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Spring Cleaning Your Way to a Healthier Home

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We haven’t had a LOT of colds around here this winter, but the one we had, all four of us shared. It took its time picking off family member after family member, and took us over a week, each, to recover. It was the gift that kept on giving, and it was a DOOZY! As you read this,  I could name three close friends of mine who are all presently suffering from some form of pretty fierce virus. It’s been an especially tough year, this year, it seems, for colds and flu.

Staged Sneeze Photo of Great Adorableness

One of the things I like about having older kids who have studied biology is that they “get” the whole concept of colds and flu being transmitted through live viruses, that we pick up very often through our hands, which then carry the virus up to our face. With just a bit of ceaseless nagging reminding, they’re willing to wash their hands when they get home from school or church. They do it because intellectually, at least, they get the importance of eliminating those germs and viruses through soap and water. (The CDC says that washing our hands for a full 20 seconds with soap and water is the single most important thing we can do to prevent illness.)

But not all of us have kids that age. We can’t protect our kids from everything, but what can we do in our own homes to help our families avoid catching the bugs that seem to be so prevalent? And as spring weather approaches (spring IS coming, isn’t it???) and our minds begin to turn to spring cleaning, how can we take that energy, and use it in a way to keep our families healthier?

“Healthing??? Momma??? What the heck???”

I recently was made aware of a new initiative that the folks at Lysol are leading, called “Healthing”. Now, normally, I am not a big fan of “verbing a noun”: that misbegotten idea that it’s a grand thing to turn a noun into a verb. When people talk about something “impacting” them, for example, I start reaching to offer them a bottle of laxative, so their situation doesn’t get any worse. But in this instance, I think what Lysol is going for with the concept of “Healthing”,  is that we use the adjective “clean” as a verb, (as in “I cleaned my house”), and so the idea is that WHILE we’re cleaning, we’re  not just de-cluttering, organizing, or picking up, but we’re also actually disinfecting while we clean. So that surfaces where our family’s hands touch aren’t just stain free: they’re actually free of germs as well. Using a disinfecting product, like Lysol Disinfectant Wipes, is a great way to get rid of germs while you clean. And while you’ve got the wipes out, don’t forget to wipe down the items that you and your family frequently touch: the light switches, the door knobs, and the cabinet pulls.

The other aspect of Lysol’s “Healthing” campaign that I really like is that they are reaching out to EDUCATE the general public. They will be connecting with 65,000 schools to promote healthy habits and good hygiene. What a blessing that will be to so many homes, indirectly. If little Johnny next door doesn’t catch a cold and bring it to school, the whole class might be spared from catching that same cold. The healthful ripple effect could potentially go on and on.  They are also reaching out with educational programs to moms of newborns, and through educational programs at select locations of the YMCA.  At each participating YMCA location, Lysol will provide participants with hands-on (disinfected hands-on, no doubt!) training about the products and the steps required to implement more healthful cleaning habits in the home, while making the idea fun and approachable for kids. Lysol will also be providing disinfecting products to those local YMCAs, and will even be donating a one-year membership to a deserving family.

For more information about Lysol’s “Healthing”initiative, you can visit their website. Here’s a link to their Facebook page, and finally, a link to their Guidebook on “What Is Healthing?”

Just to keep things transparent, here’s why I wrote this post:

I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for LYSOL®. I received a promotional item to thank me for participating.

Here’s to a happy, healthy spring! 
Have you got any plans for spring cleaning?