| There are three types of Moms: (1) those that | | | | shopping for a hand sanitizer, read the ingredients on |
| meticulously clean their homes and anything that | | | | the packaging. The FDA recommends using a gel with |
| touches their children, (2) those that don't think twice | | | | a concentration of 60- to 95-percent ethanol or |
| about retrieving a pacifier off the floor at the | | | | isopropanol. |
| supermarket and handing it back to the baby and (3) | | | | Use wipes. For those fearful of using an alcohol-based |
| those in between. How do we know if we're doing | | | | hand sanitizer, consider toting hand wipes around for |
| enough on the cleaning front? Following are cleaning | | | | use when there is no sink available. At home, use |
| tips to keep germs at bay: | | | | wipes to clean items your children have access to on |
| Wash your hands! Kids are susceptible to germs | | | | a regular basis, such as the counters, high chair, |
| whether they are at preschool, school, or at home. | | | | changing table, etc. Find wipes at the store that fight |
| Their immature immune systems can't fight off the | | | | germs. |
| germs and they often pass on the viral infections to | | | | Bleach it. Since some viruses and bacteria are |
| their families. Regardless of school, you can't keep | | | | transmitted by inanimate objects, such as a high |
| your kids in a bubble. The single most effective way | | | | chair, bleach can be used to fight germs. Dilute the |
| to prevent infection is to have your children wash | | | | solution, rinse the surface afterwards, then store the |
| their hands with soap and warm water. Encourage | | | | bleach behind a locked cabinet. Be wary of |
| them to lather for about 30-seconds, or about as | | | | industrial-use cleaners as these aren't necessary for |
| long as it takes to sing their ABCs. | | | | the house and are dangerous for kids if ingested or if |
| Use hand sanitizers. When there is no sink around, | | | | it gets in their eyes. |
| use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. For those with | | | | To fight germs, head to your pediatrician's office for |
| smaller children, rub the sanitizer on their hands | | | | the flu vaccine, keep up-to-date with vaccinations, |
| yourself until it has been absorbed to ensure they | | | | wash their hands whenever possible, take baths or |
| are not ingesting the alcohol-based substance. When | | | | showers, and keep your fingers crossed. |