Healthy Living

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cleaning and Hygiene at Home

 

 

Children come into closer contact with their environment than do adults. They crawl on the floor, put their fingers in their mouths and touch and taste things without knowing if they are harmful. As parents and caregivers it is our job to make sure our homes are clean, healthy and safe for children to be in. This is why cleaning and sanitizing our homes is so important. It is especially important to keep areas and surfaces clean and sanitized where food is stored, and meals are made and eaten. Keeping your home clean prevents the spread of infectious diseases and bacteria.


Cleaning Tips

  • Put things back in the same place immediately after you use them. This means you don’t have to clean them up later.
  • Get others involved. Make sure everyone in your home helps out with the cleaning. This means making sure your children clean up their own toys after they finish playing with them.
  • Encourage your family members and friends to take their shoes off at the door so they don’t track dirt and germs into your home. Place mats at your doors so your family can wipe off their shoes before they come in the house.
  • Try cleaning in a circle and top to bottom. Start at the door to each room and work your way around the room - cleaning top to bottom as you go. This way there is less chance you will miss something and it’s the most efficient way to clean tables, walls, floors or a room.
  • If you have pets give them a bath at least once per month.
  • Wear rubber or latex gloves to protect your hands. Wash and apply lotion to your hands when you’re done cleaning.

Hand Washing and Hygiene

Hygiene is all about cleanliness that promotes good health and well-being. Getting your family in the habit of washing their hands properly several times a day is one of the best ways to prevent the spread of germs, bacteria and infectious diseases. Washing hands is especially important before making meals and after using the bathroom, handling diapers, handling pets, or sneezing or coughing. Washing hands properly means everyone washes their hands with soap and warm water for at least 15 seconds regularly, or for as long as it takes to sing ‘Happy Birthday’. Click here for more information on the diseases and illnesses that can be prevented by proper hand washing.


Cleaning Items in your Home

To properly clean or disinfect things like dishes and toys, mechanical dishwashers can be used. If you don’t have a dishwasher, use a mixture of water and bleach. Make sure you allow items that have soaked in this mixture to air dry completely before letting children touch or use them.

  • For safe sanitizing at home, mix and use a bleach solution. Put 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of bleach into 4 litres (3.5 quarts) of fresh water. This solution, which disinfects, must be in contact with the items it is meant to clean long enough to kill the germs. The minimum contact time is 2 minutes.

Cleaning Products

Make sure you read the labels on your cleaning products carefully and keep them out of reach of children. If you are worried about using chemical cleaning products in your home, here are some ideas for making natural cleaning products.


Kitchens

  • Use a disinfectant cleaner – like the bleach and water solution described above - in the kitchen, apply and allow to sit 7-10 minutes before cleaning.
  • Countertops: For a "soft scrub," mix together baking soda and liquid soap until you get a consistency you like. The amounts don't have to be perfect. Make only as much as you need, as it dries up quickly.
  • Ovens: To clean extra-greasy ovens, mix together 1 cup baking soda and 1/4 cup of washing soda, then add enough water to make a paste; apply the paste to oven surfaces and let soak overnight. The next morning, lift off soda mixture and grime; rinse surfaces well.
  • Microwave ovens can be cleaned with a paste of 3-4 tablespoons baking soda mixed with water. Scrub with a sponge and rinse.
  • Cutting boards: Disinfect them by spraying with vinegar. Keep the liquids in separate spray bottles and use them one at a time. It doesn't matter which one you use first, but both together are much more effective than either one alone.

Bathrooms

  • Use a disinfectant cleaner – (as described above), in the bathroom and allow to sit 7-10 minutes before cleaning.
  • Tub and tile cleaner: Mix 1 2/3 cup baking soda, 1/2 cup liquid soap and 1/2 cup water. Then, as the last step, add 2 tablespoons vinegar (if you add the vinegar too early it will react with the baking soda). Immediately apply, wipe, and scrub.
  • To make a good all-purpose disinfectant for spraying, add 2 teaspoons borax, 4 tablespoons vinegar and 3 to 4 cups hot water in a spray bottle. For extra cleaning power, add 1/4 teaspoon liquid soap to the mixture.
  • Toilet bowl: Pour 1 cup of borax into the toilet before going to bed. In the morning, scrub and flush. For an extra-strength cleaner, add 1/4 cup vinegar to the borax.
  • Drains: Prevent clogged drains by using hair and food traps. To de-grease sink and tub drains, pour 1/2 cup of baking soda down drain followed by 1 cup vinegar; let bubble for 15 minutes; rinse with hot water. You might have to repeat the whole procedure more than once or leave the baking soda and vinegar to "cook" overnight.

For more information on cleaning and cleaning products visit the following sites:


Health Canada – Information on Cleaning Products
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hl-vs/securit/season-saison/summer-ete/house-maison_e.html

Healthy Child Healthy World – Formerly Children’s Health Environmental Coalition – Information on Homemade Cleaning Products
http://healthychild.org/resources/checklist/clean_with_5_basic_tools/

 

 

Sources: Housekeeping Channel: Tips to Cut Your House Cleaning Time in Half.
http://www.housekeepingchannel.com/a_126-Tips_to_Cut_Your_House_Cleaning_Time_in_Half
Healthy Child Healthy World: Recipes for Safer Cleaners.
http://healthychild.org/resources/article/recipes_for_safer_cleaners/