With winter comes all the illnesses that seem to be all around, no matter where you go. At work, in the mall and even at home, especially if you have kids. We all know the rules about washing our hands after walking around in the mall and work because germs can spread very quickly. But did you know that there are preventative methods you can take to keep your home from housing these cold and flu germs?

Here are a few tips you can follow to keep your home flu and cold free this winter:

Disinfect

You can wipe down your surfaces every day with a disinfectant to kill any germs that someone in your family might have brought home. Especially the kids, a school is the biggest place to bring germs home from. You can leave your chosen disinfectant and cloth somewhere where you will see it every day so you don’t forget. By doing it this way you won’t risk anyone becoming sick because they leaned on your counter.

Laundry

Make sure to wash your kid’s clothes and even your own if you work with a lot of people. Germs can cling to anything, that’s why they spread so easily. Have a certain day that you do all the laundry if you aren’t a lot of people who live in the house. Remember to always be mindful of water usage.

Sponges

Get rid of any sponges you use to wash or clean with. When it comes to the dishes rather use a dishwashing brush that you can disinfect after use. Sponges carry a lot of germs after use and disinfecting doesn’t help as much as you think.

Paper Towels

During flu season it’s a lot better to dry your hands with paper towels to avoid everyone using the same hand towel.

Using so many paper towels does however not do any good for the environment so an alternative is to get everyone your family their very own hand towel that they can use and then washing it with the laundry every chance you get.

A Handle on Things

If you have small children remember that they see the world from a completely different perspective. It’s a good idea to get down to their level and wipe down any handles and surfaces that they come in contact with. We all know little children are the biggest culprits when it comes to bringing germs home from playschool and then touching everything in their path.

The Bathroom

Water and humidity, two of the biggest enemies when it comes to germs. You can wipe down the surfaces daily after everyone has used it. It’s the one place where germs really love to live.

Doorknobs and Light Switches

This is a no-brainer, everyone touches these areas every day. So a disinfectant wipes down every evening will keep the flu and cold at bay.

The Pros

If you are someone who just doesn’t have the time to clean you can always consider the professionals to come in once or twice a week, so all you have to worry about is the wipe downs in between. You’ll come home to a clean house and all you need to do is relax.

And if you’re really not up to it get the kids to jump in by making a chore chart that they can follow.

By staying on top of things you can keep your family and yourself from getting sick this winter. And if by chance you do get sick, remember that the professional cleaners can always take some work off of your hands.