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How to Survive Pestilence and Plague! 🤒☠️ (Books, cleaning products, PPE)
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items My husband and I work closely with children and families, including infants and the elderly! His work takes him into hospitals and detention centers, and every type of housing situation. It is critical that we stay healthy and well, for our own safet...
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Clean + Sanitize 😷 = See Ya Bad Bugs!
Protective Gear = Protected Body. Eyes, Nose, Mouth & Skin!
📚Books + Articles on Viruses & Disease (The Bad Bug Books, Baby!)
Clean + Sanitize 😷 = See Ya Bad Bugs!
We keep a clean and tidy home, but after repeated illnesses, including hospitalization from a very scary bout of highly infectious C-diff, I did a research deep dive into how to disinfect and sanitize every surface of our home so that C-diff, COVID, ... I am usually a white vinegar and baking soda kind of cleaner, with a few drops of essential oils mixed in, but when the big bad bugs came, I had to up my cleaning game!
What is C-Diff? The CDC explains the infection, the symptoms, and what to do if you or someone in your home is infected!
C. diff Cleanup: How to Prevent the Spread of C. diff at Home | Clorox®
Oh NO! C-Diff Hit! CDC article on how to keep from getting sick yourself, and prevent reinfection once your loved one has recovered!
C. diff Cleanup: How to Prevent the Spread of C. diff at Home | Clorox®
What KILLS C-Diff! EPA list of products used in hospitals and home to clean and disinfect your home against that bad, bad bug!
EPA’s Registered Antimicrobial Products Effective Against Clostridioides difficile (C. diff) Spores [List K] | US EPA
Disinfect + Sanitize Soft Surfaces! Stuffed animals, cushions, blankets, and so on. Wear PPE like a mask and gloves when using this product, and make sure you have plenty of fresh air!
Clorox Clinical Soft Surface Cleaner, 32 oz, 2 Pack
Quick, wipe down that bathroom!! Sinks, toilet (exterior and seat), flush handle, grab bars, and more. Wear PPE, especially gloves, when using these wipes! This stuff destroys viruses and bacteria and it will hurt your skin and body too, so GLOVE UP before you WIPE DOWN!
Clorox Healthcare Hydrogen Peroxide Wipes
Spray, Spray the germs away! When sickness was just rampant, we were hitting the light switches, doorknobs, door frames, and anything else that was a high touch area several times a day. Allow the surface to air dry!
Lysol Disinfectant Spray, Sanitizing and Antibacterial Spray, For Disinfecting and Deodorizing, Crisp Linen, 19 Fl. Oz
The kitchen is SO important to keep in a DEEP clean state, but we can't have toxic chemicals contaminating our food! I was happy to find the Busset food service cleaner! This isn't my every day cleaner, but great for a regular deep cleaning!
Bussit Clean Foodservice Surface Sanitizer
Hard Surface contaminants stand NO chance with Clorox Clinical products, and germicidal cleaner does serious heavy lifting when it comes to halting the spread of infection. I used this on every hard surface in our bathroom.
Clorox Clinical Germicidal Cleaner + Bleach
Hand Sanitizer with Aloe - because you want your hands CLEAN, but not so DRY that they crack open and then allow space for bacteria to enter your body! This Germ-X Hand Sannie with Aloe is cheaper at Walmart than Amazon! I have it stationed at our front door and in different areas of the home!
Germ-X Advanced Hand Sanitizer, with Aloe, 12 oz
Dial Gold = For the win! I went through so many bottles during our plague era, and still keep it in every bathroom, in the kitchen, and more in the cupboard.
Dial Antibacterial Liquid Hand Soap, Gold, 11 fl oz
Moisturized hands = no split skin due to frequent handwashing and hand sanitizer application. Split skin = vulnerable skin! Wash, dry, and then apply cream! A little bit goes a long way with O'Keefe's Working Hands so don't go crazy with it.
O'Keeffe's Working Hands Hand Cream 3.4 oz
Short video checklist for disinfecting your home after an illness!
The Maids - How to Disinfect Your Home After the Flu or a Cold
VERY helpful article about all the places and things in the house you must clean or replace after a major illness in the home! Note: You can use the soft surface cleaner in my list for mattresses!
16 Things to Clean in Your Home After You’ve Been Sick
Protective Gear = Protected Body. Eyes, Nose, Mouth & Skin!
Nitrile Gloves are best when cleaning that involves chemicals. If you can afford it, these Eco Nitrile Gloves are recyclable and will break down in time, making them the more environmentally friendly choice!
Eco Gloves BLACK Disposable Nitrile Exam Gloves (5 mil) Powder Free, Latex Free, 100 Gloves/Box - 100% Recyclable
Nitrile cleaning gloves - protect your hands from chemicals and contaminants!
PEIPU Nitrile Disposable Gloves, Powder Free
Helpful video on how to remove gloves safely, that shows the difference between proper and improper gloves removal, and how contaminants are able to touch the skin during improper glove removal. A must watch!
Proper Glove Removal Technique
Chemicals in the Eyeballs = OUCH & NO. Just spraying cleaner sends tiny, imperceptible droplets in all directions, much less the task of cleaning something that is above your head. These are comfortable enough for the price, and do the job! Please, don't melt your eyeballs (ow and gross!). Protect them!
TECBACK Anti-Fog Safety Goggles - Clear
Cleaning Chemicals = BAD TO BREATHE. We know this, but for some reason tend to ignore it. Researching the deleterious effects of these harsh, toxic chemicals to our skin and airways made me set aside my normal grab-and-go hospital masks and put on this bad boy here - the N95 Disposable Respirator. This pack of 20 is a great price and will protect your airway and lungs as you disinfect and sanitize your home during and after a major illness.
Honeywell DF300 N95 Flatfold Disposable Respirator
📚Books + Articles on Viruses & Disease (The Bad Bug Books, Baby!)
Knowledge is power! To learn about what threatens our health NOW, we have to know about the life it had, long before we were sick and dying from it. These are my top literature recommendations with more to come!
GET THIS BOOK! I was TWO chapters into Everything is Tuberculosis (John Green - Non-fiction) when I took a quick break to order two additional copies to give to others, and send several texts recommending it to friends. This is a PHENOMENAL book on t... You will read this book with eager anticipation of the next sentence, and experience JOY, ANGER, SADNESS, and beautiful HOPE.
Everything Is Tuberculosis (Signed Edition)
I've read this book at least 5x! FASCINATING deep dive in to the history of smallpox, and it's worldwide journey for a vaccine and widespread eradication. Author Richard Preston writes this in a way that allows the layperson (like ME) to understand technical medical and scientific terms and processes enough to grasp the meaning behind their significance. This is an important book in ANY time, especially in THIS time we live in!
The Demon in the Freezer: A True Story (Smallpox)
Terrifying + Captivating nonfiction thriller that traces the origins and terrifying outbreaks of the deadly Ebola and Marburg viruses! The book follows the true story of an Ebola outbreak in a Virginia research lab in 1989, where the virus, originating from African monkeys, *nearly* spread to humans. This is an absolute page turner, and the scariest part is that it is ALL TRUE!
The Hot Zone: True Story of Ebola Virus
Another Richard Preston page turner, and his advice was in many ways prophetic!!! Panic in the Red Zone recounts the 2013–2016 West African Ebola outbreak, which was the deadliest in history, highlighting the chaos, heroism, and heartbreak faced by doctors, scientists, and patients. Similar to John Green's, Everything is Tuberculo... Years before The COVID-19 Pandemic, Preston warned us of future viral threats, emphasizing the need for global preparedness to prevent another devastating pandemic.
Crisis in the Red Zone: Deadliest Ebola Outbreak
TREASURE TROVE of pandemic history!!! Not for the weak of stomach! How to Survive a Pandemic by Dr. Michael Greger examines the origins of pandemics, focusing on how human activities contribute to the emergence of deadly viruses. He explores past out... Dr. Greger shared his concern about a possible Avian Flu pandemic, and what do you know…. Definitely worth the read!
How to Survive a Pandemic
This is a fascinating read! The Ghost Map is the absolutely captivating true story of the 1854 cholera outbreak in London and how physician John Snow and clergyman Henry Whitehead worked to uncover its waterborne transmission. Medical detective work at it's finest, and all heartbreakingly TRUE.
The Ghost Map: London's Terrifying Epidemic
Beautiful, hope filled, and heartbreaking! Lapierre's deeply researched account of the early years of the AIDS epidemic focuses on the scientists, doctors, and patients at the center of the crisis. The book details the gut-wrenching struggle to under... It's a gorgeous testament to resilience and the power of compassion and love where it has been most needed!
Beyond Love: Dominique Lapierre, Kathryn Spink