This morning I was greeted by some lovely frost on my car and was reminded that here in Western PA, snow is a lingering threat any and all times from October-May. With this chilly weather we also see the start of everyone's favorite season, Flu Season. A paper came across my desk last week with some tips and pointers to help fend off the flu this winter. As always, they (the CDC) say the "first line of defense against infectious diseases and influenza" is vaccination. I'll leave that up to you to decide if that is something you want to buy in to. But enough with my opinions and on to some things you can know and do to help protect you and your family from the flu, aside from getting pricked with a needle.
-Do routine cleaning and disinfecting.
Match your cleaning and disinfecting activities to the types of germs you want to kill. Luckily for us Flu viruses are pretty fragile. That makes killing them relatively easy and most standard cleaners and disinfectants will do the job.
-Clean and disinfect surfaces that are touched often.
This would include, but is not limited to: countertops, doorknobs, computer keyboards, faucet handles, phones (even your cell phone), and light switches.
-Clean and disinfect properly.
Be sure to always follow the directions on the label of your cleaning and sanitizing products. This is commonly overlooked as some cleaners do not disinfect immediately, but take a few seconds or a minute to work to the best of their abilities. For example, we have a can of Lysol disinfectant that takes 30 seconds to disinfect properly. I know I've used Lysol to disinfect and have sprayed it on and wiped it off after only a few seconds on the surface without even thinking about how it probably did not work correctly.
-Wash your hands with an anti-bacterial hand soap.
Wet your hands with running water. Apply liquid, bar or powder soap and Lather well. Rub your hands vigorously for at least 20 seconds. Remember to scrub all surfaces, including the backs of your hands, wrists, between your fingers and under your fingernails. Rinse well. Dry your hands with a clean or disposable towel or air dryer. If possible, use your towel to turn off the faucet.
*Keep in mind that antibacterial soap is no more effective at killing germs than is regular soap. Using antibacterial soap may even lead to the development of bacteria that are resistant to the product's antimicrobial agents — making it harder to kill these germs in the future. -The Mayo Clinic
So hopefully with these tips you'll be able to beat the flu and stay healthy this winter. Be sure to subscribe and keep up with the blog here as there will be more great information and some exclusive offers on our services that you can only get right here.
Thanks for reading,
Kurtis
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