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As a pediatric infectious disease specialist, I’ve traveled the world and seen how disease can spread in many ways. In the United States, we are protected from many infectious diseases because we have clean food and clean water. As long as you cook your chicken thoroughly and wash your hands after using the restroom, you’re dealing with a pretty safe environment. However, there is still a risk of exposure to viruses and bacteria–something we’re all aware of in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. And while viruses and bacteria can actually help build our immune systems and keep us healthy in some ways, there are also things we can do to prevent serious illness and stop diseases from spreading.
1. Strive for balance.
When parents ask me how to best clean their homes and keep their kids safe from disease, I give some contradictory answers. I advise them to, of course, keep their homes clean, but to be careful not to overdo it. It’s important that people, especially children, come in contact with viruses and bacteria sometimes. Children’s immune systems need exposure to germs in order to learn how to fight them. And lots of the bacteria around us actually help our bodies function properly. If you take cleanliness too far, you can harm yourself, believe it or not. Currently, there’s a school of thought–known as the hygiene hypothesis–that believes the increase in asthma, food allergies, and environmental allergies we’re witnessing is due to the fact that we don’t get enough infections. Everything is so clean that our bodies aren’t exposed to any viruses or bacteria, and since our immune systems have nothing to do, they basically get bored and start attacking things they shouldn’t, like food, medications, or animals–and that’s possibly why we have allergies to them.
When it comes to cleaning and personal hygiene, it’s all about finding a balance. We’ve got to protect ourselves from the things that could really harm us, while allowing ourselves to be exposed to the little things that aren’t a big problem. For example, it’s very important to wash your hands after you use the restroom. On the flip side, I don’t encourage people to keep their houses spotless. I personally don’t clean my house with chemicals. I use mostly soap and water with a good microfiber cloth. Our homes don’t need to be sterile. We don’t want to kill all the bacteria, because they help protect us in many ways.
2. Choose cleaning products based on your family’s needs.
Regular dish soap mixed with water is usually enough for the average family to keep their home clean. It’s all about the bubbles: as bubbles form and burst, they bust open the cell walls of bacteria and viruses to destroy them. Any germs that remain get stuck to the soap and follow it down the drain when you rinse it off. For most people, there’s really no need for antibacterial soap or alcohol-based cleaners.
Respiratory viruses–those that spread through the air, like the novel coronavirus–are typically very delicate and easy to kill with soap and water. Some gastrointestinal bugs are a bit hardier, so I might use my washing machine’s hot water setting if diarrhea or vomiting is moving through my house or my kids’ daycare. If someone in my family got sick with some very resistant bacteria, and we lived with a medically fragile elderly person, I might think about using stronger sanitary agents, like alcohol wipes or a laundry sanitizer. But for most households, I don’t think those products are necessary.
3. Make safe choices in your everyday life.
Keeping our homes and bodies appropriately clean is an important part of staying healthy, but it’s also necessary to make smart choices in how we interact with others. For one, you don’t have to shake everybody’s hand, especially during cold and flu season. Also, I think the pandemic has really brought home the idea that it’s okay to step back when you’re sick. Before COVID-19, if you had the sniffles, or even the flu, many people might pop a pain reliever, drink some chicken noodle soup, and go to work anyway without thinking about the fact that they were exposing all their coworkers. I’ll admit there have been times when I’ve given my kids a dose of acetaminophen and sent them to daycare with a cold. I think a lot of us have realized now that it’s just not okay to do that for a lot of reasons. Preventing the spread of disease is part of it, but it’s also key to recognize that when we’re sick, we need that time to be at home resting so we can heal.
4. Build a strong immune system.
Keeping ourselves and our kids healthy is often more about our lifestyles than our cleaning routines. The most important thing is to make sure your children are building strong bodies so they can naturally resist any viruses they come across. I encourage my kids to play outdoors. They run around and get dirty and explore, all while building their immune systems. I make sure they get a lot of sleep, too, as sleep is one of the most important things our immune systems need. And, of course, diet matters as well. Our immune systems are dependent on vitamins and minerals for proper functioning. Although giving your kids a daily multivitamin is fine, the best way to get those vitamins and minerals is through the food they eat, like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
Additionally, everyone should get necessary vaccines that protect against harmful diseases. Any child over the age of six months can be vaccinated against influenza. Even if the vaccine doesn’t fully prevent the flu, it can make it much less severe–which can mean the difference between a mild cough and runny nose for a few days versus weeks of illness that can land you in the hospital. And anyone who is eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine should get it as well. Ultimately, we can’t prevent every sniffle, but we can make sure our immune systems are strong enough to keep that sniffle brief and mild.
