There is no perfect way of preventing the spread of germs.  However, universal precautions, cleaning/disinfecting and frequent hand washing are effective in stopping the spread of most germs. Universal Precautions is an approach to infection control that involves the use of disposable gloves or other items to block the spread of germs when cleaning up or touching blood, body fluids or body substances.  HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B, hepatitis C and other blood-borne illnesses can be spread through blood, body fluids or body substances.

Caregivers should know about Universal Precautions and other ways to reduce the spread of germs so that they can protect their family’s health.  If precautions such as the ones listed below are regularly followed, caregivers and their families can reduce the chance of being infected or spreading germs. 

1. The Illinois Department of Public Health recommends frequent hand washing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.  Hand washing should always occur before and aft er food preparation and eating, and aft er toileting.  The scrubbing action will remove most germs from your hands.  Liquid soap is considered more hygienic than bar soap.  Liquid hand sanitizers (e.g., those containing alcohol) and disinfecting wipes kill most germs and can be handy when soap and water are not available. 
2. Children need to be taught to wash their hands.  When supervising a child, help or encourage the child to wash his or her hands.  Adults caring for very young children should also wash hands before and aft er diaper changing, and aft er helping young children who are potty training. 
3. After thorough cleaning with soap and water, cover open cuts and injuries with bandages.  
4. In the home, shared items such as a phone or keyboard should be disinfected.  
5. Wash toys, stuff ed animals, blankets and things children put in their mouths with soap and water. Toys that children (particularly infants and toddlers) put in their mouths should be washed and sanitized between uses by individual children.  Toys for infants and children should be chosen with this in mind.  If you can’t wash a toy, it probably is not appropriate for an infant or toddler.  When an infant or toddler fi nishes playing with a toy that has been placed in their mouth, the toy should be removed from the play area and put aside for washing and sanitizing before reuse by other children.  

• To prepare a bleach sanitizing solution, mix one tablespoon of bleach with one gallon of water (or ½ tablespoon of bleach with ½ gallon of water). Use within 24 hours. 
  • To wash and sanitize a hard plastic toy: 
  • scrub toy in warm, soapy water; 
  • rinse toy in clean water; 
  • immerse toy in bleach sanitizing solution and allow it to soak for ten minutes.  If the toy cannot be immersed, spray with bleach sanitizing solution ensuring that all surfaces are dampened for ten minutes contact time;
  • remove toy from bleach sanitizing solution and rinse well with cool water. Use cool water to rinse non-immersed, sanitized toys; and 
  • air dry on a clean surface.

6. Items such as teething toys, feeding bott les, toothbrushes, razors or syringes should not be shared. 
7. Eating, drinking, applying cosmetics, and handling contact lenses should only be done with clean hands and in clean places. 
8. Clean surface areas and clothing that have been exposed to blood or body fluid with a mild bleach solution (1 part bleach to 9 parts water).  This solution should be freshly prepared, as it will lose its germ-killing power if stored.  (See instructions below)  Wash hands aft er the clean-up.  
9. All contaminated sharps (e.g., needles) should be placed in a “sharps container” or a heavy plastic bott le or jar for disposal. 
10. Use disposable gloves when it is necessary to have direct contact with any blood, body fluids, or body substances. Place the used gloves in tightly sealed bags and dispose of properly.  Always wash hands aft er removing gloves. 
11. When disposable gloves are not available, other items can serve as a protective barrier between hands and unknown or questionable blood, body fluids and body substances (examples: plastic grocery, garbage or storage bags, disposable diapers, etc.)  Double bag all objects used to touch or clean-up and tightly seal the bags.  Wash hands aft er the clean-up. 
12. Mouth-to-mouth resuscitation without current, appropriate training and a CPR Micro Shield (mouth shield used for mouth-to-mouth resuscitation) is discouraged.

In addition to the precautions listed above, caregivers should follow the advice of health care professionals when extra precautions are needed.

Practical tips for germ protection:

• Mosquitoes can spread West Nile virus. Use insect repellant to prevent mosquito bites. Section 5 Health Services 
• Ticks can spread Lyme disease. Use insect repellant to reduce tick bites. Check children for ticks aft er spending time outdoors.    
• Remember to reapply insect repellent as needed. Swimming and perspiration can cause repellant to wear off. 
• Always use tissues when coughing and sneezing, and dispose of properly.  Wash hands afterwards. 
• One way to help children wash their hands thoroughly is to have them sing “Happy Birthday” while hand washing. 
• Germs easily collect under long fingernails and in long hair.  To avoid this: 
  • keep fingernails trimmed short or use a nailbrush to clean under them;   and 
  • wear long hair in a ponytail or bun when cleaning or working with  blood or body fluids. 
• Avoid touching eyes, nose, mouth, other items, or surfaces with contaminated hands (gloved or ungloved).  

Procedure for making and using bleach disinfecting solution:

1.  Assemble necessary supplies: water, bleach, spray bott le, disposable protective gloves, paper towels, and two plastic garbage bags. 
2. Prepare a bleach disinfecting solution by mixing one-part bleach with nine-parts water in spray bott le.  Be careful not to spill solution on your skin. 
3. Put on gloves before using the bleach disinfecting solution. 
4. Wipe up the spill using paper towels.  Use sufficient paper towels to soak up the spill and to ensure gloves do not become visibly soiled.  Discard the paper towels in a plastic garbage bag.  If gloves become visibly soiled, carefully remove and discard them in a plastic bag (see instructions below) taking care that hands do not become visibly soiled.  After removing gloves, immediately wash hands with soap and water for 20 seconds, dry hands and put on a clean pair of gloves.  Gloves that are not visibly dirty or bloody do not need to be changed. 
5. Clean the surface by spraying it with bleach disinfecting solution and wiping it with paper towels.  Repeat until the surface is free of dirt or blood.  Place paper towels in a plastic garbage bag. 
6. Disinfect the surface by re-spraying it with bleach disinfecting solution.  The surface should be suffi  ciently moist to allow 10 minutes of contact time.  Allow the surface to air dry. 
7. While the surface is drying, safely remove gloves and place them in a plastic bag (see instructions below).  Double bag and then secure the second bag before placing it in a trash container. 
8. Immediately wash hands with soap and water for 20 seconds.

Procedure for safe removal of protective gloves: 

1. Always consider the outside surface of gloves to have germs. 
2. Grasp the outside of glove with opposite gloved hand; peel off . 
3. Hold removed glove in the gloved hand. 
4. Slide fingers of the ungloved hand under remaining glove at wrist. 
5. Peel the glove off  over first glove. 
6. Discard both gloves in a plastic bag.  Double bag and then secure the second bag before placing it in a trash container. 
7. Immediately wash hands with soap and water for 20 seconds.