Back to School: Good Hygiene Keeps Infections From Spreading

Sending the kids off to school is an exciting time for parents and students. Whether students head back to the classroom or off to college, they sometimes make questionable hygiene choices.

For those college-age kids, they revel in freedom and making their own rules, like showering once a week and not doing laundry until every bit of clothing has been worn or re-worn. Younger students may not think twice about sharing cups, utensils or leaving dirty uniforms in lockers.

While it’s hard to police everything children may do, maintaining good personal hygiene is important to student health, and according to the DuPage County Health Department, it is vital to preventing staph infections, like Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, also known as MRSA.

The DuPage County Health Department offers a variety of tips to stay healthy this school year.

Basic things like washing hands properly before eating, after touching wounds and after using the restroom will help protect against staph infections, but there are other things students of all ages, and particularly those who participate in sports, should do.

Washing hands — or using alcohol gel when soap and water isn’t around — is rule No. 1, but coming in second on the list is not sharing cups or utensils. Kids also should not share unwashed towels, washcloths, clothing or uniforms. 

Students should avoid sharing personal items like razors or deodorant and make sure to change socks and underwear daily. Bathing daily using soap and after sports practices is a must, according to the health department.

Regularly washing bed linens and pajamas in hot water and drying them using heat will help kill bacteria.

And, cuts or abrasions should be kept clean and covered with bandages until healed.

For students participating in sports, the health department offers these tips:

• Do not share towels, clothing or uniforms.

• Don’t store wet, dirty clothing in lockers.

• Avoid sharing personal equipment.

• Keep equipment clean. Follow coach’s directions about cleaning the equipment.

• Keep cuts, abrasions and wounds covered with clean, dry bandages. Persons with draining wounds or infections are not allowed to participate in practices or games until the wound has stopped draining.

• Report any cuts, abrasions or wounds to the coach and school nurse.

For more information, visit the DuPage Health Department online at www.dupagehealth.org or like the department on Facebook.