Seven Steps Week 36
First, thanks to all of you who wrote to tell me I should be on Oprah or Rachel Ray. I agree! Just think of all the good we could have done if people had been more prepared for the disasters this year and the economic crisis which is now upon us. So…email them and let them know! I had someone tell me this last week that her husband rolled over at midnight the other night and asked her”how’s our food storage coming?” How fantastic that she could put his mind at ease and say “great”! I am going to begin posting gift ideas for the coming holiday season. If you have any ideas for preparedness gifts or food storage gifts please email me at: carolyn@TotallyReady.com. Check back Thursday for this week’s gift idea.
On to our steps for the week.
1. Round up a container for your Car Kit. A small backpack works best but you can also use a fanny pack. You do want something you can carry with you if you need to walk away, that also leaves your hands free.
2. Make 2 changes in your home to make it more burglar proof. If you are new around here copy the post Protect and Secure Your Home From Invaders. Add it to your binder for future reference.
3. Copy any religious certificates you have, baptisms, marriages, christenings, ordinations, etc. Add these to your 72 hour kits and also to the packet of items to mail to your out of state contacts.
4. Add 1 can of fruit per person to your food storage.
5. Add 1 bottle of 100% juice per person to your food storage.
6. Teach your family how to wash their hands. Sound strange? There are some germs that do not respond to hand sanitizers and many that are becoming resistant. Soap and water is still the best way to prevent colds and flu. Teach them to use plenty of soap, to rub every area of their hands and their wrists. Be sure they get their nails and under their nails. To guarantee they have scrubbed long enough have them sing Happy Birthday. This will be a very important skill in case of a pandemic and it may help to cut down on the number of missed school days this winter.
7. Check your medical records and update your tetanus shots if you are due.
Good luck!
One of the best reasons to teach our kids to wash their hands well is to avoid C-Diff- which causes really bad diarrhea.
Does hand sanitizer kill C-Diff? I make my kids use hand sanitizer when we are out and even sometimes when I am lazy at home.
From the research I have done hand sanitizers with less than 70% alcohol are not effective and the jury seems to be out on sanitizers which are over 70%. If anyone else has some info with a credible source please let me know.
The Sanitizers we use in hospitals DO NOT kill c-diff, the ones we can by over the counter are even less effective. If we want to avoid the boiling of our sheets- soap and water is best- I teach people to hum happy birthday to me x 2 or I am a child of God, till the songs over then rinse.Any type of soap works- liquid or bar.
Two of my nursing friends have also told me that they sing those songs at least two times before they rinse. They also tell me that they leave the water running until their hands are completely dry–because putting your wet hands back on the faucet handles recontaminates them with germs from the faucets. When your hands are completely dry, turn off the faucet with a dry towel. They also concur that the hand sanitizers are not that effective. One carries hand wipes in her car to wipe her hands with after she has been in a store.