We are constantly exposed to micro-organisms, both good and bad. Most micro-organisms we come into contact with during our daily lives are harmless. Some even help keep us healthy. But certain micro-organisms—when in the wrong place—can pose real health hazards. We call these harmful micro-organisms "germs."

Some exposure to germs can help build up our immune systems, helping us to fight infections and stay healthy. Exposure to others, however, can cause food poisoning, sickness and diarrhoea, so it makes sense to practice the good hygiene and cleanliness that will prevent these problems.

Examples of micro-organisms
Bacteria:	Salmonella bacteria can cause food poisoning.
Viruses:	Rhinoviruses can cause colds. Herpes simplex causes cold sores.
Fungi:	Candida can cause thrush. Trichophyton can cause athlete's foot.
Parasites:	Giardia can cause diarrhoea.

Where Are Germs Found?
Key Fact:
The main sources of germs in our homes are people, pets, food and water. Germs live all around us—in soil, air, water, food, animals, plants and people. Each type of germ has different needs for survival. Viruses have to be inside a living organism (a person, animal or, in some cases, a plant) to grow and multiply. Bacteria can grow and multiply both inside and outside their host, provided they have some warmth and moisture. Some bacteria even form protective spores that can survive for a long time in the environment while they wait for favourable conditions to return.

Bacteria can grow and divide every 20 minutes. One single bacteria cell can become more than 8 million cells in less than 24 hours.

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By understanding when and where there is potential for germs to spread, we can take steps to help avoid infection. To cause disease germs need to get inside the body. Since germs do not jump or walk, they have to be transported into the body by other means:

• Inhalation of small particles, dust and water droplets into the respiratory tract via the nose and mouth. Influenza, measles, and TB are transmitted this way.
• Ingestion of contaminated food and water. Salmonella, cholera, polio and dysentery are transmitted this way.
• Inoculation via injury, injection, bites and wounds to the skin and mucous membranes. Malaria, hepatitis B, MRSA, and tetanus are transmitted this way.
• Sexual contact between partners. Gonorrhoea, herpes simplex type 2 and HIV are transmitted this way.

Key Fact:
Washing hands is the key to significantly reducing the spread of germs. Because our hands touch many surfaces in the course of a day, they are prime vehicles for transferring germs to our nose, mouth and eyes—or to other surfaces where they can find their way into another person. That's why it's so important to wash our hands thoroughly and frequently.

Who Is Most at Risk?
In most healthy people, infections are short-lived when they are treated properly. However, in individuals whose immune systems are vulnerable, infections can have severe consequences. These susceptible people include:

• The very young—Babies and children under the age of five are more susceptible because their immune systems are still developing.
• The elderly—Our immune system deteriorates with age.
• The ill—Disease weakens our immune system further.

Washing—Often you can remove sufficient germs from an item using detergent and hot water—but you must wipe or scrub the item to loosen the dirt and germs, then rinse thoroughly under running water. This method is suitable for decontaminating items such as crockery, cutlery and your hands.

Heating—Laundering clothes, cleaning cloths and linens at high temperatures (at least 60°C) will remove most germs. Cooking food thoroughly will reduce the number of germs in food to a level that is safe to eat. Generally, the higher the temperature reached, the more germs are killed.

Disinfecting—Hygienic cleaners and chemical disinfectants are recommended in situations where heating or washing would be inadequate or impractical. Disinfectants are ideal for surfaces that cannot be scrubbed or rinsed effectively, such as kitchen work surfaces, toilets and handles. They are also useful in situations where there is extra risk.

Drying—Germs cannot live long on a clean, dry surface but they love moisture. Remember that re-using damp dirty items such as cleaning cloths, towels and mops can easily spread germs around your home.

Always remember to

• Follow the manufacturer's instructions for using cleaning products.
• Store cleaning products and other chemicals safely out of reach of children.
• Get all members of your family involved in establishing a regular cleaning routine for your home.

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Simple hand washing is one of the most effective way to stop the spread of germs—whether you are at home or out and about. Every time we touch something or someone, we can transfer germs to and from our hands. After that, it's easy for germs to pass into our bodies when we touch our mouth, eyes or nose. Washing removes most germs from our hands.

If we remember to wash our hands at certain important times during the day, we can substantially reduce our chances of becoming ill:

• Before eating or preparing food
• Immediately after handling raw foods, such as poultry
• After visiting the toilet or changing a nappy
• After contact with blood or body fluids (e.g., vomit, nasal secretions, saliva)
• After touching animals or their equipment
• After touching a contaminated area (e.g., rubbish bin, cleaning cloth, drain, soil)
• Before dressing a wound, giving medicines, or inserting contact lenses
• Whenever hands look dirty

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Key Fact:
Foul-smelling body odour (BO) occurs when stale sweat is allowed to remain on your skin and in your clothing. Bacterial skin infections, conjunctivitis and fungal infections are all associated with poor personal hygiene. Keeping your body clean reduces the risk of cross-infection and self-infection, and prevents other problems such as body odour, tooth decay and bad breath. Here are some basic hygiene procedures to follow daily:

Bathing

• Wash your whole body, particularly armpits and groin, with soap and water every day. Dry your skin well to help prevent fungal infections, and soreness and chapping that could become infected with bacteria if scratched.

• Change underclothes, socks and tights daily.
• Regularly change and launder all other clothes.
• Regularly change and launder towels, face cloths and bed linen.

• Brush your teeth twice a day, including just before you go to bed.
• Wash and comb/brush your hair regularly.
• Keep nails short and clean.
• Use paper tissues to wipe your nose and to cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing.
• Dispose of tissues and other items soiled with blood or body fluids (e.g. plasters) carefully.
• Don't share personal items such as toothbrushes, razors or cosmetics.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands.

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Raw meat and poultry, eggs, fish and unwashed fruit and vegetables can all carry germs. Thoroughly cooking food and performing scrupulous kitchen hygiene are the primary ways to prevent food poisoning.

Key Fact:
Bacteria can multiply quickly in moist environments, such as in food left to stand at room temperature or in damp cleaning cloths. Always wash your hands before preparing food and immediately after handling raw foods (especially poultry). Use a clean dry hand towel—or, preferably, a disposable paper towel—to dry your hands. Make sure kitchen work surfaces are hygienically clean immediately before use (use a disinfectant). Regularly disinfect surfaces that you frequently touch with your hands, such as door and cupboard handles, taps and the waste bin. It's important to clean and disinfect inside the fridge, microwave, cupboards, and other surfaces that come into frequent contact with food. Use a waste bin with a lid to prevent access by pets and pests—empty, clean and disinfect it often.

• Wash salads, fruits and vegetables well in clean water to remove all traces of soil and insects.
• Avoid contact between raw and ready to eat foods. Use separate chopping boards.
• Cook food thoroughly and evenly (particularly meat).
• Eat cooked food immediately or cool and refrigerate it within one hour. Never reheat food more than once.
• Don't let pets on or near food preparation surfaces.
• Don't refreeze food that has defrosted.
• Check use by dates on food and discard any food that has expired or has obviously deteriorated.
• Keep your refrigerator at or below 5°C. This will help slow down the growth of germs in your chilled food.
• Keep freezers at or below minus 18°C. Germs cannot multiply in frozen food.

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It should come as no surprise that toilets are very likely to contain germs. The good news, however, is that the risk of germs spreading from the toilet bowl is usually low, provided we avoid touching it or splashing during use or flushing. The greatest risk of infection in the bathroom comes from surfaces that are frequently touched by the hands—toilet flush handle, toilet seat, taps and door handles. You should regularly Disinfect these surfaces. Disposable cleaning cloths or wipes are easy and hygienic.

• Clean and disinfect the toilet bowl as often as necessary to prevent the build-up of dirt and scum that can harbour germs and cause nasty odours. If you use a toilet brush, make sure it is stored clean and dry after use.
• Clean up spills immediately. disinfect these surfaces. Disposable cleaning cloths or Disinfectant wipes are quick and easy to use.
• Rinse baths, sinks and showers after each use and clean them regularly with a suitable product to remove all the lime scale and soap scum that can harbour germs.
• Clean shower curtains with a suitable disinfectant or launder them according to the manufacturer's instructions.
• Germs can grow in showerheads. If you haven't used yours for a while, let it run on full power on a hot setting for a minute or two to flush any germs away before using.
• Store personal items, such as toothbrushes, where germs are unlikely to splash onto them. Rinse them after each use and store them dry. Never share personal items.
• Launder and replace towels and flannels frequently.
• Keep the bathroom clean and well-ventilated to prevent the growth of moulds and avoid attracting flies and other pests.
• Wash your hands thoroughly after using the toilet and after cleaning the bathroom.

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Clothes, towels and linen can harbour germs. Laundering clothing and other fabrics between uses reduces the risk of infection. By washing at high temperatures (at least 60°C), you can destroy most germs. Be aware, however, that some fabrics are temperature sensitive so make sure you always check the washing instructions first. If a fabric cannot be washed at a high temperature, you may need to add a suitable chemical disinfectant to the washing water to make sure that the germs are destroyed.

• Always check the manufacturer's washing instructions.
• Use suitable cleaning products that will remove organic matter, such as blood, which can harbour germs.
• Before laundering heavily soiled items (e.g., washable nappies), put any solid waste into the toilet and not the sink.
• Keep dirty laundry away from food preparation areas.
• Launder kitchen cloths and towels separately from clothes and bed linen.
• Wash hands after handling soiled items.
• Dry your washing as soon as laundering is complete. Germs and nasty smells can build up quickly in damp washing left inside a machine.

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Floors and furniture generally present a low risk of germ transmission. However, vacuuming carpets and soft furnishings does pick up dust, dust mites, and other debris. Cleaning hard surface floorings with an appropriate detergent and water also removes dust, dirt and visible mould growth. You should only have to disinfect these surfaces if they have become contaminated by body fluids. In bathrooms and kitchens (where spills often occur), hard surface floorings are easier to keep clean and don't accumulate debris the way carpets do.

• Use disposable paper towels to remove spills of body fluids, then clean and disinfect the surface.
• If you use a mop and bucket, disinfect them after each use and store them dry with the head upwards.
• Damp dust hard surface furniture to minimise dust and debris.
• To prevent the growth of moulds and fungi, clean and disinfect tiled walls and other hard surfaces where moisture is likely to collect.
• Do not use bleach products on carpets, wooden surfaces or in confined unventilated areas.
• Remember to wash your hands after cleaning.

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Key Fact:
Getting your pets immunised and treated for fleas, ticks and intestinal worms can reduce the risk of infection to your family. Just like humans, animals carry germs in and on their bodies. Unlike us, however, animals pay little regard to where they deposit their germs. So having a pet at home does pose additional infection risks. One of the most important ways you can reduce this risk is by making sure your pets are fully immunised and regularly treated for fleas, ticks, intestinal worms, and other parasites. Check with your vet for the treatments and immunisations your pet needs.

• Check your pet regularly for signs of ill health and keep claws trimmed to reduce the risk of scratches. If your pet becomes unwell, take it to a vet immediately.
• Wash your hands after touching animals or associated equipment.
• Make sure pets have their own feeding dishes and utensils that you clean separately from other household items. Disinfect them regularly and rinse them thoroughly before re-use.
• Immediately clean and disinfect any surface contaminated with animal excretions.
• Never allow pets onto food preparation surfaces.
• Regularly clean and disinfect floors and feeding areas used by pets.
• Don't clean pet cages and tanks in your kitchen sink. Use a bucket if necessary.
• Do not let your pet share your plate or lick your face.

• Keep your home clean and free of debris. This will limit its attraction to pests who are looking for food and bedding materials.
• Keep food securely covered and remove any debris promptly.
• Keep rubbish in a securely covered bin.
• Block any potential entry points to your home (e.g., use drain covers).
• Always follow the manufacturer's advice for pest control products or devices.
• Make sure that children and pets cannot reach baits, poisons or traps.
• Clean and disinfect any food preparation surfaces in an infested or treated area before use.

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