The only thing worse than the fever, aching, running nose and
cough of cold and flu is
a whole house full of fevers, aches, running noses and
coughs.

While no one has yet found the cure for the common cold,
there are some ways to help
keep it from spreading around your family.

One way to slow the spread of cold, flu or strep throat is to
sanitize your dishes,
said Judy Harrison, a food safety specialist with the University
of Georgia Extension
Service.

"The ideal way to clean dishes is to use a dishwasher,
especially one with a
sanitizing cycle," she said. "During cold and flu
season, sanitizing will give
you and your family added protection."

Make sure the water temperature of your dishwasher is set to
140 degrees. If you don’t
have a dishwasher with a sanitizing cycle, you can still
sanitize your dishes and
utensils.

"Make a sanitizing solution of one tablespoon of
chlorine bleach in one gallon of
warm water. Allow them to sit in the solution for at least one
minute and then
air-dry," Harrison said.

Nonabsorbent toys like hard plastics and rubber also can be
sanitized in the same
solution to keep germs from spreading.

Colds and flu, like almost 50 percent of all infectious
diseases, can be slowed by
proper hand washing. Experts advise using antibacterial soap,
preferably liquid, applied
to wet hands.

Vigorously rub hands, including palms, backs, wrists, between
fingers and under
fingernails, for at least 20 seconds. Friction is the key to
killing germs.

Rinse hands under warm, running water to remove all the soap.
Leave water running. Then
dry hands with a disposable towel, turn off the water with a
disposable towel and throw
the towels in a child-proof trash can.

Remember to wash children’s hands after they sneeze, cough or
blow their nose.

"A lot of people mistakenly assume you catch colds from
being out in the
cold," said Don Bower, an Extension parenting specialist.
"Dress youngsters so
they’re comfortably warm, but pay more attention to touching
germ-laden surfaces such as
doorknobs."

When the heat comes on and the air dries out, homes become
prime grounds for spreading
germs.

"When the humidity in the home is below 25 percent, the
mucous membranes,
especially the sinuses, dry out and become more susceptible to
entering germs," said
Dale Dorman, an Extension housing specialist.

"On the other hand," she said, "home humidity
of more than 50 percent
creates the perfect environment for mold and mildew to
form."

Dorman recommends keeping the humidity at about 40
percent.

If keeping the humidity up in your home requires using a
humidifier, keep in mind:
they, too, can spread cold and flu germs.

"Humidifiers should be changed and properly cleaned,
using chlorine bleach,"
Dorman said. "Follow the manufacturer’s instructions and
disinfect each time you put
fresh water in it."

The simplest and most effective way to protect your family
from flu is annual flu
shots, the experts say.

But if the bug is in your home, don’t let it spread. Sanitize
all surfaces that
infected family members contact, using chlorine bleach and warm
water.