Sick Kid... When to start The Cleaning...

[FriedClams]

DS is sick. 103 fever. Vomit. Much sadness. Much loving on him. Much TV.

 

But I don't want it.... Nor do I want DD to get it... So I want to sanatize everything. Now.

 

I've been hand washing... And using Purell... And sprayig the bathroom with Lyson after him...

 

Now when to do The Cleaning? (All sheets, pillows, blankets, scrub....)?

 

Now or when he's recovered?

 

Now may mean two full sets of everything through the laundry...

 

What's your method? (FWIW - this week one adult and two kids are home. We traveled for the week before he got sick so it's not a local thing, unless you get sick within 6 hours of exposure.)

[Dandelion]

I don't have a method either. While the kids are still sick, I clean what needs cleaning as we go. But unless a child has thrown up on their bed sheets, I don't wash those until they seem to be done with vomiting.

 

Hope your DS feels better soon, and that it doesn't spread to the rest of the family!

[Jean in Newcastle]

There would be no harm to washing the bedding before he's well, as long as you know that you might have to do it again. The issue is if you want to risk exhausting yourself, lowering your own immune system and possibly getting sick.

[Spryte]

There would be no harm to washing the bedding before he's well, as long as you know that you might have to do it again. The issue is if you want to risk exhausting yourself, lowering your own immune system and possibly getting sick.

 

I totally agree with this. And the others.

 

FWIW, I have sick kids at the moment, and am doing The Cleaning today. But they both are on antibiotics (strep), and we are two days in - so I think they are no longer contagious. DS also has Flu - I'm not sure where he is on being contagious, but everything is getting washed regardless.

 

Have been cleaning and sanitizing as we go - bathrooms, switches, handles, remotes, etc... All the usual culprits have been getting extra sanitizing wipes.

 

Hope your kiddo feels better soon, and that the virus doesn't run rampant through the house.

[Momof3littles]

Do you have more than one bathroom? I try to quarantine the sick kid in one bathroom if possible. If they vomit in a dishpan/trash can in another room, I do the dumping in the "dirty" bathroom. The quarantine thing works okay with my two older kids, but with the toddler, I end up just having to rush him toward whatever potty is closest. We have 2.5 baths, so even then we can usually keep ONE somewhat off limits. I'm not sure if it works, but it does seem to help sometimes. Maybe the others wouldn't have gotten sick anyway. I admit, I am phobic of stomach bugs.

 

I wipe down as needed, make sure they are washing hands very well. I might spray doorknobs, etc. with Lysol afterward. Once the acute vomiting passes, I do a crazy scrubbing down of the bathroom. Even then, I try to keep the others out of the sick bathroom for a few days if at all possible. I will admit, that probably sounds crazy, but that's how I roll. I don't do sheets until everything has passed unless they are literally sick in their bed and sheets are soiled by vomit/diarrhea.

 

eta: I also prepare myself for a 2nd round of cleaning if the diarrhea kicks in afterward. We've had times where they are okay for a day or two after vomiting before the diarrhea starts, so sometimes I encourage the sick kid to say in the sanitized bathroom for another 2-3 days and keep the not yet sick kids out of there, even though it has been cleaned. Again, I realize that's probably overkill, but eh, I prefer to do what I can.

[ChristusG]

I have two sick kids at the moment. DD8 got sick on Tuesday. Horrible cold, icky sounding cough, high fever. I washed my hands and used Germ-X ALOT. I didn't allow her sisters near her. I designated one recliner in the living room as hers. After she was finished with it for the day, I wiped it down with a Lysol wipe (it is leather). I washed her bedding when her fever broke. I wiped down the TV remotes and the iPad with a Lysol wipe when she was finished using them for a while.

 

Now baby is sick....I try to wash my hands often, but it is more difficult with her since she is spending most of the time in my arms. I haven't washed anything of hers....and it's pretty impossible to confine her to an area where she can't spread many germs. So with baby I'm just hoping my immune system does its job.She also sleeps with me so it's really useless to wash the bedding until she's well.

[MiniBlondes]

Do you have more than one bathroom? I try to quarantine the sick kid in one bathroom if possible. If they vomit in a dishpan/trash can in another room, I do the dumping in the "dirty" bathroom. The quarantine thing works okay with my two older kids, but with the toddler, I end up just having to rush him toward whatever potty is closest. We have 2.5 baths, so even then we can usually keep ONE somewhat off limits. I'm not sure if it works, but it does seem to help sometimes. Maybe the others wouldn't have gotten sick anyway. I admit, I am phobic of stomach bugs.

 

I wipe down as needed, make sure they are washing hands very well. I might spray doorknobs, etc. with Lysol afterward. Once the acute vomiting passes, I do a crazy scrubbing down of the bathroom. Even then, I try to keep the others out of the sick bathroom for a few days if at all possible. I will admit, that probably sounds crazy, but that's how I roll. I don't do sheets until everything has passed unless they are literally sick in their bed and sheets are soiled by vomit/diarrhea.

 

eta: I also prepare myself for a 2nd round of cleaning if the diarrhea kicks in afterward. We've had times where they are okay for a day or two after vomiting before the diarrhea starts, so sometimes I encourage the sick kid to say in the sanitized bathroom for another 2-3 days and keep the not yet sick kids out of there, even though it has been cleaned. Again, I realize that's probably overkill, but eh, I prefer to do what I can.

 

 

This is basically what I do. I quarantine the sick one, try to clean as I go, with a general bathroom scrub down afterward.

 

I hope everyone at your house is on the mend soon!

[Whereneverever]

There would be no harm to washing the bedding before he's well, as long as you know that you might have to do it again. The issue is if you want to risk exhausting yourself, lowering your own immune system and possibly getting sick.

 

 

This. Good luck!

[FriedClams]

Oops. Double.

[FriedClams]

Thanks everyone! He seems to be on the mend. No vomit since this morning but the typical 7pm fever spike. Poor guy. I did strip the bed, scrub the bathroom, and Lysol spray everything. Lots of dishes run and anything touched (hopefully!) sanitized. Hoping it passes soon and that he rebounds fast. This is my kid who usually goes down fast and very hard, but springs back as quickly. Hoping other with sick Littles get better quickly!!