I wish I could take the credit for this great list, but my dear friend Michelle, one of the many loving regulars on the MRSA forum, is the rightful author. This is a compilation of things we are asked and talk about all the time in regards to keeping your house clean while you are dealing with MRSA. You can read Michelle’s story here.
1. Dust the home daily. if not daily then no less than every other day. dust carries dead skin cells and in turn these dead skin cells carry MRSA. the things that make ya go hmmmmm. lol
2. Wash EVERYTHING in ALL hot water. yes, even your darks unfortunately. then dry EVERYTHING to get that extra heat to kill the germs the wash didnt get.
3. Bleach EVERYTHING! this goes for the darks as well here. they have a color safe bleach now and works great.
4. Bedding needs to be washed and or at least changed everyday when having an outbreak. at least 2 times a week when not having an outbreak. its important.
5. DO NOT share razors, clothes, towels, wash cloths, drinks, food and so on. anything you can share, just not a good idea at all.
Read the rest of Michelle’s tips after the jump!
6. Throw away that bar soap. Alot of people think, hey its soap, its clean. NO. germs stay on that bar. body soap. our ID doc said to find the most mild soap out there. i have found that lever 2000 in the body soap leaves your skin soft and fresh.
7. Clean with bleach where ever and whenever you can. From the floors to the walls.
8. Use lysol like its going out of style. spray down the phone, light switches, the key board and mouse, fridge doors handle, door knobs, furniture, toilet, remotes, and so on. this needs to be done daily.
9. Buy some antibactirial wipes and clean off the toilet and toilet handle after EACH use. they also should be used on shopping cart handles public toilets and anything else you can think of. i put some in a little sandwhich bag and keep them in my purse. im not going to be the cause of someone else to suffer with this.
10. Wash the person who is infected, their clothes towels and wash cloths seperate from others in the home. it might be a good idea for them to have their own set of towels and wash cloths.
11. Keep the sores covered at ALL times.
12. While a person is broken out it might be a good idea to designate one seat in the livingroom just for them. sharing that seat or part of the couch might be asking for problems. when the are done using it spray it with that handy dandy lysol, or cover their seating area with a sheet.
13. Spray the shower with bleach and let it sit for about 15 minutes before you clean it. this needs to be done after each shower even when not broken out. also in this area, NO MORE BATHS. i know. thats horrible to say. i love my baths as well. but i havent taken one since this all began for me. i shower all the time. my youngest daughter was scared of the shower until i taught her that it was best and for the right reasons.
14. Take hand sanitizer EVERYWHERE. put it in the kids book bags and in your purse even in hubbys breif case. use it when you sneeze or cough if you cant get to a sink to wash. sneezing or coughing is a smooth ride out for MRSA. MRSA is also air born as well so make sure you cover when sneezing and coughing and its important to teach the little ones this as well.
15. Eat healthy. take vitamins if you can. it depends on the meds you are on if you can take vitamins or not. make sure to ask the doctor. with us not being on any meds at this point we take them daily. my kids like the new gum ball ones. lol. but MRSA breaks down the immune system and keeping healthy is needed.
16. Get LOTS of rest. easier said than done i know. but if you think and feel you need a nap and have a chance to, do it. forget about the mess in the kitchen it will be there when you wake up. people with MRSA get tired very easily and we need extra rest. dont feel guilty for doing it.
17. Another i have just been told is carpets. yes carpets. we walk over them everyday. kids lay on them so much. they are around us at all times. shampoo them. im not saying do this everyday. lol. none of us would do anything else if we had to do that too. but take the time maybe 2 times a month and get them cleaned. i rent one but am going to buy one as soon as i can. mine are going to be cleaned this weekend. lol. i had to add that in there this time.
18. Dont share or use roll-on deodorant, it could pass from one arm to the next if you happen to have MRSA boils in your arm-pits. Spray deodorant is a must. You dont want to share with another either.
Remember, MRSA is all over the place. we dont want to add to the mess so please be careful and thoughtful enough to others. dont shake a hand if you know your hands arent clean. dont go shopping and touch everything in site if your hands arent clean. PLEASE for those of you that have little ones that still in a shopping cart, dont let then chew on the handle. i cringe everytime i see that now. they have these things now that you put on the handle to protect your child from just that. also, remember this is HIGHLY contagious and people need to be educated. we are all fighting the same battle. lets make this better for others. i know we can if we just use our brains, hearts and our mouths.
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Thanks Michelle - and thank you so much for all you do to help everyone at MRSA Resources - we love you dearly!
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10 responses so far ↓
jim // Oct 17, 2007 at 5:47 pm
doing some research for computer resistant friend, this is best i have seen..do you think old mattresses need to be thrown out? Thank you again for an excellent site.
Chris // Nov 1, 2007 at 5:00 am
Excellent advice..Better than what my dghtr and I got from a doc. But common sense should prevail here. Don’t always take a doc.’s advice, such as soaking in a tub knowing you HAVE an open wound infected with MRSA like ours did or even suggest to someone else that they change “packing” in a person’s wound, (so they can get infected too if they have an open wound) duh! THANK YOU SOOOO VERY MUCH.
Jon Barrett // Dec 1, 2007 at 10:09 pm
Hi Michelle,
Thank you for the article. I do have a couple of disagreements:
1) Too much bleach use, will cause Indoor Air Qualities to decrease and may lead to asthma, allergic problems. The fumes are extremely toxic, and will corrode most substrates.
2) Don’t use Lysol. There is an ingredient in Lysol, which is the same as Agent Orange..used during the Vietnam war. Once again, toxic fumes, and asthma incidences will go up.
3) Bar soap is fine, as long as you rinse the soap off and also your hands, then dry your hands off properly.
4) Dishwashing liquid is safe to use as a disinfectant, and alcohol free wipes are best for chemical sensitive people.
I hope this helps, and please contact me at any time.
Jon Barrett
Business Development Specialist
Interior Maintenance Company, Inc.
Cell# 267-886-7903 or
# 800-220-6547
Visit us at http://www.imc.cc
Specialists in Commercial and Industrial Laboratory Hood and Vent
Cleaning, Air Duct Cleaning, Kitchen and Dryer Vent Cleaning,
Environmental Decontamination, Microbial Remediation, Building
Maintenance and Performance Monitoring, Janitorial Cleaning, Onsite
Steam Cleaning and Sanitizing, Gum Removal, and Specialty Anti-Microbial
painting
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jessica // Feb 7, 2008 at 2:35 pm
please remember that there are two diffrent kinds of mrsa, and that you can get mrsa from unknowns. I was diagnosed with it and have no clue where it was picked up. MRSA is carried in our noses by OVER a 1/3 of the population. The baths are to FULLY cleanse the wound out you need to soak the affected area in a tub or with hot compresses. Just make sure to bleach fully before and after. this will make it heal quicker and not have re-occuring issuses. Go to your local walgreens and get some hyba-cleanse to wash your body once a week ( to prevent ) or everyday ( to heal). MRSA attacks and is more likely to get infected when your immune system is down and weakened so get your vitimins and veggies alot! I have a family of four and no one has been infected and with two small children it is hard to keep the stuff as crazy as some of that above but great guidelines.
Richard Langham // Feb 13, 2008 at 1:34 pm
I don’t agree with not using bar soap, just rinse well afterwards. I import Lifebuoy Carbolic Soap into the Europe, USA and Canada and, as is well know, Carbolic Acid was the priciple disinfectant from the 1920’s onwards in Homes, Hotels, Schools, Hospitals, Prisons, Armed Forces etc and it must have been a great help as it is still around. If anyone wants a free 25g sample bar to try out, just let me know.
Stay healthy and get well soon, Richard.
Don // Mar 29, 2008 at 9:22 pm
All really great stuff . I had a swab test for mrsa and it came back positive and since Friday i have been soaking up all that i can find and read on the internet. The Haba Cleanse makes real sense since staph is on the skin and a wound allows the mrsa staph into it. Great idea going to look for it.
The spray deodorant make sense again eliminating the transfer of the staph.
I am now searching for a list of foods that can trigger and out break or foods that make an outbreak worse and foods to eat in general.
Any thing out there on this the subject of food?
Judy // Jul 21, 2010 at 11:49 am
My mother-in-law had MRSA from the hospital and she passed away. She bought a new mattress before getting sick and used it maybe 3 mos. Not sure if MRSA exposure was before or after she stayed on the mattress. If it has plastic over it can the plastic be taken off or should it be thrown out? Are there places that will take it? I get it that it is not good to donate it to Goodwill if you aren’t sure. The hospital did not advise what to do with any personals from the home. Please advise.
Judy // Jul 21, 2010 at 11:51 am
By the way, her MRSA was in 2003 when she passed away and the mattress is stored in a bedroom and not in use. We had it steam cleaned by a rug cleaner once but have not put it in use. We also sprayed lysol spray all over it many times and put it in the sunlight for over a week. It was stored in a garage. Brand new Serta or Sealy.
Cherie // Aug 9, 2010 at 7:44 pm
Thank you Michelle! I have been doing these things for a year now, and it does work. My stepson had it this time last year, and we just caught his second suspicious sore yesterday, however there are a few things I learned this second time after a year free of it.
Note: My stepson goes to his mother’s 3 weekends in a month, so I have no control of that household and both his mother and brother have had it, but I have solutions to gaining that control.
First let me begin with other things I do in my house in addition to Michelle’s list.
1) I keep spray peroxide (get it a WalMart) and triple antibiotic ointment handy at all times (even in the car or purse). Any break in the skin is a port of entry, so one should work hard to clean, use ointment, and cover (when possible) all scrapes, cuts, scratches or bug bites. If there are many, clean and apply ointment periodically throughout the day.
2) This go-round, I used paper towels to clean and dress his little sore. Remember, your hands are contaminated when handling the wound, so wash vigorously afterwards. I even spray my hand with a “little” bleach or peroxide. Remember to wash any ointment tubes or rubbing alcohol / peroxide bottles after your finished. You could have contaminated them while dressing the wound. I lay a towel under his leg when cleaning and dressing, then it goes IMMEDIATELY into the wash with bleach! I also wipe down any furniture I might have touched in the process.
3) On kids, be vigilant! Check them out a few times a week to be sure there isn’t anything suspicious. MRSA works fast! I caught his this so soon, they could not even culture it this time, but other symptoms (raised red bump, extremely painful, very small white head in the middle). Catching it early reduces the whole drainage puss thing with the wound which is HIGHLY contagious.
4) CARS! It’s just as important to clean your car: the seatbelts, handles, steering wheel, gear shift, wipe seats down, etc… (This is especially important for me as I pick up my stepson in my car after being at his mom’s. He could potentially pick it up from mom’s house and carry it into the car.) I do it while he is in the special bath I prepare (see below). Keep hand sanitizer in the car. You are at potential risk of picking it up from the shopping carts, money, or the gas station!
5) I disagree with the bath thing UNLESS it is a proper bleach bath. This is one way to control and eliminate a person who has been infected. We do it twice a week for a month after the sore was first spotted, then back off to once a week. (We used to use antibacterial body wash weekly instead of the weekly bleach bath, but found it’s not enough to just do that if he is coming from a different household.)
6) Hindsight is 20/20. I believe he was reinfected partly because he had an ear infection (so his immune system was compromised) and had bad drainage from his nose. As Michelle said, it lives in YOUR NOSE. I made the mistake of not having him wash his hands after blowing his nose EVERY time. BIG MISTAKE! It also hides under your finger nails. It’s important to wash your nails with a special brush just for YOU and soap. Make sure it’s not a toothbrush you buy just for this, one could make a mistake and use it. I keep my stepson’s finger nails cliped back and we wash them with peroxide when we finish clipping.
7) I keep hand sanitizer next to the hand soap. After he washes his hands he rubs the sanitizer on his hands and wipes them on the towel near the sink (which we change out and wash frequently). Kids are bad about the 20 second wash rule, so this should some of what is left behind.
I do the routine cleaning Michelle described, once a week (Saturdays). I go through the house with my Clorox spray bottle and wet rag and wipe EVERYTHING down: hand rails up the stairs, cupboard handles, parts of the door NEAR the knobs as well because kids touch these places a lot.
NOTE: Even if you have had MRSA and you decolonize yourself- which is test negative in the nose, don’t get too excited. You can pick it up again! It’s everywhere and many of us carry it even without having symptoms or sores from it.
I want to say something to all those out there who have a compromised household due to the fact your child goes with the other parent and you have no control what they are exposed to there… You can control what comes into your house. Our little one goes DIRECTLY to the bathroom. He does not pass go or collect $200! LOL He gets his bleach bath (MAKE SURE it’s a properly diluted bleach bath or you could harm your child–more is not better, but the perfect recipe (found online) will work.) THEN, go to the car and take 10 minutes to wipe it down and spray it with Lysol. Make sure to wash ALL clothes that they wear home IMMEDIATELY. AND ALWAYS REMEMBER TO WASH YOUR HAND THOROUGHLY WHEN HANDLING ANY LAUNDRY!!! EVEN AFTER TAKING IT OUT OF THE WASHER AND INTO THE DRYER.
I know it’s a lot to take in, but once you get it down, there will be less outbreaks if any. At first I felt bad about the second sore we just had and was getting depressed, but then asked, what could I have done differently? I then realized, ANYONE who has had a MRSA outbreak is at potential risk for another outbreak, but there are things we can do and learn on this journey. I now will be very aware to have him wash, wash, wash those hands after blowing his nose. He also need to be taking more vitamins and getting more rest while sick with an ear infection or any sickly condition that is not MRSA related. I also wonder about taking an antibiotic that MRSA was resistant to. If he had been on something for the ear infection that was also was something that would work on MRSA, he might not have gotten this sore while sick….I’m not a doctor, but this makes sense, and next time I will talk to his doctor about this if he has to take an antibotic for something that is not MRSA related as he did this time.
P.S. I also thought about his shoes. I think the only thing that comes from mom’s house I haven’t cleaned (and yes, I’ve wiped down toys and cleaned silly bands he has brought back with him) is his shoes. I’m rethinking that one too. Maybe special pair we wear there and back but stay in a bag or on the porch until the next weekend. Sounds silly, but if you have had MRSA, one has to be smarter than this smart bacteria! BTW Hubby and I have been clean from it thus far, (and I hate to write this because I am not confident about it). We do not bank on it and take it as a given. We continue to also pray about it. I hope this info. helps in addition to the good info already on here.
Jamie // Aug 24, 2010 at 5:23 pm
We were just told Saturday to put the patient in a bath with bleach to prevent it from spreading to skin close to the infection that is not yet infected, 15 mins 2-3 times daily while having an active infection. We were also notified today that our oldest son has MRSA as well as our youngest, BUT they have DIFFERENT strains, one responds to Bactrum, the other doesnt
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