You know that fear when you feel your throat getting sore or an itching sensation on the roof of your mouth? Or maybe your lips get dry, or your body becomes achy? We all know the symptoms that rear their ugly heads when we start to catch one of the rampant viruses of the season.
As a new mother, I have more to fear than my own body now. We all know that a sick little one is no fun. How about when your whole household gets sick at the same time? I learned firsthand what that was like this past December. We sure ended our 2019 with a bang.
I know that will not be the last time our family gets sick. And I am also well aware every home goes through this challenging cycle. Therefore, I decided to share a few tips and tricks that really helped us get back on our feet. Maybe you do some of these, maybe you don’t and you’ll decide to start.
All I can say is, if anything on this list can help you and yours, I have done my duty.
1. Lysol Is Your Best Friend
While everyone is in the heat of the illness and cleaning the house is not yet an option as you can barely get out of bed – LYSOL. It doesn’t have to be Lysol brand, but get a disinfectant cleaner and spray down pretty much everything. But, especially toys, TV remotes, light switches, doorknobs, faucets, appliance handles, and your couch and pillows.
2. Make Good Use of Your Dishwasher
If you have a dishwasher, put all the dishes in there. Do not reuse or wash by hand at this point. Just let the dishwasher take charge. If you do not have a dishwasher, I recommend a good old-fashioned super hot water bath with adequate soap.
3. Replenish Those Electrolytes
Invest in some coconut water to help build your family’s immune system back up. Gatorade and Pedialyte are also great options. I prefer to use natural products if I can. If you choose to go this route as well, be sure to get coconut water without added sugar.
4. Saltine Crackers Are a Must
Saltines are the oldest trick in the book. When you can’t eat (or don’t feel like eating) but have to take meds, a few of these will help. They are a great way to ease into other foods like…
5. Eat Miso Soup
I really like the Miso soup with ginger broth at Trader Joe’s. The ginger helps with my throat. Miso is loaded with probiotics. So if you are taking an antibiotic, this soup will replenish the healthy bacteria the antibiotic kills. Antibiotics may deplete the good bacteria in your body as they do not differentiate between good and bad. If you cannot find Miso soup, buy some Miso paste and blend it with some water (see my recipe here).
6. Doing Laundry Helps Kill Those Germs
Once you are able to stand and walk for short periods of time, start grabbing all blankets, pillowcases, and any other machine-washable items. Be sure to wash everything in hot water. Every time you have the strength, wash something in that machine. Continue washing the pillowcases and blankets anyone touches while sick until everyone is feeling better.
7. Start Disinfecting as You Heal
Once the sickness is on its way out, it is time to banish the germs from your house forever! Pull out your cleaner of choice, then spray and wipe down all of the things you previously used Lysol on. I also recommend adding kitchen and bathroom countertops to this wipe down as well.
8. A Vacuum and a Mop Go a Long Way in Stopping the Spread of Germs
If you don’t have a steam mop, a standard mopping will do. I really enjoy steam mopping because it uses only water but kills 99.9% of germs with the heat. Really can’t beat that. You’ll also want to vacuum and get rid of all the dust that can work its way into your throat.
9. Be Sure to Let That Virus Run Its Course
Once you hit the point where you start to feel better, all the plans you canceled due to being ill start to sound really nice. However, I really recommend staying home a bit longer until all your symptoms are gone. Even if your current sickness is practically gone, your immune system still needs time to revamp in order to keep you safe from the next illness lying in wait for you.
10. Celebrate Everyone Being Well Again
Once everyone is better, celebrate your health. Throw on some tunes and dance with your family. I mean, you did just kick some butt so why not have a dance party?
This is my tried-and-true system that works for our household when sickness comes calling. So mama, if you are currently going through a sick house, I hear you and feel your pain. Just remember, there is a light is at the end of the tunnel. I promise!
Oh! One final trick…
We all know it can be a hassle trying to keep track of medication dosages. Especially if you’re giving meds to multiple people at once. In order to help keep track of who took their medicine when, use a whiteboard like the one pictured below. Then, mark the board after each dose until it is gone! Don’t have a whiteboard? No problem! Mark on the medicine bottle itself.
