I don’t know what is worse – having a sick family member or being sick yourself. As a mom it’s my duty to care for my children and husband when they are sick. Sadly when mom (me) is sick there is no one available to take care of her – although my husband does offer to take a vacation day from work to stay home and care for me.
Thankfully no one has really been sick this season. My son has a seasonal allergy (cough) that he needs to take allergy medication for, but he’s not sick with a cold. My husband and I get stuffy from time to time, but it’s seasonal stuff too (the dry air reaps havoc on our sinuses and skin).
Seasonal sickness does catch up to everyone at some point, but there are some people who some how manage to go season after season and barely get sick. How do they do that? Are they some how impenetrable from germs and viruses? Do they have some kind of a secret power? I doubt it. I think they just take care of themselves and their families both on a physical level and around the home.
Here are a few tips to help you become a member of the “No Flu Club”.
Wash your hands!
I am huge proponent of washing your hands. I wash my hands several times a day, as does the rest of my family. They know to wash their hands before they eat as well as other times during the day when they have been touching things like door knobs and railings.
We live in a condo and have stairs we have to go up and down every day. I try not to touch the railings but if I need to I make sure to wash my hands as soon as I can. If that is not possible I keep hand sanitizer on hand just in case.
I try not to touch door knobs when I am out and about. During the winter months I’ll use the sleeve on my coat to open a door rather than my bare hands.
Lately we’ve been using the new Lysol® Touch of Foam foaming hand soap. The hand soap kills 99.9% of germs. Unlike other germ killing soaps, the new Lysol® Touch of Foam hand soap has moisturizer enriched micro-bubbles that leave your skin feeling soft. It doesn’t try out your skin like other germ-fighting soaps. My hands are normally dry during the winter months. The last thing I want is for them to get even more dried out using hand soap that is harsh on my skin. The Lysol® Touch of Foam didn’t try out my skin at all. It washed well and rinsed off completely and didn’t leave any residue behind that could aggravate or dry out my skin. It even comes in nice scents. So far we’ve tried Wild Cherry Bliss. It’s also available in Creamy Vanilla Orchid and Rose & Cherry Bloom.
Get a Flu shot
I know that many people are against getting the flu vaccination. If it’s because you don’t like getting needles its important to know that it only pinches for a brief moment and then the pain is gone. Your arm might be a little stiff for a day or two, or you might have a touch of soreness in the injection site, but it’s nothing that you can’t live with. The benefits certainly outweigh a smidgen of discomfort for a day or two.
My entire family had the flu when my son was only 3 months old (he was a preemie too). My mother in law had to come and take care of us and take care of our infant son because we couldn’t even move.
Another time only I got the flu for some reason. My husband had to go out during a snow storm to a 24 hour pharmacy to get me medication. That was no fun!
The last time I had the flu was about 5 or 6 years ago. Only my husband and I got sick. Our daughter felt fine but her teacher thought she looked a little flush and sent her to the nurse. The nurse said she had a temperature and wanted us to come and get her. My husband and I both had the flu and we had no one who could have picked up our daughter. In our schools you MUST present ID and sign our a child officially. She couldn’t meet us outside. So I had to make my way into the school – with the flu – to sign out my daughter. Ugh!
From that point on we have made sure to get a flu shot each year. Having the flu is the WORSE! I never want to experience that again.
Clean & Disinfect Around Your Home
When it comes to cleaning around my home I make sure that all surfaces are thoroughly cleaned and sanitized for our protection. My husband always jokes about how it would take him two hours to clean our entire condo from top to bottom, but it takes me 6+ hours to clean it. That is because I make sure to wash, clean and sanitize all surfaces as well as dust every nook and cranny.
One cleaning tool I am never without is a can of Lysol® Disinfectant Spray. We stock up on them whenever they are on sale. I use the spray on everything from door knobs to counter tops and beyond. I make sure to spray keyboards, furniture and remote controls too. Any surface that is frequently touched by my family or our pets I make sure to spray Lysol® on.
I like that Lysol® comes in different scents. The spray also kills 99.99% of germs on contact.
Lysol® Disinfecting Wipes are another product I keep in my cleaning arsenal. I use the a lot on countertops especially in the kitchen and bathroom.
I try and take all precautions when working with raw meat. Just to be on the safe side I always wipe down the counter top with a Lysol® Disinfecting Wipes after I am done just to make sure I didn’t miss anything.
I also use them when I clean off the dining room table after we eat dinner and our placemats. They are great for cleaning off the door handles on the fridge too.
Opening up a window and letting in some fresh air helps too.
Stay Physically Healthy
It’s hard to fight off illnesses when you are not physically health. You need to make sure your body and your immune system are in tip top shape at all time. You need to make sure to get plenty of rest, drink enough water and boost your immune system with healthy fruits and vegetables. You should consult with your doctor to see if you should be taking any supplements.
When you sleep your body heals it’s self. Getting 7-9 hours of sleep each night helps to increase your white blood cell count which is necessary for protecting your immune system.
Did you know that exercise can help you stay healthy? When you exercise and built up a sweat it helps to circulate your blood and pump germ fighting cells throughout your body. Sweat also washes away toxins.
Being under a lot of stress can compromise you immune system too. Lean to deal with stress in an effective way.
Make sure to eat healthy too. Skip fatty, greasy junk foods and opt for vitamin rich fruits and veggies instead. Chicken soup is always a good stand by too.
Stay Away from Sick People
This is a “no brainer” – when someone is sick make sure to stay away from them if possible. I know you can’t always do that, especially if you go to work or school and you are confined in an area where germs are rampant.
When you have no choice but to be around someone who is sick make sure you wash your hands if you are in contact with anything they touched, open a window if possible to get some fresh air in and take some immune boosting products like orange juice or Vitamin C and Zinc.
If you see someone coughing and sneezing walking in your direction try to distance yourself as much as possible. And if you can avoid being in such a situation the better.
These tips, along with some great products from Lysol® such as the disinfectant spray, wipes and foaming and wash, can help you and your family become a part of the “No Flu Club”.
For more information about these and other Lysol® products visit www.Lysol.com.
Lysol® would like to give a lucky reader their own “No Flu Club” prize package which includes the new Lysol® Touch of Foam hand wash, Lysol® Disinfectant Spray and Lysol® Disinfecting Wipes. Thanks Lysol®.
This giveaway is open to continental US residents only and will end on February 23, 2014 at 11:59 PM (EST). The winner will be chosen at random using a random number generator from all eligible entries. The winner will be notified via e-mail and will have three days to reply or a new winner will be chosen in their place.
To enter please comment on this post with a tip on how you keep healthy during cold and flu season?
For extra entries you can use the Rafflecopter widget (below) but you must complete the initial entry requirement or the additional entries won’t qualify (I do check). Extra entries are optional.
Kimberly
*I received free product samples in order to do this review. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own and not influenced in any way.
stephanie says
We keep healthy by washing hands very frequently.
Kelly Brown says
Always wash your hands after you blow your nose and go to potty!
latanya says
we wash our hands with soap and water
Jennifer says
We use foaming hand soap, which seems to make everyone more willing to wash their hands more often since the foam is kind of fun. I also try to regularly clean door knobs and other places where viruses can easily spread.
Julie Cutshaw says
we spray the bottoms of our shoes with Lysol, wash our hands alot & use hand sanitizer alot 🙂
Gayle J says
Besides washing hands frequently, I use Lysol on all door knobs
Christina says
We try to make sure we get enough sleep, drink plenty of water & eat healthy, wash hands.
BettyI' says
Eat healthy, wash those hands and do not go into crowded situations if you aren;t feeling well. Since too many do send their kids to school sick and do things like shopping and movies while sick … limit how much you expose yourself to crowds. There will be plenty of time for movies later.
C.j. says
I wash my hands frequently, get plenty of rest and drink plenty of orange juice
Amy Orvin says
We wash are hands often and bundle up when we go outside.
april yedinak says
We keep healthy with handwashing, wiping down high traffic surfaces with lysol wipes, and by reminding the kids to sneeze or cough into their elbow, not their hand.
april yedinak says
follow on bloglovin
Ellie W says
We all get flu shots and practice frequent hand washing.
Amanda S. says
We wash our hands!
Jennifer Rote says
I carry hand sanitizer to use when I’ll be touching doors, carts. etc.
D Schmidt says
We wash our hands frequently, wipe down carts when shopping and take multivitamins.
Kristie says
I make sure to get vitamin C and wash my hands regularly.
Jennifer T. says
I’m a big advocate of handwashing, too! I try to remember to wipe down doorknobs and phones frequently as well. Getting adequate rest and nutrition is a good idea too.
jtmagmom73(at)gmail(dot)com
Jennifer T. says
I follow on bloglovin’ under magmom73.
jtmagmom73(at)gmail(dot)com
Virginia Rowell says
We take lots of vitamin C, take hand sanitzer everywhere we go and try not to touch money!
Allison Downes says
I drink a lot of water, and wash my hands a lot.
Thanks for the nice giveaway!
Vicki Wurgler says
flu shots, sleep and wash your hands
Dixie Neitzel says
Lots of vitamins and wash your hands all the time!!
Jake B says
We use hand sanitizer for sure 🙂
Brutus Duffy says
I know I probably look funky, but if I have to go to a hospital or urgent care place I have a nask I put on just in case.
kelly willis says
lots of lysol,vitamin c, hand santizer
Ann B. says
I insist on constant hand washing, and if we enter the stores, we wipe down the cart when we come in, and wipe our hands on the way out with the disinfecting wipes by the front door.
Kimberly Schotz says
We try to keep healthy by washing our hands, a lot.
Trisha Burgess says
Wash your hands as often as possible!! And carry sanitizer for the times you can’t!
Jackie says
We try to stay healthy by washing our hands a lot.
THanks!
Wanda McHenry says
We stay healthy by staying away from sick people, frequent hand washing, disinfecting the shopping cart when shopping, eating right, plenty of rest and flu shots.
Debbie Welchert says
We wash our hands a lot more and use hand sanitizer.
DorothyTeel says
Try to stay healthy by taking my vitamins and drinking a lot of fluids and trying to avoid those who Iknow are sick.
Cori Westphal says
I ramp up my family’s vitamin C intake so we can fight off the colds naturally!
coriwestphal at msn dot com
Cynthia R says
I stay healthy by getting my flu shot and eating plenty of fruits and vegetables.
Debra Hall says
spray the door knobs and phones
Debra Hall says
i follow on bloglovin
Jessamine D. says
We eat lots of oranges and wash hands often. 🙂
Katherine says
Wash my hands alot and keep cleaning my house so germs don’t stay around!
Kelly Brown says
I try to keep my hands washed and use Lysol wipes on everything to keep germs out!
Kelly Brown says
I follow you on Bloglovin.
Dawn Monroe says
One cleaning tip I do is spray Lysol on my door knobs. Lots of germs hide there.
Amanda Hoffman says
use hand sanitizer if i know someone is sick and eat as healthy as possible
Cheryl Free says
We wash our hands regularly and throughly, try to eat right and exercise, stay hydrated, dress warm, and avoid germs.
Amy H says
I stay healthy during flu season by staying well-rested and using hand sanitizer to keep my hands clean. I am a teacher, therefore, I need to keep the hand sanitizer and wipes close by.
carrie singleton says
Drinking plenty of water helps as well.
Gloria says
Teach the kids to sneeze into their sleeves. It really does work.
Susan Christy says
I am a maniacal hand washer, get a flu shot, drink lots of water, and eat foods packed with vitamins.