Disinfecting The House
When we went to bed last night, Ammon was running a fever of 103, and Simeon wasn't far behind at 102.6. It was a miserable night. Simeon woke up crying and in a panic at 2 a.m. to which I jumped out of bed frantically looking for barf, sure he had thrown up, but no, his fever had spiked again and he was just miserable and cold. I medicated him and then had to take the dog out that was yapping because obviously it was time to get up. At 5 a.m. I was up with Ammon who was burning up with his fever and had soaked through his clothes with a leaky diaper and was freezing cold, both because of the wet clothes and fever. I put him back in bed and laid beside him praying for an hour to know what to do. Illness has been plaguing our home for 6 weeks now.
Something that came to my mind during that time was a few things I witnesses at my friend's house. After every meal, the counters, table, chairs and refrigerator were wiped down with an antibacterial cleaner. She didn't use rags that could lay in your sink and get sour. She also used a sponge on a handle (I'd post a picture but my husband is downloading an Ubuntu system on the computer and I can't figure out how to get pictures loaded yet), which I have been trying out since the middle of September, and I've noticed they do not get sour like the regular sponges that can fall into the bottom of the sink and go sour after kids pile their dishes in the sink. Now, granted, she only has two kids, and I have six, but I noticed she stayed up on her laundry which didn't give anything a chance to sit around and become a science experiment. On a day that was 18 degrees, she still threw open her windows for a good airing out.
Keep in mind, it is one thing to get overly critical of yourself and your housekeeping skills when comparing yourself to someone who has a touch of OCD about their house , and another to watch and learn and see if some of those things can help you out. I chose the latter.
These things were brought to my mind this morning, so instead of roasting with my hot tamale of a baby in my comfortable bed, I tackled the bathroom at 6 a.m. Curtis asked if I was nesting. No, I was disinfecting. I've already gotten rid of the sponge. I'm already opening windows every day to air out "sick" rooms, well, actually the whole house. I did some research today about how to disinfect your home and not necessarily using all sorts of chemicals, but here were some things I thought I would share with you that I found.
First, what I have read over the last few weeks is about isolation. One friend said that when her kids came down with something they were quarantined to the bathroom. The tub was made into a bed, and they lived in there for the next 24 hours (make sure your bathroom is clean before doing this). If the bathroom is too inconvenient (I don't know that I could shut my 20 month old up in there...but a nine year old with a good book might stay put), isolate them to one room, and keep the rest of the family away. If possible, allow the sick individual to have their own bathroom as well, and clean that daily.
Next up, Surfaces. You can use a number of things for cleaning surfaces, but vinegar and hydrogen peroxide (NOT MIXED TOGETHER), but sprayed separately 10 minutes apart can kill a number of germs. Bleach, soap, detergents, alcohol and antiseptics are acceptable too. Follow directions carefully, but all these things are effective against viruses and bacteria. Do not use bleach in a baby's room. Pay attention to door knobs, keyboards, counters, tables, and phones. Remember those videos of someone sneezing and them filming where and how far the spray went? Think like that when cleaning these areas. Make sure you label your containers if you do your own (like peroxide, vinegar, alcohol or bleach...all are clear and all could be mistaken easily).
Remove trash daily. Use rubber gloves or wash your hands after handling it. Clean your trash cans too.
Three places of interest to keep clean:
The bathroom
The trash
Surfaces
Next up, linens. Wash them in hot water, dry on high heat. Also, I read not to "hug" dirty laundry to yourself as you pick it up. Get a basket! Don't use towels or blankets used by sick individuals. This is where I have messed up. My kids drag around 3-4 blankets each, and at least four of my kids share a bed with each other. I have tried to hide, collect, sell or get rid of excess blankets my kids love, but match nothing and have no use except to collect cat hair.
Excuse me while I dream a bit about those Pottery Barn bedrooms they have in catalogues.
Ok, I'm back. While this next one is a no-brainer, I'm still guilty in this department. How many times has your kid dug a sippy cup out from under the couch and you realize you haven't seen that cup in a week? Wash dishes in hot water or a dishwasher, probably better if the dishwasher has a heater in it. I send my kids on a dish search every night (although this isn't foolproof, we are keeping up on our sippy collection now). So, keep up on your dishes, sanitize your counters and table and high chair every night. Don't forget the trash and doorknobs.
Lastly, air out the house. I open some windows in the house every morning, even on the coldest days. Rooms I pay attention to: bedrooms, kitchen and living room. These are our main living areas. Keep your filters in the furnace and A/C clean too.
Having written all this out and clearly seen where I've not been so diligent, I'm off to raid the blanket and linen collection. And do some laundry. And take care of my sick babies.
Something that came to my mind during that time was a few things I witnesses at my friend's house. After every meal, the counters, table, chairs and refrigerator were wiped down with an antibacterial cleaner. She didn't use rags that could lay in your sink and get sour. She also used a sponge on a handle (I'd post a picture but my husband is downloading an Ubuntu system on the computer and I can't figure out how to get pictures loaded yet), which I have been trying out since the middle of September, and I've noticed they do not get sour like the regular sponges that can fall into the bottom of the sink and go sour after kids pile their dishes in the sink. Now, granted, she only has two kids, and I have six, but I noticed she stayed up on her laundry which didn't give anything a chance to sit around and become a science experiment. On a day that was 18 degrees, she still threw open her windows for a good airing out.
Keep in mind, it is one thing to get overly critical of yourself and your housekeeping skills when comparing yourself to someone who has a touch of OCD about their house , and another to watch and learn and see if some of those things can help you out. I chose the latter.
These things were brought to my mind this morning, so instead of roasting with my hot tamale of a baby in my comfortable bed, I tackled the bathroom at 6 a.m. Curtis asked if I was nesting. No, I was disinfecting. I've already gotten rid of the sponge. I'm already opening windows every day to air out "sick" rooms, well, actually the whole house. I did some research today about how to disinfect your home and not necessarily using all sorts of chemicals, but here were some things I thought I would share with you that I found.
First, what I have read over the last few weeks is about isolation. One friend said that when her kids came down with something they were quarantined to the bathroom. The tub was made into a bed, and they lived in there for the next 24 hours (make sure your bathroom is clean before doing this). If the bathroom is too inconvenient (I don't know that I could shut my 20 month old up in there...but a nine year old with a good book might stay put), isolate them to one room, and keep the rest of the family away. If possible, allow the sick individual to have their own bathroom as well, and clean that daily.
Next up, Surfaces. You can use a number of things for cleaning surfaces, but vinegar and hydrogen peroxide (NOT MIXED TOGETHER), but sprayed separately 10 minutes apart can kill a number of germs. Bleach, soap, detergents, alcohol and antiseptics are acceptable too. Follow directions carefully, but all these things are effective against viruses and bacteria. Do not use bleach in a baby's room. Pay attention to door knobs, keyboards, counters, tables, and phones. Remember those videos of someone sneezing and them filming where and how far the spray went? Think like that when cleaning these areas. Make sure you label your containers if you do your own (like peroxide, vinegar, alcohol or bleach...all are clear and all could be mistaken easily).
Remove trash daily. Use rubber gloves or wash your hands after handling it. Clean your trash cans too.
Three places of interest to keep clean:
The bathroom
The trash
Surfaces
Next up, linens. Wash them in hot water, dry on high heat. Also, I read not to "hug" dirty laundry to yourself as you pick it up. Get a basket! Don't use towels or blankets used by sick individuals. This is where I have messed up. My kids drag around 3-4 blankets each, and at least four of my kids share a bed with each other. I have tried to hide, collect, sell or get rid of excess blankets my kids love, but match nothing and have no use except to collect cat hair.
Excuse me while I dream a bit about those Pottery Barn bedrooms they have in catalogues.
Ok, I'm back. While this next one is a no-brainer, I'm still guilty in this department. How many times has your kid dug a sippy cup out from under the couch and you realize you haven't seen that cup in a week? Wash dishes in hot water or a dishwasher, probably better if the dishwasher has a heater in it. I send my kids on a dish search every night (although this isn't foolproof, we are keeping up on our sippy collection now). So, keep up on your dishes, sanitize your counters and table and high chair every night. Don't forget the trash and doorknobs.
Lastly, air out the house. I open some windows in the house every morning, even on the coldest days. Rooms I pay attention to: bedrooms, kitchen and living room. These are our main living areas. Keep your filters in the furnace and A/C clean too.
Having written all this out and clearly seen where I've not been so diligent, I'm off to raid the blanket and linen collection. And do some laundry. And take care of my sick babies.
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this is awsome i think your onto something i think im going on a suface cleaning spree to start woth thanx
Don't forget toothbrushes! My MIL who had 8 children told me once that once a month she'd put the kids toothbrushes in the dishwasher, more often if they'd been sick.
Tea Tree oil mixed with water in a spray bottle is a great disinfectant.
And I still think there is a lot to be said for a healthy diet and plenty of rest. :)
How are the boys feeling today?
Kris
Found your blog this AM. Just want to say "yes" to all of your suggestions. I have a son who underwent a stem cell transplant and when he came home it was imperative that we wage war on germs because his immune system was weak. I am not an OCD housekeeper--far from it-- and I thought "how will I ever keep up"? I am not young anymore! I concentrated on "hot spots" (the places you have mentioned), changed towels frequently, and stressed that we all wash our hands a lot. We pulled up the carpet in his room--it was then MUCH easier to take care of! I used lots of wipes, disinfectant sprays and moisturizing soaps. My son did REALLY well..I am amazed at how little sickness was in our house. He was the healthiest of all of us. I think your changes will work....and I am going to try airing the house out this winter. Christine
Found your blog this AM. Just want to say "yes" to all of your suggestions. I have a son who underwent a stem cell transplant and when he came home it was imperative that we wage war on germs because his immune system was weak. I am not an OCD housekeeper--far from it-- and I thought "how will I ever keep up"? I am not young anymore! I concentrated on "hot spots" (the places you have mentioned), changed towels frequently, and stressed that we all wash our hands a lot. We pulled up the carpet in his room--it was then MUCH easier to take care of! I used lots of wipes, disinfectant sprays and moisturizing soaps. My son did REALLY well..I am amazed at how little sickness was in our house. He was the healthiest of all of us. I think your changes will work....and I am going to try airing the house out this winter. Christine
I agree! Great suggestions. Oh, and I found your blog through Facebook. I am now a follower. :0) I use a disinfectant on my kitchen counters that kill e coli and salmonella too. Can't be too careful!