs, door handles and kitchen appliances. Use anti-bacterial cleaners and wipes for extra germ and flu protection.

Maintain good personal hygiene

Wash your hands as soon as you come home to wash away any germs you may have picked up outside. You may have come into contact with people at the grocery store who have a cold or flu for all you know. Take a shower every day. When you sneeze or cough, use a tissue or otherwise cover your mouth to prevent germs from escaping and landing on your furniture or other members of your home.

Keeping your home germ-free will help keep the flu away so you and your family can stay healthy. Bacteria and viruses can quickly grow on surfaces and in homes that don’t have good ventilation, especially during the winter. Follow these tips to keep your home and family healthy this year.

Anita Ginsburg