There’s football season, hurricane season, and even mosquito season. But nothing holds a candle to flu season, and it’s here folks. Of course, the flu virus shows up around the holidays when we’re busy decorating, cooking, spending time with family, and not on the lookout for the first signs of influenza. Staying healthy is a top priority during the coming months, so here’s our take on why and how to avoid the flu like the plague.
The Flu In Numbers
We can’t see the flu, but we can measure it. Once a virus is on an object, like a steering wheel, a toy, or a phone, it can live there for up to two days. And if you have or are around children, you know that life-span grows even longer with new germs from new places they carry around. Travel and Leisure mentioned us in their article about staying healthy on flights, and they noted that up to 2,200 colony-forming bacteria can cover a single square inch of an airplane tray. That’s a lot of germs living for a long time on things we constantly use.Clean, Clean, Clean
Routine cleaning is the key preventive measure during flu season. Clean your most used belongings, and clean them weekly. Whenever your kids get home from school or have play dates, soak their toys and lunch boxes in hot water and a disinfectant like Lysol. Keep Clorox wipes in your bag so you can clean off parts of your car, but also so you can clean places you go all the time. Shopping carts at the grocery store are one of the worst surfaces to touch — 50% of them were found to be carrying E. coli, which means other viruses like the flu are just as likely to find homes there.
Disinfecting your tech appliances is also a really important habit to pick up. Think about how long we spend holding our phones every day or how many times kids touch their headphones before putting them in their ears. Surfaces like laptop touchpads and gaming controllers are like collection plates for all the germs we gather. Keeping all of our handheld devices germ-free would help dramatically this flu season, and it’s the best way to keep your home free from outside illnesses.
As far as keeping your belongings clean, we think you’ve got it covered, but don’t let this ominous flu season keep you at home all winter. It’s tempting to pass on a night out or to shy away from traveling just because the flu is such a risk, but that’s where we come in for assistance. Along with your handy Germ-X bottle and disinfectant wipes, grab a Seat Sitters Kit before your flight, desk job, or night at the movies, and take your flu-fighting skills to the next level.