If you’re a parent, then you are probably already thinking about back-to-school shopping if you haven’t started already. As you begin jotting down items for your child’s school supply list, don’t leave off important items that can help your family maintain a healthy lifestyle, like alcohol-based hand sanitizer products.
The Importance of Hand Sanitizers for School-Age Children
When your child is sharing a school with hundreds of other kids, the possibilities for how they might come into contact with disease-causing germs multiplies. A Yale University School of Engineering and Applied Science researcher analyzed samples from the surfaces of classroom desks used by children in grades 7 to 12. The samples were taken before and then at several points after those desks had been cleaned.
They discovered that even after cleaning, only half of the bacteria and fungi had been cleared and that roughly 70-80 percent of the remaining microbes were of human origin. Lead author of the study, Ph.D. candidate Sarah E. Kwan, explained “that means the bacteria and fungi are coming from one dominant source — humans… It’s not coming down from the air, not from environmental factors — the kids at the desks are depositing the microbes on the desk.”[1]
But the germs your child might encounter are not limited to their desks. They are also clustered around bathroom stalls, doorknobs, shared textbooks, and all of the high-traffic areas throughout the school. While getting sick occasionally is just a part of life, that’s no excuse for poor hand hygiene. And there are a number of steps and good habits you can help your child develop early on, so long as you model that behavior and arm them with the right supplies.
Choosing the Best Hand Sanitizer Product
So many hand sanitizing products are available, and depending on the age of your child, some options are better suited than others. Here are some of the most popular portable sanitizing products available from Vi-Jon:
Single-Use Gel and Wipes Packets
Vi-Jon, the maker of Germ-X products, offers a number of convenient hand-sanitizing solutions for young children. Germ-X single-use hand sanitizer gel and hand sanitizing wipes packets offer effective germ-kill. These single-use hand sanitizer products can be sent daily in lunch boxes for use before and after meals.
Travel-Size Hand Sanitizer and Portable Hand Sanitizer Spray
For teens and older children, consider options like a portable Germ-X hand sanitizer spray, which comes on a carabiner. There are also jelly wrapped travel size hand sanitizers that come in a variety of colors and easily attach to backpacks and lunchboxes. These are especially useful for kids who are always on the go.
Good Hygiene Habits Start With the Parent
It’s important to remember that good habits are learned and modeled. When the lesson is health and proper hygiene, make sure that those habits start with you.
Good handwashing and hand-sanitizing habits are easy to adopt, especially if you plan ahead and make sure to have hand sanitizers, soaps, and cleaning products in a few critical places. One mom has a system down pat.
Jacquelyn Chorush explains that her family adopted better hygiene habits when her second child arrived.
“We knew that our oldest child was coming into contact with so many germs. We were already pretty good about keeping our hands clean, but with a newborn in the house we just didn’t want to take any chances. We couldn’t protect against everything, but we still wanted to do our best to make sure our hands were sanitized during those first few months.”
Those habits stuck, as did the mentality of keeping hands clean. Now that her children are both old enough to attend school, Chorush explains that the role of portable hand sanitizers has become all the more important.
“It just isn’t possible to find a sink and soap in so many situations when you’re out of the house. That’s why portable hand sanitizer is so important to me these days.”
Why This Mom Sticks With Germ-X Products
Chorush also talked about why she prefers brand-name hand sanitizers and hygiene products, like Germ-X products.
“To be honest, I definitely prefer brand name hand sanitizers over other options,” Chorush explained when asked about her preference. “I know that there’s a lot of scrutiny for well-known brands, and so I can trust that I’m getting something high-quality and effective.”
Germ-X hand sanitizers are made exclusively with USP-grade alcohol, are developed in the USA, and can kill 99.99 percent of many common harmful germs in as little as 15 seconds.
The unique Germ-X hand sanitizer formula also contains moisturizers and Vitamin E to help prevent the alcohol from drying out or irritating your hands, even after repeated use.
Chorush uses a number of Germ-X products. She keeps a portable hand sanitizer in her fanny pack, and refills at home so she’s never caught unprepared.
When asked if her kids take the initiative that she does in good hand-hygiene practices, she responded, “they’re still too young, but we’re on a good path.”
Set your kids down a good path as they head back to school this year by making sure that, like Chorush, you are reinforcing the idea to your children that their habits help to fight against disease-causing germs. With the right supplies and the right attitude, your child’s 2021 school year is shaping up to be a great one. Learn more about Germ-X products here.
References
- “How Germs Thrive on School Desks.” Yale School of Engineering & Applied Science, 4 June 2018, seas.yale.edu/news-events/news/how-germs-thrive-school-desks
