Parents, are your kids ready to go back to school? In addition to getting new school clothes and restocking backpacks with supplies, keep illness at bay during this coming cold and flu season by brushing up on cleaning best practices in your home. Small habits can help keep the whole family healthy:

• Create a storage space near the door for backpacks, shoes, and equipment from after-school activities to reduce tracking germs through the home.
• Get in the practice of washing hands at key times, like getting home from school, before eating, and after using the bathroom.
• Have a routine for getting home from school that includes emptying lunch boxes or bags so containers can be washed and leftover food removed.
• Deal with any stains gotten at school promptly to help school clothes looking their best for longer.

Looking for more ideas? Check out some of our other blog posts with back-to-school information and resources:

Preventing Sick Days

Backpack and Lunchbox Cleaning

Back-to-School Reset

3 Items No Backpack Should Be Without

Getting Into a Back-to-School Cleaning Routine

School Lunch Stain Guide

Healthy School, Healthy People Resources