Germs

Q. How do I protect my family from germs?

A good hand washing technique is the first line of defence against the spread of many illnesses. The common cold, predominantly caused by the human rhinoviruses, to more serious illnesses such as meningitis, bronchiolitis, influenza, hepatitis A, and most types of infectious diarrhoea (norovirus).

To help minimise germs passed around your family and reduce the incidence of doctors visits, ensure frequent hand washing rules are in place.

Encourage your child to wash their hands after toileting, before eating/cooking, after touching animals and more frequently if they are unwell (coughing, sneezing, blowing their nose).

Make hand-washing fun! Wash your hands with your child; perhaps make a game of it, or make up a fun song!

“Wash, wash, wash our hands, rinsing off the germs, down they go, down they go, wash away the germs”.

Handwashing 

1. Wash hands in warm water. Ensuring the water isn’t too hot for little hands.

2. Use soap and lather up for around 20 seconds (antibacterial soap isn’t necessary — any soap will do). Make sure your child gets right in between the fingers, under their nails and last but not least, don’t forget the wrists.

3. Rinse and pat dry.

Don’t underestimate the power of hand washing!