Fighting Back Contagious Illness at Home
Order and Cleanliness to Fight Illness
There is no better remedy to cure me of an illness than cleaning! Although that is not my line of business, I admit I am a self-proclaimed eminence in this field. I don’t always clean joyfully, but I love the feeling when everything is squeaky clean, and shiny! So, I have a few things to say about fighting back contagious illness at home.
I spent the whole day cleaning the other day. It was not an act of inspiration. All of us got sick at the same time. And when illness attacks everyone in my home, nothing gets me in cleaning mode like the desire to fight the virus and bacteria and eliminate the mess our collective condition throws in our lives. When every family member falls ill at once, the environment turns chaotic. Chaos is not conducive to healing.
To heal from any given illness, I believe we need to surround ourselves with order and cleanliness. For example, don’t we feel instantly better after a shower when sick?
Feng Shui teaches us that Ch’i, the vital energy, does not thrive in chaos and dirt. Therefore, from an energetic point of view, it makes sense to clean and disinfect and keep the place in order. And also, the less clutter we have, the easier it is to clean.
I genuinely hope flu and COVID do not get any of you this season, but it would be good to keep these things in mind when illness attacks you or your loved ones.
Let’s Decide
Determining a specific day when illness will leave your household helps this process. I recommend this day be after 24 hrs. of following the prescribed treatment, whether it is antibiotics or any remedy you might follow. Usually, it is best to establish this date after any fever is gone. Powerful energy comes from “deciding this illness ends today.” After all, we are energy, and our thoughts determine our reality.
On this particular day, I was determined to put an end to the absurd week we had spent being sick. I kept visualizing the virus and bacteria, desperately trying to jump out the windows. Sounds ridiculous? Try using this image the next time you are going through this process. It works wonders in terms of how you feel. It will give you the energy you need to eliminate the bug making you and your loved ones sick.
Best Practices
Here are some tips to consider when declaring war against illness in the household.
Air Quality
- Open windows, if you can. Invite fresh air into your home. By the way, it is my practice to eliminate the screens from windows. Windows look cleaner, more light comes into your home, and if you decide to open the windows, you won’t get the dust and dead bugs accumulated on those screens in the house. I prefer a few insects flying into my home than all those dead ones mixed with crusty dust.
- Diffuse a mixture of essential oils that can purify your environment and help you heal. I never thought essential oils were beneficial and effective until I learned about Young Living Essential Oils. You might want to check that.
Kitchen Wise
- It’s an excellent time to clean out your refrigerator and freezer. Toss anything expired, growing mold, anything you don’t recognize, or you don’t know when or how it got there. Pay special attention to decaying produce. Sorry, it does not matter if you bought it.
- All those medicine cups, what do you do with them? So many people keep those little cups in their cupboards, sticky with cough syrup from the last person who used them! Aside from the tacky factor, doesn’t it make sense to wash them with soap and water every time you use them? I mean, we use them because we are sick, after all. So, prepare a bowl with soapy water and disinfectant agent if the whole family is using medicine cups “like there’s no tomorrow” (as my husband says! LOL). Then have everyone place their cup there, after each use. Then, rinse and dry the cups once a day and change the water in the bowl to repeat the process.
- Throw out the used kitchen sponge. Get a new one. Alternatively, place the sponge in the microwave for 2 minutes. That works!
Pet Care
- If you have dogs or cats, thoroughly clean/wash their bedding, particular spaces, and dishes. Make sure they are not sick. Our furry loved ones can often get the same bacteria or viruses we get.
Washing
Make your washing queue with all things you can wash. Separate by whites and colors and by type of items: towels, sheets, bedding, and clothes. My advice is to treat the home as a flea or lice infestation. Wash everything! Wash in the hottest water available and include natural disinfectants like Thieves Essential Oil Blend or Thieves Household Cleaner. Include in your washing queue:
- Mattress covers and pillow covers (and if you do not use these, you better get some!)
- Blankets that you keep in the family room for when you are all cozy watching movies
- Furniture covers, if you use them to protect your couch from dogs or cats
- Towels, including washcloths and kitchen towels
- Sheets (all used)
- Stuffed animals kids sleep with
- Decorative pillows from beds and couches
- Clothes in hampers
General Cleaning
- Dust and wipe all surfaces with some disinfectant of your choice. Pay special attention to door handles (especially the pantry door) and the fridge. Don’t forget toilet handles and all water faucets. Lysol and bleach can do the job, but go the natural way with essential oils if you can. Again, you are trying to purify your habitat, not make it more toxic.
- Do your regular weekly cleaning as usual. Use a disinfecting agent if you don’t usually use one.
Personal Items
- Do not forget to change lip balms and lipsticks, if possible. Wipe or cut off their top portion if you can’t replace them. That might help.
- If using disposable contact lenses, throw out the ones in use and their case. Use a new pair.
- Change all toothbrushes. How many people forget to throw out their toothbrushes after being sick! Toothbrushes are Petri dishes of bacteria. Wash retainers and mouthguards with a solution of hydrogen peroxide and alcohol. Don’t forget to disinfect their cases too! Ah, don’t forget to change the heads of electric toothbrushes.
What Else You’ve Got?
Please don’t take me wrong. I’m not germophobic at all. Heavens knows that my kids have excellent immune systems they have worked hard at building (if you know what I mean).
But I thought I’d instead share with you all some of the things that came to mind while I was busy eradicating viruses and bacteria from my home recently.
I’m sure you can add many more helpful tips to this list, depending on your experience, your family, and the way you live. The more, the merrier!
Nothing puts me in nesting mode like having had a couple of days of family illness. But then, Mama bear comes out and fights back with all she’s got.
What other ways do you use to fight back against family illness? Let’s hear about it!
