Are our TOO CLEAN n
I don’t own a dishcloth. They are absolutely full of germs, so why on earth would I spread one around my house? I spray my surfaces with Zoflora antibacterial spray which kills 99.9% of bacteria and viruses, then wipe them with kitchen paper, which is then binned.
All my dishes and pots and pans are put in the dishwasher at a cycle which washes them at a
90 degree temperature to really blitz any dirt.
We all wash our hands with Carex antibacterial soap before we eat anything, even a little snack. And Sarah is very strict with hygiene, and makes
sure Holly and Ellie are clean at all times. With Dale above I put little bottles of hand sanitiser in my girls’ pockets so they’re always clean. rarely empty because even if clothes have been worn
At meal times, like all young kids, my girls drop bits for an hour and get dirty, they’re bunged in the wash. of food – once it’s hit the floor, it’s whisked straight And since Ellie and Holly are always playing outside, into the bin. Sometimes that causes a tantrum, but I’d that means doing three or four loads a day. But at rather deal with that than illness. My laundry basket’s least I know they’re as clean as can be. I’d never dream of hanging anything up in the wardrobe that wasn’t freshly laundered. Even my girls’ pyjamas are washed every morning because I like to know they have a clean pair each night, although I remember having fresh nightwear only every three or four nights as a child.
All our bedding is washed every Friday and our towels every second day. It isn’t enough just to have washing detergent and softener in the machine, so I also add a laundry cleaner to kill any bacteria.
Once a month I use a washing machine cleaner on a high temperature to keep my machine germ-free.
And although I know I wasn’t showered every night as a child, Ellie and Holly have a shower and hair wash every evening. The bathrooms are scrubbed every night.
Our labrador Roxy also creates a lot more housework as I vacuum and wash the dog’s blankets every day. I did a lot of research before we adopted Roxy, and found that having a dog in the home is good for strengthening children’s immune systems.
So do I think our kids are too clean? There seem to be more sickness bugs than I ever remember as a child, but Ellie and
Holly are rarely sick – so I must be doing something right. Immunologist
Dr S Immunology
Service Sarah’s mum.
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