Every day, we’re exposed to millions of different germs—whether at work or the grocery store. However, it’s important to understand that some of the biggest risks to your health are at home with you. Not only are there various surfaces that collect and grow bacteria, but there are also elements of your home’s amenities that may bring unexpected hazards into your dwelling. So, read up on a few tips to help avoid getting sick and learn what some small household changes can do for the well-being of your entire family.
Always Wash Your Hands
It’s basic knowledge that washing our hands is crucial to reducing the number of germs we spread throughout the rest of the home. However, it’s lesser-known how often we should wash them and what the process should entail. It’s good practice to wash our hands whenever we touch something that holds germs or are about to touch someone with a lowered immune system. This means any time you use the bathroom, cook, or hold a baby. Additionally, scrub for at least 20 seconds before rinsing with warm water when washing your hands.
Filter Your Tap Water
Installing a filter on your home’s kitchen tap is also beneficial in keeping you healthy. Many diseases can transfer through water, and some water companies don’t treat residential water supplies before they make their way to your home. As such, it’s possible to contract illnesses through your drinking water if you aren’t expecting it. But, by installing a filtration system, you remove all these harmful particles before they can enter your body. There are several other reasons why water filtration and purification are important, such as its ability to make your water more palatable and useful.
Avoid Touching Your Face or Mouth
In between washing your hands, make sure you don’t touch your face or mouth. Your hands touch a lot of dirty surfaces throughout the day and touching your face deposits bacteria on your skin. This is one of the leading causes of acne breakouts and can easily cause you to ingest something that can make you sick. Because of this, it’s important to do your best to break yourself of this habit.
Disinfect High Traffic Surfaces
One essential tip to help avoid getting sick in your home is to regularly disinfect your most-touched surfaces. This includes items like doorknobs, remote controls, and larger areas like the bathroom and kitchen. These things all see the most interaction with guests and family members and, as such, run the highest risk of transferring germs. So, sanitizing them at least once a week is effective at keeping you healthy.
