Light switches and door knobs are constantly being touched. They can be a big germ magnet and help easily spread the cold or flu virus.
Take a few minutes to go through and clean and disinfect your door knobs and light switches. Pay extra close attention to the bathroom door knobs that might be extra germy.
There are a few ways you can disinfect them. You can use lysol or lysol wipes. Although I don’t use lysol wipes often, I do think they are great to have around during cold and flu season.
You can also make your own lysol spray easily at home. This homemade lysol is easy to make and smells really good. Just spray it on a microfiber cloth and wipe down the door knobs and light switches around your home.
Clean Towels and Toothbrushes
Towels need to be washed and disinfected often when you are sick. Clean them using a disinfectant. If you are still sick I would recommend washing hand towels every day just to be on the safe side. Then wash them again once you think the cold or flu has passed.
Toothbrushes too should be cleaned after the flu. Germs can stay on your toothbrush and make you sick again. To clean your toothbrush let it soak in a cup of hydrogen peroxide for about 15 minutes. Then rinse with water and let it dry. I think it is one of the more important things to do when cleaning the house after the flu.
Diffuse Thieves Oil
I love using a diffuser to make my house smell good. I also love it to keep the germs out of the air when we have someone sick in our house.
There are a number of different oil blends you can diffuse to keep the germs away but my favorite is Thieves Oil. The story is that robbers used to use it during the black plague to keep themselves from contracting the plague.
Studies have shown that thieves oil can kill off bacteria by diffusing it. It may or may not be true, but it makes me feel better to have it diffusing in addition to cleaning the house after the flu or cold. I also like to use it around the holidays if we have guests to keep my family from getting sick.
Clean Your Appliances
Even when we are sick we tend to use the fridge and microwave, plus maybe the stove and oven. All those germs can get over the handles of the appliances. Wipe down the appliances well with lysol wipes or with homemade lysol. Just spray it on a microfiber cloth and wipe down the appliances around your home.
You will also want to take some time to clean your ice maker and water dispenser if you have one. Germs can easily spread when people are refilling their cups in the refrigerator water dispensers.
With a little bit of work, you can keep the flu from spreading to all your family members.
