While keeping germ-free, especially during the flu season, is always on everyone's mind, it's even more so now with the coronavirus. We've rounded up some of the top hacks for staying germ-free.
1| Stock up on hand sanitizer
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend washing your hands as much as possible to kill germs and bacteria. But when washing your hands isn't available, using a high-quality hand sanitizer does the same job. You want an alcohol-based sanitizer that's at least 60%. (1) The KillShot Hand Sanitizer by BIOLabs Pro is 80% isopropyl alcohol (beating the CDC recommendation) and eliminates 99.9% of all germs and bacteria.
Staying germ-free is easier when you have a hand sanitizer nearby. You can keep a bottle of sanitizer in your car, purse, or even by the door when you come home. Buying hand sanitizer in bulk is a way to save money and ensure a ready supply during a pandemic or flu season.
2| Boost your immune system
While killing germs with hand sanitizer is a top hack everyone should do, boosting your immune system to prevent disease is another smart tip. When your body becomes bombarded with germs, having a healthy immune system will help fight off infection. You can supercharge your immunity by consuming a healthy diet and with vitamin and mineral supplementation. Vitamin d cream and magnesium cream boost immunity, and if pesky bugs manage to infiltrate your body, you'll be ready.
3| Take off your shoes
Removing your shoes before entering someone's home is common throughout Asia in countries like Japan, S. Korea, and Thailand. If you've ever looked at the bottom of your shoe, you'll know why. Studies show that everything from e coli to fecal matter collects in the nooks and crannies of your footwear. And guess what? Once inside the house, you're dragging the parasites all over your floors and carpet. Staying germ-free is easier when you leave your shoes by the door.
4| Sanitize your screens
On the low end, people spend a few hours staring at screens (TV, computers, and phones). On the high end, teens may spend up to 12 hours per day. Now, that half the world is taking classes or meetings on Zoom, the number may be higher. If your hands are dirty or covered in germs, when you touch your screen, you're spreading viruses and bacteria. One top hack for staying bug-free is to sanitize your screens before you use them.
5| Clean and disinfect high-traffic areas
While this one may be a no brainer, finding the time to thoroughly clean when you're working from home and watching kids may seem like a momentous task. One way to help is to create a cleaning schedule and make it a habit to clean regularly.
Don't forget to clean the doorknobs and high traffic areas carefully. Have you ever left a public bathroom after washing your hands, only to touch the doorknob? Sure, most people have washed their hands, but the one who hasn't has left an invisible mark of germs and bacteria. The same thing can happen in your home.
6| Change clothes when you get home
Some viruses can last for a few minutes on clothes and others a few days. You read mixed reports about how long the coronavirus remains on clothes and surfaces. When you leave your home, you risk becoming infected with germs. While in reality, the chance is small, you don't want to risk it when a simple hack is to change your clothes when you get home. Okay, this may increase your laundry load, it also may be that extra safety precaution that prevents you from becoming ill.
7| Wash your sheets and towels weekly
We spend a lot of time resting, with the recommended nightly zzzs for adults in 8-10 hours. If you add lounging in bed to read or check social media, you're in bed half your day. While spending time in 300 thread count sheets may feel germ-free, you never know what's lurking in the cotton.
Experts recommend washing your sheets weekly to get rid of germs. Also, don't forget about your towels. Each time you touch a towel, you leave a little of you behind. While you love yourself and trust that you're contaminant-free, wash your towels regularly to remove germs.
8| Get out of the habit of touching your face
On average, we touch our face 23 times an hour according to a study at the University of South Wales in the U.K. (2) If you don't have good hand hygiene or have touched something infected with a virus, touching your face increases your chances of being infected. You may scratch your nose, wipe your mouth or rub your eyes. It's a hard habit to break (the one you probably didn't even know you had), but if you minimize the number of touches, you'll reduce your exposure.
9| Change your toothbrush regularly
Most people brush their teeth two to three times per day. The toothbrush bristles are the perfect place for germs and bacteria to fester. The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends changing your toothbrush every few months. If your bristles are droopy or discolored, it's time to swap your toothbrush. You may even consider changing your child's toothbrush sooner than you think.
Also, how you store your toothbrush matters too. Try to keep your toothbrush away from the toilet and in a safe and dry place. Fecal matter from the toilet can mist up to coat your bristles with germs and bacteria.
10| Exchange your cleaning sponges
Washing your dishes and cleaning your kitchen with a sponge is common. Yet hidden in the sponge can be germs and bacteria. One hack is to zap the sponge in the microwave (10 seconds) to kill bacteria before use, but changing your sponges regularly cuts down on cross-contamination. If your sponge has germs and you use it to clean your counters, you may be inadvertently spreading bacteria around your kitchen.
Keeping yourself and family safe from germs, viruses, and bacteria is even more critical now than ever. Try these top hacks for staying germ-free. You'll be amazed at how a little hand sanitizer can go a long way.
- https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/show-me-the-science-hand-sanitizer.html
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25637115/
