This post is part of the YummyMummyClub.ca and freshnails #getfreshnails sponsored program. I received compensation as a thank you for my participation. This post reflects my personal opinion about the information provided by the sponsors.
Wondering how you can avoid getting sick during the dreaded cold and flu season? While the season of sickness is unavoidable, letting those pesky germs turn into something worse is avoidable.
The troubling news is that influenza is on the rise. From 1999 to 2013, incidents of seasonal influenza rose 351%! With alarming new strains, like H1N1, spreading from person-to-person around the world, prevention is your best option for staying healthy.
If your kids are like mine and love to play in dirt, sand or anything else yucky they can get their hands on, you probably have a battle keeping their hands and nails clean. Research shows that keeping hands and fingernails clean is the key to preventing colds and the flu!
That’s the reason I believe our family avoids most of what is currently going around. Both my husband and I rarely get sick and our daughter only picks up some of the germs that are going around, but never for long and it’s never severe. Our secret is following proper hand washing techniques and regular sinus rinsing.
Did you know…?
- It’s estimated that our immune system spends half its time fighting the germs that live under our fingernails…eew!
- There are more bacteria under a fingernail than under a toilet seat…again…eew!
- 80% of germs and bacteria are spread by our hands (which is why you see those hand washing reminders everywhere you go).
- Children, especially those under the age of 3, go back and forth between touching their surroundings and their bodies as many as 30 times a minute!
What You Can Do to Prevent Colds and the Flu
The good news is there are many ways to protect your family from those nasty germs. It isn’t until the germs come in contact with your mucus membranes, such as your eyes, nose or mouth, that they are a threat to your health.
- Wash Your Hands Properly – Follow a proper hand washing technique, remembering to thorough suds up both the front and back of your hands as well as in between your fingers.
- Carry Surface Wipes – Keep anti-bacterial surface wipes tucked in your purse, in the diaper bag or in the car for those occasions when you and your kids will be in contact with potential yucky surfaces.
- Use Hand Sanitizer – Clean your hands with hand sanitizer whenever proper hand washing is not an option. To avoid the drying that comes with repeated use, look for a product that contains aloe and follow up with a moisturizing hand cream afterward.
- Keep Your Nails Groomed – Make trimming and filing a part of your regular grooming routine. This is especially important for children, like mine, who are constantly playing and digging in the dirt.
- Clean Under Your Nails – Use the freshnails™ two-step cleaning system to gently remove all the dirt and grime from under your nails and then to kill the germs and bacteria.
Tired of sick days? This doctor’s guide will help keep your kids germ-free!
Watch this short video to learn the proper way to wash germs and dirt off your hands.
It’s time to get down and dirty against dirt and germs with freshnails, the new and effective way to kill 99% of germs and bacteria from your undernails. freshnails is a simple two-step process that cleans and sanitizes under your nails without the need for water, soap or a sink. That means you can clean your kids’ dirty hands no matter where you are. Think of it as your on-the-go sanity-saving sanitizer.