It’s that time of year again… flu season! You don’t have to watch your family succumb to the sickness one-by-one. You can kick the ick with these disinfecting tips to prevent the flu or other germ from spreading misery throughout your home.
Identifying Germ Hot Spots
The first key to stopping germs from spreading is to identify where all the germ hot spots are in your home. These germ hot spots are often called points of contact. They are places or items we touch frequently in the home and the place where germs from our hands are most likely to transfer from person to person. To start finding points of contact in your home, think about the things you and your family touch the most. Don’t worry! We’ll share our list of top germy points of contact so you don’t have to rely on guesswork.
Once you have your list of germy points of contact for every room in your home, you’ll want to set up a regular and frequent round of disinfecting for each grimy spot. During the worst of flu season, you’ll want to disinfect your points of contact at least once a week and several times a week if anyone in your household comes down with the ick. It’s also important to get everyone in your home on board with frequent (and proper) handwashing. Studies show simply washing our hands more often, even while we’re just hanging around at home makes a huge difference in preventing the spread of viruses and bacteria between family members.
The Point of Contact Disinfection Checklist
Our list of points of contact that you want to make sure get disinfected is a good starting place. Keep an eye out for places you notice your family touches that are unique to your household that should be added to your personal list.
1. Light switches and light switch plates
2. Door handles, knobs, levers and locks (even those you don’t use often)
3. Toilet handles/toilet flushers
4. Faucet handles (bathroom and kitchen)
5. Hand railings (outside, inside, staircases and bathrooms)
6. Cabinet door handles and drawer pulls (think beyond the kitchen and bathroom – include the laundry room, closet organizers and bedroom furniture)
7. Soap pumps/dispensers
8. Phones (whether they’re smart or the old-fashioned kind, we touch them all the time and put them right up to our mouths to talk – YUCK!)
9. Remote controls
10. Keyboards, mice, computer touchscreens, tablets and other frequently handled devices
11. Control panels on alarms, smart appliances, smart home hubs and other “smart” system controls frequently touched
12. House keys, car keys and keychains (while not in your home, these items are touched just as often so give them a wipe-down, too!)
How many points of contact did you already think of before reading the list? Did any surprise you? Now you can confidently banish the flu and other germs to kick the ick out of your home with this handy list and tips for disinfecting your home during flu season.
