5 Easy Ways to Help Prevent Colds

This feature on Spring colds and easy ways to help prevent colds is written by Rural Mom on behalf of Geometry Global. All opinions are entirely my own. This shop has been compensated by Acorn Influence, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone.

Glimmers of Spring greet us when we step outside – the air is warming, the first blooms and buds are appearing on the landscape.  Don’t you just love this time of renewal and the promise of sunny days to come?

Spring is not all sunshine and roses, though.  Along with the ushering in of the change of season, we often find ourselves welcoming unwelcome sneezing, coughing and cold germs.  It’s this time of year that I really need to buckle up my mom tool belt of tricks to help combat this cold season.

Over the years, I’ve learned some easy ways to help prevent colds and the spread of colds in our home.  I hope that sharing these tips helps your home to be prepared, too!

Wash, wash, wash your hands!

One sure-fire way to help stop the spread of germs is to wash your hands regularly.  Ideally, you’ll want to wash your hands twenty-seconds or more each time.  If you find that your hands get a little dry from frequent washing, use a moisturizing soap and keep a bottle of lotion near the sink.

Encourage use of Kleenex

Has your child ever wiped their runny nose on their shirt sleeve?  You are not alone! After raising three children, I’ve learned that the key to getting them to use a Kleenex is to a) regularly, gently encourage good hygiene habits and 2) keep Kleenex ready available.  I keep boxes in nearly every room of our home, in our car and I make sure my kids have a stash readily available to them in their backpacks, too.

We’ve just discovered the new Anti-Viral Kleenex that helps stop the spread of cold & flu viruses in the tissue.  During cold and flu season, every little extra bit of help is welcomed!   The active ingredients in the middle layer of Kleenex Anti-Viral disrupt the viruses’ protective coating and kill 99.9% of cold and flu viruses* in the tissue within 15 minutes.  As many of those Kleenex wind up in pockets of the bottom of a backpack, that extra germ-fighting power is a great asset.

Disclaimer: *In the tissue in 15 minutes. Virucidal against: Rhinoviruses Type 1A and 2 (Rhinoviruses are the leading cause of the common cold); Influenza A and Influenza B (causes of the flu); Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV – the leading cause of lower respiratory infection in children).

You can find Anti-Viral Kleenex at Walmart in an handy 4-Pack to help keep your home covered during Spring cold season and beyond.  As a rural gal, we rely on Walmart for all our home staple items and for the best low prices around, so I’m glad to find them there!

Sneeze into a Tissue

As important as it is to encourage my children to wipe or blow their noses into Anti-Viral Kleenex, I encourage them to sneeze and/or cough into a Kleenex, too.  Both of these reflex actions can really spread germs a long way.  Holding a Kleenex up to your mouth and/or nose can make a huge difference in curbing cold germs.  Another reason to keep plenty of boxes of Kleenex within easy reach around your home.

Disinfect shared surfaces

Wipe down and disinfect commonly shared areas like bathrooms and kitchens regularly to help avoid the spread of germs.  This is especially important if someone in your home currently has a cold.  If you have multiple bathrooms, you may want to designate one for the person who has the cold to use and have other family members use another to limit exposure to germs.

It’s also a great time to serve your loved one who is sick their meals in bed or on a comfortable chair.  This will help them to continue resting and limit the spread of germs throughout the house.

Even if no one is currently sick, it pays to disinfect your home regularly to help keep germs at bay.  Also sanitize your cell phones and other electronics like keyboards regular, too.  They are germ magnets!

Stay active, sleep well!

Practicing good sleep habits, eating a balanced diet and getting regular exercise are all ways to keep your immune system strong to help you battle cold germs.  As a mom, I know how difficult it is to get in a full night’s sleep, but I also know what a world of positive difference it makes for my overall health and well-being when I do.

Make sleep a priority.  Make healthy eating a priority.  Make regular exercise a habit in your life.   Sometimes I’m really great at all three, sometimes one more than another, but in truth, we all need to make ourselves and our health a priority always.  It’s the number one thing you can do to help prevent colds.

What other easy ways to help prevent colds do you find useful? If you have tips and tricks to share, we’d love to hear them!