Cold and flu season is here. If you have kids, you know how easily germs can be spread from family member to family member. Now is a great time to think about cleaning and disinfecting your house to minimize the risk of getting sick this winter. By doing so, you'll decrease the disease-causing germs on surfaces in your home.

In a recent study, researches carefully analyzed surfaces in typical homes to find out where most of the disease-causing germs live. The worst offender? Not the bathroom, but the kitchen. That's right, the kitchen contained more germs than any other room in the home. The greatest concentration of germs in the kitchen were found in moist kitchen sponges and dish cloths. Next highest on the list were sink drains, faucet handles, and bathroom doorknobs.

Most people worry the most about keeping the toilets and toilet seat clean. Amazingly, toilet seats in this study had fewer germs than any other surface tested (Journal of Applied Microbiology, 1998).

Where are these germs truly a problem? Where does this really make a difference? In a number of different fascinating studies, researchers have carefully cultured every imaginable surface of typical homes to find where the disease-causing germs live. It turns out that the kitchen harbors more germs than any other room in the home -- yes, more than the bathroom. The greatest concentration is found in the moist germ havens we call kitchen sponges and dishcloths. These are the very same germs with which people in that household get sick. Sink drains, faucet handles, and doorknobs -- either in the kitchen or bathroom -- are the next highest on the list. Toilet seats had fewer germs than any other surface tested! (Journal of Applied Microbiology, 1998;85(5):19--28) If we can keep sponges, dish cloths, sink drains, faucet handles, and doorknobs clean, we can substantially cut the spread of infection and sickness.

But how should you properly clean a sponge or washcloth? Putting it in a washing machine, even with powerful detergent, doesn't really kill the germs. The crevices in a sponge trap germs and make it very difficult to disinfect. Putting a sponge in a dishwasher also will not kill the germs. Here's the solution: Wet your sponge and dishcloth, and microwave it for 2 minutes. Simple as that. And for items like doorknobs and faucets, try OxiClean® Bathroom Cleaner and Disinfectant.

Another tip is to decrease the germs in the air we breathe. This can be accomplished by purchasing a HEPA air filter (normally available for $40 - $100). These filters can remove 99.97% of pollen, dust, animal dander, and bacteria from the air. They help prevent infections. You might also purchase some house plants - they're a natural air purifier.

Finally, remind everyone in your family to wash their hands several times a day. Most illnesses are caught when germs get on our hands, and then we touch our eyes, nose, or mouth. Be sure to always wash your hands after sneezing or coughing, after using the restroom, and after leaving public places (doctors offices, supermarkets, daycare centers, restaurants, etc). Hand washing really does reduce the spread of disease -- it has been proven! (Public Health, 1998;113(6):544--551). And if you can't easily access water and soap, try an instant hand sanitizer like Purell.

Stay healthy this holiday season!