Dr. Paul Horowitz shares some secrets about the germiest places in and out of the
home and what you can do to keep you and your family germ free.
Dr. Paul Horowitz, MD, FAAP, is a well-known pediatrician and founder of Discovery
Pediatrics www.DiscoveryPeds.com
in Valencia, CA. Discovery Pediatrics was started to provide top-notch care in a
practice that is focused on the quality of care and not quantity according to Dr.
Horowitz. His patients would not have it any other way and the practice was engineered
to make sure doctors always have time to address parent questions and concerns and
to assure parents their children will be seen on the day of the concern or his or
her schedule permits. Today, germs are everywhere and Dr. Horowitz shares some secrets
about the germiest places in and out of the home.
What You Can Do To Keep Your Family Germ-Free
If you have ever used an elevator, ATM machine or remote control in a hotel room,
more than likely you have come into contact with illness-causing germs. There are
ways to protect yourself and your family from the germiest places in your life.
Top Germiest Places
- Kitchen sink and sponge
- Wet laundry
- Your toothbrush
- Your cell phone
- The bathroom floor
- Your handbag
- ATM machine
- Remote Control in a Hotel Room
Know the 80/20 Rule
Only 20% of germs are contracted via airborne germ particles, and 80% are contracted
via direct or indirect human contact, such as touching a grocery cart, ATM machine
or doorknob, which makes keeping your hands clean a vital step in staying germ free
and fighting the flu.
A New Way To Wash Your Hands
I advise my patients to frequently wash their hands with soap and water to protect
from the spread of germs. Also, many people don’t know about the new types of non-alcohol
based hand sanitizers. Use a long-lasting non-alcohol based hand sanitizer like
SkinWear. It kills germs when applied, but continues to kill germs for up to eight
hours. Since alcohol-based hand sanitizers protect you from germs for only up to
15 seconds and will dry out your hands in the process, applying a product like SkinWear
is like applying an eight-hour germ barrier on your hands.
Keep Hands Clean All Day
When you are out of the house, keep a non-alcohol based sanitizer in your diaper
bag, handbag or car to keep your hands protected – make sure you use an eight-hour
hand sanitizer so that you and your family are protected all day.