Give me all of your house & kid cleaning/ germ killing advic

[NandaB]

So Wesley, my 3 yr old with Down syndrome, was very recently diagnosed with leukemia (ALL). He will hopefully be coming home soon, but is at much higher risk for getting sick/getting an infection AND a "minor" illness could end in him going to the hospital and pausing the cancer treatment.

I would love to hear your advice on what you do to keep your house and kids as germ free as possible. I also have 2 older kids (6 and 4) who both go to school

[lemonberry]

I'm so sorry he's going through this. Keeping him and your family in my thoughts.

It's not quite your situation, but I work in a hospital around superbugs and puddles of blood/etc. So I am paranoid about bringing germs home. I keep caviwipes in my car for really gross days. I take off my shoes in my car and leave them there (I also wipe them before leaving work). When I get in, I toss any extra clothing straight into the washing machine and then shower before I encounter DS. I also keep handsanitizer all around the house.

[k3am]

Ugh.. that sucks. So sorry to hear it. Hopefully, your treatment goes well.

We've done a lot of research trying to keep DD well to avoid having to reschedule surgeries that book out a month or two in advance.

The whole family should be vigilant about washing hands after coughing/sneezing, leaving school, before eating, using the restroom, etc. Be sure to regularly clean items that you touch on a regular basis - especially doorknobs, faucet handles, light switches, tablet/phone screens, remotes, handles for stuff like your dishwasher and car doors. Toothbrushes are particularly gross. I am not a big fan of hand sanitizers in general and prefer a soap and water wash, but keep sanitizers scattered around for times that washing isn't convenient.

Cold/flu germs survive longer on hard surfaces than on porous surfaces, so I'd be more worried about those than clothing.

Basically, just practice good hygiene.

[waverly]

Honestly everything you probably know to do already like Lysol and wash hands a lot. Don't share cups, food.

My sister used to have her kids take showers and change their clothes when they came home from germs places like indoor playgrounds. I don't think that included school though, and I think she has eased up on this. It seems like something like that would be burdensome but maybe worth it for you.

And teach your other kids to be really careful about hygiene.

[freezorburn]

I just remember when my friend got leukemia some years ago, they also limited physical contact with anyone/anyplace he didn't absolutely need to see in person. I was able to talk to him on the phone, and his wife set up a blog so that friends could follow their journey.

Praying that treatment goes well.