Re: hints

[Guest guest]

I just found this in my DRAFTS file (from a couple of weeks ago, I

think) so I don't know if I ever sent a copy of it to you or not. Sorry

if this is a duplicate but since I am 'file cleaning' it's either to you

or the computer trash can.

M

Hi Debbie;

What I bought were several dozen white face/wash cloths (not as large as

hand towels but perfect size for one use) that I roll up in a pretty

basket on the bathroom counter. My basket holds about a dozen at a time

and I generally refill it each morning (and later in the day if the kids

have had several friends in). I keep a large basket under my bathroom

sink (in a cupboard with the fresh ones so they are easily accessible

for refills. I keep a rectangular, Rubbermaid basket on the floor beside

the counter for the used towels. Because it is an open basket, the

towels generally dry quickly in it. Every few days I do a wash load of

just these towels (or sometimes throw a part basket in with other

towels). Because they all are white, it is easy to do them together and

use hot water ... for occassional disinfection I will put a few drops of

bleach in lukewarm water and soak them first (the disinfecting action of

bleach is quickly lost in hot water - something I just learned

recently). For the sake of guests and kids' friends who may be confused

by our system, I labelled the baskets, " Hand Towels - Help Yourself " and

" Used Hand Towels " , respectively.

My kids know to wash hands first thing when they come into the house and

encourage their friends to do the same. We don't obsess over cleanliness. I just

found this an effective, easy way to reduce illnesses in our house.

Another thing we do is use separate tubes of toothpaste for each person, since

it is not uncommon that the end of the tube touches the brush when applying -

the tubes can be labelled but it has now worked out in our family that different

people like different kinds so it is easy to know which belongs to who. To clean

toothbrushes, ours are occassionally put through the dishwasher or the bristle

end of each one is soaked separately in a litle cup of hydrogen peroxide and

then rinsed.

M