As a caregiver, you’d want to keep your loved ones as clean as possible, which includes the routine of cleaning hands and face before and after meals, as well as any time in between. There are also the obvious cleaning routines like bathing and toileting too.
However, do you find that despite your best efforts at keeping to this, the loved one in your care still manages to get sick? He or she still manages to get diarrhoea despite your diligent care in meal preparations and sourcing of ingredients. How frustrating is that?
I remember only too well when my children were small and prone to all sorts of maladies from pink eye, rashes and diarrhoea. Sometimes it was because they ate something that was off, but most of the time it was because they ate with dirty hands – not washing hands before eating.
Some children and adults, especially floor dwellers who spend a lot of time on the floor and habitually putting their fingers in their mouth, are the ones most prone to infection. They also do more than that – they lick the floor too!
You might think a child could do with a bit of germs to build his or her resistance. That may be so, but when you have a floor dweller (regardless of age), you’d need to keep your floor scrupulously clean.
There are many other things in your house that can make you sick, for example, mold. They can grow in your bathroom or anywhere in the house that’s damp. Spores from the mold can cause you to have sore throat, cough, stuffy nose and itching. It can trigger allergic reactions that can make you wheeze or worse, a lung infection. So you’d want to check for leaks in your roof and walls due to bad plumbing too.
It has been said that using air conditioners can keep the humidity level low, but make sure your air conditioner is regularly cleaned and serviced because dirty filters can be home to mold and dirt too. One of the home remedies recommended is soap and water, or diluted bleach to kill mold.
In some countries, having a humidifier in the house is recommended to add moisture in the air, especially if you use an electric heater during winter. Just be careful about having too much moisture in the air because that could lead to mold, fungi and bacteria to breed in your house. Having a dehumidifier might be a better idea especially in tropical climates.
EXTRA ALERT
Carpets and curtains are the other culprits that can make you sick if you don’t clean them regularly. They’re the breeding ground for all sorts of things like dust, mold and dust mite that can make you sick, especially if you’re not diligent about vacuuming it or airing it in the sun regularly.
Carpets aren’t always the best things to have when you have floor dwellers. Steam cleaning your carpet and any furniture with fabric is recommended at least once a year. If you have allergy issues, it’s time to reconsider your furniture’s upholstery. Blinds may be a better option than curtains because they’re easier to clean than curtains.
This brings us to the other dilemma – household cleaning products. When cleaning your house, be careful about using cleaning agents made of hazardous chemicals. There are so many to choose from. Beware of what goes into these cleaners. Some of them contain toxic ingredients and fragrances that can just irritate your throat and eyes, causing breathing problems, headaches and allergic reactions.
You’d want to watch out for the amount of bleach, ammonia and aerosols that are in the cleaners. They can be very harmful and can do damage if you don’t handle them properly. Always keep these items out of children’s reach.
Imagine this scenario: You’ve just used cleaning agents that contain high levels of ammonia or bleach. Then you spray the room to make it smell better. The fragrance is made of artificial scents that contain aerosol and other chemicals. The windows are closed and the only air movement you feel comes from the fan. There’s no fresh air coming in and the room is poorly ventilated. It’s easy to get sick in such an environment. The sick will only get sicker.
Poor ventilation and air circulation in the house can make you feel unwell. If you live next to a busy highway, it’s a good idea to install carbon monoxide detectors inside your house, for example, in your kitchen, living room and even bedroom. There are gadgets that double up as smoke detectors too.
Carbon monoxide doesn’t have any smell but it can cause headaches, blurry vision, dizziness, nausea and shortness of breath. Check with your doctor if you’re not sure what’s causing your illness.
Putri Juneita Johari volunteers for the Special Children Society of Ampang. She can be reached at juneitajohari@yahoo.com.