Cold and flu season is upon us! Of course you do not want your family or yourself to pick up one of these nasty bugs, but sometimes that is easier said than done.  As we all know there is no magic cure for the cold and flu, you usually just have to ride them out. You can however take steps to help prevent the spread of germs around your friends and family. This will help lessen your chances of getting sick.

Try out these tips this cold and flu season to keep yourself and your family in good health!

1.) Wash Your Hands Frequently-

This is the simplest yet one of the most effective forms of prevention you can do. Whenever you blow your nose, sneeze, use the restroom or are in contact with people and animal be sure to wash your hands. To completely get rid of viruses from your skin, you need to scrub hard for 20 seconds or more.  If you are not near a place to wash your hands, an alcohol based hand sanitizer will do in a pinch.

2.) Change Your Homes Filters-

Your homes filters (both water and air) are literally made to collect all the bad impurities from your air and water. But if you do not change these filters regularly they can become so full of contaminants that they can't hold them anymore and are rendered ineffective.  Worse yet they can actually become so full they begin to release all the contaminants they built up back into your air and water only in higher concentrations. This is why it is important to follow the manufacture’s recommendations on when to change these filters.

Air filters should be changed monthly to quarterly depending on how often you run your system.

Water filters are typically recommended to be changed every 6 months.

3.) Antimicrobial Filters-

This tip goes along with the tip above.  If you are really worried about getting sick or have someone in your household that is sick, you may want to invest in some

antimicrobial air filters

. These specialty air filters will sterilize the air that is pulled through it, helping to kill off harmful microbes in your homes air. Thus helping to prevent the sickness from spreading to everyone in a house.

4.) Avoid Large Crowds-

Basic statistics here folks.  The more people around you the more likely someone in that group is sick.  So during the cold and flu season if you can avoid big crowds, do so. This can be easier said than done especially during the holiday season.  So if you can't avoid the crowd just be sure you follow the other tips.

7.) Disinfect Your Homes Hotspots-

Hotspots are parts of your home that everyone touches and uses multiple times a day. Examples would be doorknobs, railings, kitchen counters, fridge and microwave doors, kitchen counters and even your toilet. These items and places see a lot of traffic throughout the day and are more likely to be breeding grounds for bacteria and viruses. Make sure you disinfect these areas thoroughly with a disinfectant spray.  

6.) Clean Your Cleaning Supplies-

This might seem like an oxymoron but if you clean your counters with a dirty rag or vacuum your room with full vacuum, you are just adding to the problem.  Before you start cleaning make sure all of your equipment is clean and ready to go.  Using dirty rags and mops will actually just end up spreading around more germs around your house, and using a full or dirty vacuum will just end up kicking more dust and dirt into your air.

If you follow these tips, it will up your odds of staying healthy and active this cold and flu season.

To learn about our healthy home services and what we can do to help you this season please visit joefilter.com!