The top ranked germiest place in schools? The water fountain. On average 2.7 MILLION aerobic bacteria are waiting for your child to take a cool sip of water. In this two part series, we plan to give you the run down on germs and ways to bolster up in protection and against spreading them further.
Returning to school is exciting for kids, but often times, offers even more excitement for parents. Not as exciting is the daily exposure to germ infested areas in school. Top germ habitats?
· Restroom doors
· Cafeteria trays/plates, etc
· Faucets
· Desks
· Classroom supplies
· Water fountain (ringing in at number one)
As schools do more to prevent illness and spread of germs, there are several measures parents can take and habits to encourage your kids in practicing to reduce the spread of germs.
· Frequent hand washing
· Practice keeping their hands to themselves
· Hanging their backpack instead placing it on the floor in the bathroom
· Avoid touching their mouth and face
· Using their own crayons and supplies if possible
· As a parent, asking teacher if there is a classroom hand-washing policy or other methods to decrease the spread the germs such as the use of an air filter
Healthy habits, as well as using disinfectant products, will help to reduce the spread of germs. Products that have a registration number assigned by the EPA are identified as a “disinfectant”. When choosing the best products, consider the toxicity of the product (if gotten on skin or ingested), whether its corrosive or an irritant to eyes, nose, etc. Also note that soiled surfaces and objects can block disinfection, so be sure they are clean before they are disinfected.
While there are many factors to consider when cleaning, take your time in selecting appropriate products for your family and various situations. Surely, germs will spread to some degree but reducing the risk of illness and keeping your child healthy is the goal for Your Kids Urgent Care. Should they come down with something, our physicians and staff are ready to help and support their return to good health.
