Frequent hand washing
The single best measure to prevent transmission of colds is hand washing. Frequent hand washing can destroy viruses that you have acquired from touching surfaces used by other people. When visiting public places, hand sanitizer or sanitizing hand wipes are very useful too.
Avoid touching your face
If you are around a person with a cold, or have been touching surfaces in a public area, avoid touching your face, especially the nose, mouth and eye areas.
Keep tissues handy
Keep tissues within reach for covering coughs and sneezes. If tissues aren’t available, cover your mouth with your arm while coughing, and cover your nose with your arm while you are sneezing.
Stay away from smoke
Cigarette smoke can irritate the airways and increase susceptibility to colds and other infections. Even exposure to passive smoke can make you or your children more vulnerable to colds.
Dispose of germs
Use disposable items if someone in your family is sick. Disposable cups can be thrown away after each use and prevent the spread of viruses from sharing of cups or glasses. This is particularly important if you have young children who may drink from each other’s cups.
Keep it clean
Wipe door knobs, handles, keyboards, light switches, telephones, remote controls, countertops, and sinks with soap and water or a disinfectant solution.
Don’t forget the toys
Wash or wipe down children’s toys to keep germs from spreading.
Paper or cloth?
Use paper towels in the kitchen and bathroom for hand washing. Germs can live for several hours on cloth towels. If cloth towels are used, keep a separate one for each family member, and provide a clean one for guests.