I have never been a germophobe. In fact, I think an exposure to germs now and then is a healthy thing. So please laugh along with me as you read my morning routine - for day 4 and counting:
* Greet each girl with a cheery "good morning" and then quickly pin them down to wipe their eyes with a hot, wet, soft paper towel.
*Throw away paper towel immediately.
* Wash hands.
* Pin girl down again to drop 2 eye drops in each eye.
* Make girl wash hands. Wash my hands. Then sanitize each set of hands with Purell. Wipe down faucet, sink, and pump of both soap and Purell with Clorox wipes.
* Repeat for the second girl.
* Strip each girl of their pajamas, dress in clean clothes that must be worn ALL DAY and not changed.
*Strip each bed of all linens and stuffed animals. Put jammies, bed linens, and stuffed animals in the washing machine and wash on HOT.
I do this every morning, for three people and three beds. My washing machine is permanently set to HOT. My dryer is permanently set to HOT. My dishwasher is permanently set to DISINFECT. And there are more Lysol products in this house than I care to mention.
The week before Christmas, Rachelle came down with the worst case of pink eye I've ever seen. And the pediatrician told me he'd call in another bottle of antibiotic eye drops for Shaelyn when she inevitably got it. But 5 days later, Rachelle's treatment was done, her eyes were clear, and no one else had woken up with pink, goopy eyes. Score one for me!
3 days later (yes, a full week after Rachelle's breakout), Michael woke up with the goop. And so his treatment started. Poor guy had to spend Christmas and the days surrounding it washing and washing and washing his hands. But he was an adult. I wasn't so meticulous about the disinfecting. I mean, how often does a grown man touch his eyes?
Again, a full week after his break out, I woke up with the goop. And two days later Shaelyn came in my room one morning complaining that she couldn't see.
Ok, I thought, now everyone in the family has had it. But with Shaelyn contagious, I stepped up the disinfecting routine. And I worried a little bit about me having it. I mean, I'm the one washing the clothes, cooking the food, caring for the children - and all while being contagious. My hand washing increased to the point that my hands became red and raw.
It wasn't until Rachelle woke up 2 days later with red, swollen, glued-shut eyes that my germophobe insanity officially kicked in. I've now started thinking like a germophobe. Research on the internet does not help.
"The bacteria or virus (in our case, bacteria) that causes pink eye can live on a non-disinfected surface for up to 5 DAYS."
"The incubation period for pink eye can last up to 2 WEEKS."
Meaning that you can think you've conquered this beast, and have someone wake up 3 weeks later with eyes that will make you want to scream. I've decided that pink eye is like the Mafia of diseases. It doesn't just come after you. It comes after your spouse, your children, your house, and your sanity. Because even when you get it, it doesn't mean you can't get it again. There is no such thing as becoming immune to pink eye.
Not to mention that all your "disinfecting" methods are probably just cleaning methods. Have you ever read the back of a can of Lysol? Or a container of Clorox wipes? If you think that just spraying a doorknob or wiping down a faucet means that you've killed the germs, you've got another thing coming. You're just ridding your house of dirt. And possibly soap scum.
No, to truly disinfect, the surface has to stay WET for 10 MINUTES. The Clorox wipe container encourages you to "use as many wipes as necessary" to achieve this result. I challenge you to do this. I can say it takes about 5 wipes - PER SURFACE - and that you have to stand there for the full 10 minutes, as the surface starts to dry after about 1 1/2 minutes.
If you don't want to stand there for the full 10 minutes, then I recommend Lysol spray. It really saturates the surface in about a 2-3 second spray. And it will stay wet for the required 10 minutes. The problem with a can of Lysol is that it's quantity is very limited. And when you have a MILLION surfaces in your house that little hands have touched, you will go through a can a day. EASILY. And that's if you stay somewhat conservative. At $5 a can, this can be a very expensive option.
I've opted for a combination of the two, using Lysol spray for surfaces like the computer keyboard and mouse, and Clorox wipes for surfaces like sink faucets and soap pumps.
Have you gone crazy yet just reading this? Starting to think like a germophobe yourself? Here's a list of rules I've established for the next week:
* No blankets or stuffed animals or plush lovies of any kind. This has been very hard on Rachelle especially, who loves to drag her blankets around the house.
* No "couch blankets" - meaning that if you're cold while watching TV, go put on a sweater or extra socks.
* No dress-up clothes. I might as well have murdered Shaelyn. She has already begged me to change her clothes 4 times this morning, and she's only been awake for 3 hours. All dress-up clothes are locked up in my room, and all of Shaelyn's everyday clothes are under a baby lock in her armoire in her room to prevent wardrobe changes.
* Hands must be washed every hour, followed by Purell, and at needed times between. Hand washing must last for the duration of the ENTIRE alphabet song. Mom and Dad included.
* Only 2 stuffed animals allowed for sleeping, and must be immediately put in the washing machine upon waking.
* No laying on each other's beds, for any reason.
* No hand towels of any kind allowed in the house, and all bath towels must be washed daily. We use paper towels to dry our hands in every room.
* No re-wearing clothes, even if they don't seem to be dirty. The amount of times the girls rub their faces in my shirts per day makes me sick to my stomach when I think of the germs.
* Play outside as much as possible (luckily, it's been a little warmer and dry these last few days), and all jackets, hats, and gloves must be washed on a daily basis.
* Daily baths and showers required.
I think I do about 5 loads of laundry a day. And my house smells like some sterile lab. I am exhausted when I go to bed from the work of the day.
But even while experiencing this personal epidemic, I've been profoundly grateful. I've found my prayers to be more full of expressions of gratitude than whining or pleading. I'm very grateful to live in a time that we have access to things like Lysol spray and Clorox wipes. I'm grateful for disposable towels and disinfecting hand soap. I'm grateful my house has a washer and dryer in it, with a water heater capable of getting the water HOT. I'm grateful for antibiotics and doctors immediately available and a phone call away. I'm grateful for pharmacies that fill prescriptions quickly and medical insurance that pays for the needed drugs. I'm grateful for stores close by that carry needed disinfecting supplies, that I can return to again and again and again if need be. But mostly, I'm grateful that we're only dealing with pink eye, not some life threating or scary disease that could have serious repercussions.
I've been thinking a lot about the Pilgrims who came across the ocean in the most unsanitary conditions, dying by the hundreds, because of their lack of knowledge and access to the things I'm using every day. I've been thinking of the Pioneers, and how they died of deadly diseases because they couldn't keep the germs from spreading. How they would have had to boil their bed linens. And forget about disinfecting surfaces touched. Or wearing new clothes every day. Those were luxuries not even dreamed about. They didn't even have separate beds to sleep in to quarantine one another.
Yes, I'm grateful. And I'm the most grateful for the ability to pray to a loving Heavenly Father who cares about what I am going through right now. That I can ask Him to magnify my efforts to keep the germs away and keep our family safe. Because it would be impossible for me to completely disinfect every surface that has a germ on it. I just have to have faith that my efforts are enough, and that He will fill in the rest.
Just like everything else in life.
