How to Prevent Back to School Germs with Tips from a Nurse & Mom

Say goodbye to school year YUCKS! Find out How to Prevent Back to School Germs with Tips from a Nurse & Mom. This post is sponsored by Lysol® & Walgreens. All #CleanStart opinions are my own.

How to Prevent Back to School Germs | Tips from a Nurse & Mom

The countdown is definitely on – I have two buzzing little learners ready to begin the school year. With a big 3rd grader and a new Pre-Kindergarter, it’s hard to hold back their excitement. But this mom/pediatric nurse is quietly screaming on the inside – I just want to keep them home in their germ-free bubble.

Back to school? More like back to germs!

The nurse inside of me cringes at the thought of all of the runny noses, coughs and onslaught of stomach bugs that will invade my home over the next 10 months. So how do we really keep those back to school germs at school and keep our kids from bringing the yucks home with them? Here are my top tips from one (nurse) mom to another, and why we all should run to Walgreens to stock up on Lysol®.

Wash Hands. Wash Hands. And Wash Hands.

“Teach them and they shall wash.” I know it’s been said over and over, but I’m going to say it a few more times. Germs and kids, they go hand in hand (yes, pun intended). Good handwashing at school begins with good handwashing at home. I’m always encouraging my kids to wash their hands and wash them well. Tops, bottoms, under the nails – I cannot stress how important it is to for my kids to have good handwashing “super powers.” (That’s what we call it!)

I’ve learned from day one of nursing school that handwashing is the #1 prevention for germs and illnesses. Make sure your kids are practicing their super powers too!

Eat Well

My son is not the breakfast kid. But every year, we sit together so he can eat good breakfast before we head to the bus stop. Why? Eating well, eating balanced, eating healthy can all help keep those germs away. So many immunity-building and germ-fighting components of your child’s body begins and ends with their digestive system. Keeping that tummy filled with vitamin-rich foods throughout your child’s busy school day will not only fuel them with success but fuel them with protection against most school germs.

Kick Sickness in the Behind

Fevers, coughs, runny noses – oh my! While it’s basically impossible to dodge them all, you can make sure that those yucky germs don’t hang around long. That’s why taking steps of prevention is key! Cleaning and disinfecting surfaces around your house, and in the classroom, with Lysol® Disinfectant Wipes in Lemon and Lysol® Disinfectant Spray in Crisp Linen can help reduce the spread of germs that cause cold and flu!

But, if your little learners do get sick, watch for fevers and treat early. Encourage LOTS of fluids. Keep on top of your kids’ continued good handwashing skills. Allow them to rest and heal. Listen to how they’re feeling. Take your kids to the doctor when symptoms won’t go away. Definitely keep them out of school when contagious. Work together to shorten the duration of illnesses and help them feel better sooner.

Stock Up on Germ-Fighting Products, Now with Box Tops!

The kids aren’t the only ones stocking up on school supplies. With back-to-school around the corner, it was time to refill our cleaning supplies. I’ve always relied on Lysol® for our family’s germ-fighting products, ever since those “kills 99.9% of germs” commercials that used to be on TV. (Remember those?)

Little did I know that Lysol® is now the exclusive Household Cleaning Products Brand to partner with Box Tops for Education™ to help Support Your School, One Clean Surface at a Time! So on our recent stop at Walgreens, we spotted Box Tops on our cleaning products. SOLD. They needed to come home with us. So we grabbed Lysol® Disinfectant Wipes, Lysol® Disinfectant Spray and Finish® Quantum – all of mom’s back-to-school supplies.

Lysol® makes for great teacher gifts. My daughter is definitely getting the hang of gathering school supplies. I found her stashing the Lysol® Disinfectant Wipes immediately into her backpack. I love that her little cleaning brain was already thinking that her Pre-K class was going to need Lysol® for the year!

When in doubt, use Lysol® Disinfectant Spray. That definitely becomes my motto, especially around cold and flu season. Every surface in my home gets the Lysol® treatment, as I take a germ-free home very seriously.

Don’t forget about those dirty dishes! With two kids in school this year, I have twice as many lunch containers to stay on top of. Keeping all of our reusable containers clean and ready for use means I need some serious dishwashing power. I love that our Finish® Quantum now has double box tops. Big cleaning power and giving back to our schools? No brainer!

So how bad are those back to school germs? Check out these school germ facts. This infographic definitely has me running to grab my Lysol®! With back-to-school around the corner, now is the time to stock up on your favorite germ-fighting products with this great deal at Walgreens.

You can buy Lysol® for $2.49 (35 ct Wipes, APC cleaners, Bathroom cleaners), as found in the Sunday Paper in the Walgreens weekly ad or Walgreens stores at the shelf. Dates running: week of July 30th and week of August 13th.

We are saying NO to back to school germs. Our family’s Lysol® and Finish® products are giving us a clean start this school year. Be sure to look for Box Tops on your Lysol® Disinfectant Wipes, Lysol® Disinfectant Spray and Finish® Quantum products, now available at your local Walgreens. With great deals, bonus Box Tops and these back-to-school germ-fighting tips, we’re ready to tackle Pre-K and 3rd grade. High fives all-around…after we all wash hands, of course!

Enter the #CleanStart Sweepstakes

Ready for a clean start as we head back to school? Join me for the #CleanStart Twitter Party on August 22nd, at 8pm EST for more tips on how to fight germs at home and in school. And be sure to enter the Walgreens #CleanStart Sweepstakes now through September 2, 2017 for your chance to win Walgreens gift cards, the featured Lysol® products and back to school essentials.