To deal with swine flu at home, follow CDC's household-cleaning tips

Stay on top of the latest news related to swine flu—the H1N1 virus—by visiting the Consumer Reports Health blog.

If someone at your home has contracted swine flu, prevents its further spread by following the advice below from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Also watch our exclusive video on facemasks and swine flu (right).

• Dispose of tissues and other similar items used by a sick person in the trash. Wash your hands after touching used tissues and other waste.
• Keep night tables, bathroom surfaces, kids' toys, and other surfaces and items clean by wiping them down with a household disinfectant; follow label directions.
• Wash linens, eating utensils, and dishes used by a sick person before someone else uses them again. You do not need to clean these items separately. Wash utensils in a dishwasher or by hand with soap and water.
• Wash linens used by a sick person with your regular laundry detergent and tumble dry on a hot setting. To prevent contaminating yourself, don't "hug" the laundry on your way to the laundry room. Immediately after handling dirty laundry, clean your hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub. e-mail | Twitter

Comments

[Deb. H.]

Wash the toothbrushes and toothbrush holder in the dishwasher.

Buy a small, sample tube of toothpaste for the sick person to use. This way, healthy residents won't be handling the tube that was recently in contact with the hands or toothbrush of the sick person.

Keep the toothbrushes separate until Flu is no longer present in the household to avoid accidental contamination.

[Mark]

Let's keep our heads and keep spreading knowledge (not flu or fear!). Practice safe hygiene (cover mouth, wash hands), stay home if ill, etc. Plan ahead and own some flu masks, too, just in case. Pandemics can strike globally in hours. http://www.pandemic-flu-masks.com/

[CeCe]

I'm not really sure about this, but I am a grade 12 student. I have concerns about disinfecting my school supplies and such. I think that other parents/ students should do the same. I am going to try to disenfect everything that I take to school. From my binders, to school supplies, my backpack and everything inbetween. I don't feel hand washing is enough. I think we should make it students top prioity to clean not only their hands but wipe down their desks/chairs/ workstations. As well as clean their school things daily. I was also wondering if anyone knows about any good cleaning/disenfecting agents???

[Concerned]

Does house cleaning tips above also include apartment complexes? Are there any other additional cleaning tips for the hallways, stairs, doors, common areas and if the sick person is located above your unit should there be a concern about the air vents and ducts.