As mums, it's not hard to get anxious about the various superbugs and infections we hear about these days.
Children are particularly vulnerable to infections since their immune systems are still developing. Also, germs are getting harder to fight as they evolve and grow resistant to commonly used drugs and antibiotics, threatening the health of the whole family.
Why wait until your child falls ill to look for ways of making him or her better? What's better is to find out how to stop germs from causing illness in the first place, because prevention is definitely better than cure.
Among the many forms of germ-protection out there, there are two simple but often overlooked germ-busting functions that every single mum can easily follow to safeguard her precious family's health: hand and whole-body hygiene.
Hand-washing for germ protection
It is basic, but often overlooked knowledge: proper handwashing is one of the most effective ways of eliminating germs.
Children's hands are often the first point-of-contact for dirt and germs, which can then be transferred to them internally if they touch their mouth, nose or eyes without washing their hands.
Younger children in particular are known to suck on their fingers as well as touch their faces often with their hands, making them even more vulnerable to germ exposure via unwashed hands.
Here are three important hand hygiene tips to teach your little ones:
- Starting from when your kids are very young, teach them how to wash their hands properly (see image above).
- Keep a good antibacterial soap such as Lifebuoy near each sink in your house.
- Teach your child when to wash his hands. This should be before eating; after using the toilet; after coming home from school, preschool or elsewhere; after sneezing or coughing; and after touching or playing with pets and other animals.
Mums, remember to also remind other family members and your domestic helpers to follow basic hand hygiene rules, including taking extra care to wash their hands well before handling babies (especially following a diaper change) and before preparing children's food.
Where else do germs like to hide? On your child's body!
On the next page, read about why whole-body hygiene is so important, and how the trusted household hygiene brand Lifebuoy can ensure your child's hands and body are kept germ-free.
Whole-body hygiene
The human body can provide plenty of places for illness-causing germs and parasites to make their home and multiply. These places include the skin, in and around the openings to the body, and dark, warm crevices and creases.
Many germ-related illnesses in children can be prevented or controlled by engaging in proper personal hygiene, which includes the frequent washing of your little one's body and hair.
Here are some body-hygiene tips to keep in mind and also teach your child:
- Change and wash your child's clothes often, especially underclothes, which can get grubby and sweaty in our hot and humid climate.
- Give your little ones regular baths or showers, paying attention to cleaning areas of his body where the skin naturally creases or folds, such as the neck. Always wash skin under running water.
- Older children and other family members should use a trusted and gentle antibacterial bodywash such as those in the Lifebuoy Clini-Shield 10 range, which are gentle on the skin and tough on infection-causing germs.
- When your child is old enough, show him/ her how to cleanse their own body, including genital areas.
- Discourage the sharing of personal hygiene objects such as wash-cloths and toothbrushes, with others.
Gentle on skin, tough on germs
Lifebuoy understands a mother's need to protect her family from illness, ewhich is why they are a mum-trusted brand when it comes to ensuring personal hygiene and of course, protection from germs.
Now, they offer you even better germ protection with their Clini-Shield 10 range.
Clini-Shield 10 Complete (red) and Clini-Shield 10 Fresh (green) contain Activ Naturol Shield for 10x better germ protection*. They also contain more skin care moisturizers which means your family is ensured of full body protection from germs, and soft, moisturised skin.
*Vs. soaps without actives as per lab test on indicator organism
Mums, give Lifebuoy's Clini-Shield 10 range a try, knowing that by doing so you are helping to protect your loved ones from illness. It's as simple as clicking this link to purchase online now.