FLU SEASON! Tips from your medical waste disposal expert.
Some chiropractors look at people and “see” invisible lines going through their spines. Speech therapists hear little divergences in people’s accents. Barbers notice hairstyles. Teachers notice things that need fixing. I notice places with contamination potential.
Medical waste disposal is all about identifying which medical items can potentially spread pathogens, containing them, and destroying them. I’ve started, however, to notice contamination potential in everyday items as well. Doorknobs, for example. Computer keyboards. Cars with the windows shut and a passenger who’s a carrier…. Don’t ask.
So, here are some tips about handwashing, which has been proven effective at minimizing your potential of getting or giving out germs.
1. Wash your Hands.
I know you’ve heard this before. Keep in mind that if you are just not going to get into the habit of washing your hands regularly, it’s important to wash your hands after using the bathroom, after coughing or sneezing, before and after handling food, after coming into contact with an animal, and probably after coming into contact with something that a LOT of other people come into contact with on a regular basis… like doorknobs.
2. Wash your Hands with Soap.
You need a minimum of 15 to 30 seconds scrubbing time with antibacterial soap to really remove bacteria from your hands. Don’t forget to scrub between your fingers and the area at the base of your palms. Bacteria gets there, too.
3. Dry your Hands.
Once the soap loosened all the bacteria, you need to make sure none of it sticks right back to your skin. The easiest way to transfer bacteria is with wet hands. So dry your hands.
4. Dry your Hands on a Paper Towel.
Air-drying devices can actually increase bacteria count, and also blow germs around in a three to six feet perimeter from the device. Paper towels remove the germs and then they get thrown out into the garbage can. This gives them less potential to infect somebody else with the germs on them.
5. Consider cleaning surfaces
Use products with anti-microbial and disinfectant properties to maximize cleanliness. The easy way to sterilize home surfaces is with wipes. Also, when you clean the floors, clean each area separately, using another microfiber cloth, to avoid cross-contamination. (Meaning, don’t wash the floor in your child’s bedroom, where he’s been hanging out with a bad cold, and then use the same mop on the dining room floor. You’ll be spreading the bedroom germs all over the dining room.)’
Also, you might consider carrying wipes around with you and using them on doorknobs and shopping cart handles, and the like…. places that many people have put their germs on.
6. If you or anyone in your household is ill, use a crude medical waste disposal bio-hazardous waste precaution and double-bag tissues in a separate garbage can. YOu can get a small container and keep it in the bedroom. In my experience, when someone has a bad cold or flu, the tissues tend to really accumulate.
This is your medical waste disposal expert, wishing you good health and happiness, much joy,success, peace and the absence of any sort of flu neurosis this season.