It is that time of year again in St. Louis where people get sick and pass it on to fellow employees, friends, and family. No, we are not talking about coronavirus. This time, we’re talking about the flu.

We are about to enter the peak of flu season 2020 in St. Louis while simultaneously fighting the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and its latest concerning surge. With so many health resources tied up fighting coronavirus, this year’s double threat makes it doubly important for us all to take initiatives to stay healthy and combat flu season effectively.

The good news is there are a number of things we can do to stop the cross-contamination that allows viruses like the flu (and coronavirus, too) to get passed along from person to person. St. Louis area businesses should take measures to stop the spread of the flu. These tips from Acme Janitor will help guide your actions in preventing the flu, stopping the spread of the virus, and getting healthy again if you do happen to catch the flu this year.

One way to prevent catching the flu this season is to wash your hands diligently. If you aren’t washing your hands at least three times a day, you aren’t doing it often enough. Make sure you are washing your hands before touching your face, before eating, and before doing anything else that may allow the germs to enter your body.

Wet your hands first, then apply the hand soap and thoroughly wash your entire hands for a least 20-30 seconds. It is not necessary to use antibacterial or antiseptic hand cleaners, as these tend to dry out our hands and the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta believes using these types of hand cleaners increases the germs’ resistance to germ-fighting drugs. Click here for a list of quality and effective hand cleaners that are highly recommended by Acme Janitor.

While you are washing your hands, sing your favorite song. Once you have reached the end of your song, you can rinse the soap off and you are clean. This method ensures that you have washed your hands long enough for all the germs to dissipate. This is an especially useful flu season cleaning tip for encouraging young children to keep their hands clean as well.

During flu season and the COVID pandemic, all businesses should follow the lead of restaurants and institute an “employees must wash hands” policy. Provide quality supplies and wash-up time. Post signs and send reminders to encourage healthy habits. Having a heavier hand when it comes to hand-washing will show that you care for your team and your customers. This year especially, it could very likely help save lives.

Hand sanitizers can be a great alternative solution for keeping hands clean when you do not have access to soap and water. For effective flu-fighting, make sure you are using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer product that contains at least 60% alcohol.

According to the CDC, the proper method for using hand sanitizers is to first put the product on your hands and rub them together. Use enough product to cover all surfaces well. As you are rubbing your hands together, you should make sure you are reaching every part of your hands – get between your fingers and don’t forget the backs of your hands. Keep rubbing the sanitizer in until your hands feel dry. This whole process should take about 20 seconds in order for the product to properly disinfect. Do not rinse or wipe the sanitizer product off of your hands before they are completely dry.

Another key way to decrease the spread of the flu is to wear a mask and keep adequate social distance from others. Since we are already wearing masks everywhere we go to help fight COVID-19, this should be no problem! Just keep masking up and maintaining your distance and you’ll be doing a big part to help keep the flu under control this year.

It is also a good idea to routinely disinfect your home, workplace, and any surfaces that you and other people are frequently coming into contact with during flu season. These flu season cleaning tips will help keep your spaces flu-free. Even if your employees are working remote due to the COVID pandemic, you can share these tips with them to help keep their home workspaces clean.

These areas tend to hold the most germs, but we can easily get rid of them with disinfectants. After cleaning, use a disinfectant spray to provide a coating of disinfectant that covers the area and kills the germs that touch that surface on contact. Products we can use to clean and kill germs like the flu are Spartan’s TnT disinfectant cleaner, Proxy II fbc, NABC, Hepacide Plus, BioRenewable Restroom Cleaner, Disinfectant Wipes, Steriphene II, and SparSanQ.

If you do happen to catch the flu this year, there is no need to panic. Put that energy into getting healthy again! Follow the advice of your medical professionals, drink lots of fluids, and eat nutritious foods that will give your body the energy it needs to combat this illness. When you are feeling strong enough, light exercise can be beneficial to keep your body working and maintaining strength. Do not forget to get plenty of rest and stay relaxed. The holidays are coming and a lot is going on in the world, but rest and relaxation are essential to bouncing back from the flu at 100%.

Once you’ve recovered, keep cleaning and preventing the spread of the flu by following our tips! The faster the germs leave your home or workplace, the faster they can leave your body, and the faster we can all get through this flu season.

Whether you are trying to keep your staff healthy at work or your family protected at home, we have a multitude of products for your specific needs. Helping you keep your employees and customers healthy during coronavirus and flu season is our top priority at Acme Janitor. We can help you decide what you need to get the job done right.