As children laugh and play in the sunny spring, many are
sneezing and wiping their
runny noses or eyes.
Springtime pollen can cause allergy problems for everyone.
Youngsters, however, may
be less careful when and how they take care of their problems,
especially while they
play. And when children play together or share toys, they can
easily pass germs along
to their friends.
“Cleaning and disinfecting is important in keeping the spread of
disease and germs to a
minimum,” said Mary Anne Pace-Nichols. “To stop the spread of
germs, clean and
disinfect contaminated objects immediately.”
Hand-washing is an important part in stopping the spread of
germs, too.
Recent studies show washing hands at least five times a day can
greatly reduce the
spread of germs at home and in child-care settings.
“It’s recommended,” Pace-Nichols said, “that people wash their
hands thoroughly,
including between the fingers, the backs of their hands and the
palms for at least two
minutes with a disinfecting or antibacterial soap.”
Many children can wash their hands by themselves with only a
little help from adults.
Provide a sturdy stool so children can reach the sink and faucet
easily. Set the water
heater no higher than 110 degrees so it won’t burn tender
hands.
If children have a hard time with a pump soap dispenser, thin
the soap with a little
water to make it easier for them. Have new paper towels
available for quick hand
drying.
Adults may want to supervise children the first few times they
wash by themselves and
check after washing for any visible dirt missed during
cleanup.
Cleaning and disinfecting, Pace-Nichols said, is more than a
quick wipe with a sponge
or tissue.
“Germs thrive in porous, nondisposable wipes like sponges,” she
said. “Use disposable
towels instead.”
One quick, low-cost disinfectant is 10 parts water to one part
chlorine bleach. Parents
and care givers must make fresh disinfecting solution every
day.
If you choose a commercial disinfectant, make sure it’s EPA-
approved, and follow
label directions exactly.
To disinfect surfaces, spray it evenly with the disinfectant.
Then wipe the solution off
with a disposable towel or allow the surface to air-dry. Air-
drying is important, since
most disease germs can’t survive on dry surfaces with good air
movement over them.
Follow these guidelines to keep group areas as germ-free as you
can.
* After every use, clean and disinfect table tops, feeding
chairs, potty equipment, tubs,
showers and diaper-changing areas.
* Every day, clean and disinfect toys for children under three,
as well as hand-washing
sinks, bathrooms, crib rails, floors, water-play tables and crib
linens.
* Once each week, clean and disinfect toys for children over
three, along with low
shelves, crib mattresses, cot and nap mats and dress-up
clothes.
Use soap and warm water to immediately clean or launder any toy
or area on which
you can see food, saliva or human waste. Then disinfect it with
a bleach solution or
commercial disinfectant.
While it may seem hard to keep up with what needs to be cleaned
and disinfected and
how often it needs to be done, it’s easy to make a chart. Keep
it in or near cleaning
tools to stay on track.
If you’re selecting a new child-care center, ask about their
cleaning and disinfecting
policies and routines. Look around carefully when you visit the
center to see how staff
members clean up after children.
Keeping children healthy isn’t easy, but it’s not too hard to
keep germs at bay. Even
with one child, keeping germs away can pay off with a big
smile.
