There are a number of flu, bacteria and virus prevention tips to consider. In many cases, disease prevention starts at home with you.
Natural Ways to Prevent the Flu: Essential Personal Hygiene
The best way to prevent flu, viruses, and bacteria from spreading is to manage your own personal hygiene. The Cleveland Clinic recommends these health promotion and disease prevention actions:
- Wash your hands with soap and water – or carry and use hand sanitizer (containing at least 60% alcohol), when soap and water aren’t readily available.
- Don’t touch your face.
- Get a flu shot.
- Get enough sleep and exercise.
- Stay hydrated and eat healthy to boost your immune system.
- Stay home if you or your kids are sick.
- Know when to call the doctor and make the call.
How to Prevent Flu from Spreading: Clean Surfaces
Keeping your home and business clean is an essential step in fighting viruses, colds, and the flu.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) flu prevention strategy includes cleaning surfaces in common areas, such as kitchens, bathrooms, tables, countertops, door handles, and toys. Make sure this is done regularly – or increase that regularity when exposed – for cold and flu prevention.
Do Baby Wipes Work to Kill Bacteria and Viruses?
Know that using a baby wipe on a surface or your hands does not mean you are ridding them of germs as you might think. They are not made to kill bacteria. Instead, use soap and water or an EPA-certified disinfectant (like Lysol and Clorox wipes or multi-surface cleaners for surfaces or hand sanitizer for your hands).
Cleaning the Air You Breathe: Air Bacteria Cleaner
You can install systems in your home or business to help improve the Indoor Air Quality and keep your family, employees, and coworkers healthy. Some of the most popular systems include:
- Air Scrubber – These American-made air purifiers remove bacteria, mold, smoke, and other impurities from the air and prevent them from taking up residence in your home or wreaking havoc on your allergies and immune system. Studies show they are effective in removing 99 percent of surface microorganisms.
- Air Cleaners can remove 95 percent of the dust, pollen, mold spores, and bacteria in your home. There are several options to choose from, including UV germicidal lights, electronic precipitators, ion generators, and whole-house air filters.
- Duct Cleaning with a Negative Air Machine (think: a vacuum for your air ducts) will keep your heating and air conditioning systems from circulating air filled with bacteria, dust, and other allergens that can cause headaches and persistent respiratory issues.
Protecting Your Home & Business
Beyond what Air Scrubber technology can provide, when seeking to eliminate colds, flu or the spread of infectious diseases, the World Health Organization recommends all to:
- Practice good personal hygiene.
- Talk with your family, friends, and neighbors about emergency plans of your home, work, school/daycares and what happens if they are temporarily closed.
- Make your emergency contact list.
- Find aid organizations in your community for information, healthcare, or resources.
- Monitor school closings and updates in your community.
- Designate a room in your home for sick family members to prevent the spread to others.
- Stay home if you are sick, and stay away from others who are sick.
- Notify work, school, etc. if your schedule changes due to temporary dismissals or if you are sick.
If you practice good personal hygiene and take steps to clean your home’s and business’s common areas, surfaces, and air, you will be a huge proponent of and contributor to staying healthy, preventing infectious diseases, colds, flu, and other viruses from spreading.