These factors, coupled with increased concerns for sanitary conditions due to the flu season and the H1N1 epidemic, can make using the public restroom a  risky situation. However, thanks to today’s technologically, you don’t have to risk your health and safety every time you step into a public restroom.

Here’s what you can do to address this problem:

Utilize touchless or automatic dispensers
Public health experts recommend installing touchless (or automatic) dispensers wherever and whenever possible.  By removing the place germs are most likely to hang out (ie the handles of the dispensers, where people touch the most), you are removing the risk factor associated with these devices. Touch free paper towel dispensers, toilet paper dispensers, faucets, and soap dispensers are well worth the added cost to keep everyone happy and healthy. Not only are they healthier, but they will actually save you money in the long run due to the controlled distribution of products.

If touchless dispensers are not available, grab your paper towels before you begin to wash your hands
This eliminates the risk of  re-exposing your hands after they are freshly washed. Also, grab two extra paper towels – one to grab the faucet and one to grab the door on the way out.

Look for the Hand Sanitizer Dispensers on the way out
Thankfully, many public facilities are now placing instant hand sanitizer dispensers right out side of their restrooms. Always stop to grab some if it is available.

With the flu epidemic continually gaining momentum, the safety of hand dryers became a major concern at many universities, schools, and other densely populated facilities. At the schools where outbreaks occurred, they became a big enough concern that health department officials ordered them removed and replaced with paper towel dispensers.

If a restroom you use still has a dryer, public health practitioners recommend to wash your hands, skip the dryer, and then dry your hands with napkins, paper towels, etc. in the vicinity.

Keep your kids smiling all year round with these flu safety tips!

Kids (and parents!) have one more reason to dread going back to school this year – fear of contradicting the dreaded swine flu (H1N1) virus, especially given the fact the highest number of swine flu cases occurred in those between the ages of 5-24. Luckily, since schools broke for the summer last May, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) has learned much more about the H1N1 virus and has published a new list of precautions that if followed, will significantly reduce the chances of another outbreak from occurring and will also keep students (and teachers) safely in the classroom. Follow the steps below to ensure a healthy and happy school year for all:

Stay home for at least 24 hours even after flu-like symptoms disappear
Once the symptoms of the flu disappear (fever, nausea, etc.) remain home for at least an additional 24-hours. Just because you feel 100%, doesn’t mean the flu has disappeared 100% from your body. Give it an extra 24 hours to be safe. Additionally, children under 5 years old and children in high-risk, high-contact facilities (daycare or childcare) should give themselves additional time to fully recover.

Practice good hand hygiene
The quickest and fastest way to spread the flu is through hand contact. Wash hands with soap & water for AT LEAST 20 SECONDS; especially every time you cough or sneeze. Teach your children to sing “Happy Birthday” to themselves twice when washing their hands as a good rule of thumb for a 20-second time frame.

Use Alcohol-based Hand sanitizers
The best hand cleaners are alcohol-based and contain at least 60% alcohol, such as Clorox Instant Hand Sanitizer.  If the school’s policies do not allow alcohol based hand cleaners, alternative sanitizers should still be used, such as Care Wipes Alcohol-Free Wipes, however they will not be as effective.

Wipe ALL surfaces with disinfectants
Keyboards, doorknobs, and table tops are just a few of the most common places the flu virus can be spread from if touched. Therefore, these surfaces should be disinfected routinely. Try Clorox Disinfecting Wipes to easily tackle this important task.

1) Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.

2) Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.

3) Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread that way.

4) Try to avoid close contact with sick people- Influenza is thought to spread mainly person-to-person through coughing or sneezing of infected people. If you get sick, CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.

Stock up on all your antibacterial hand soap, hand sanitizer, and disinfectant cleaners at ToiletPaperWorld.com.

As Spring Cleaning season looms just around the corner, you can start to get a head start on your cleaning routine today by opting to organize your cleaning supplies. By taking the time to get your spics and spans in a row, you can be sure that cleaning will be easier and less frustrating than you last remember. After all, Spring Cleaning can be a very rewarding experience when you get it done right. Here are the steps you need to get your supplies ready for the fight against dirt, grime and dust bunnies:

Step 1: Find A Space
Most people tend to shove their supplies under a shelf, in a cupboard, or even in a bucket in a closet. The point of organizing your cleaning supplies is to find a space where it can fit comfortably and be dedicated to storing just cleaning supplies. If you don’t have an entire closet to devote, you can always think about setting aside part of a pantry, a nook under a staircase, or even an organized bin.

Step 2: Clean Up
Sort through your supplies and sort out what’s unnecessary. If you have two half-used bottles of the same product, combine them together. Pitch brooms, mops, or rags that are worn out beyond repair. Start organizing your products by room, type, or whatever way works best for you. Try to secure loose items like brooms, rags, and bottles by tossing them in bins, buckets, or hanging them up on racks, hooks or similar.

Step 3: Stock Up
Once you’ve cleared out the clutter, replenish your supply of depleted cleaning products. ToiletPaperWorld.com is your source for finding the Cleaning Supplies You need to restore your cleaning space to where it should be – just in time for Spring Cleaning.

Wash Your Hands
Cold and flu viruses may be spread by indirect contact. Washing your hands is the best way to prevent getting sick, especially if you wash with an Antibacterial Soap. Keeping lots of Hand Sanitizer on hand is also a good bet for preventing illness.

Sanitize Common Areas
Doorknobs, toilets, trashcans, and countertops. These are the areas where germs can lurk and colds can be passed. To stop sickness in its tracks, use a disinfectant like Clorox to rid your home of bacteria, viruses, or other harmful germs. ToiletPaperWorld.com offers a great selection of disinfectants to help you get your home germ free.

Drink More Water
According to Webmed.com, water can help strengthen your immune system, keeping the flu at bay. And if you do get sick, water flushes your system, re-hydrates you and washes out the toxins. An adult should drink eight 8-ounce glasses of fluids each day. If the color of your urine is close to clear, then you are getting enough. If it’s deep yellow, drink more water.

What's under your sink?

According to a recent report issued by MSNBC.com, many of the usual household items you keep in your cabinet under your kitchen sink may not be as safe or as helpful as you originally thought. Taking a page from the report, which can be found at MSNBC.com, and adding a few tips of our own, here’s the essentials you need to stock or toss to get the most out of your under the sink storage space:

Keep: All-purpose cleaners
Pick ones with an EPA Design for the Environment label, which indicates that the ingredients are as safe as possible for the environment and you.

Keep: Rubber gloves
They protect your hands from hot water and cleaners that can irritate or dry out your skin. Choose ones that reach at least halfway up your forearm like these Latex Gloves from ToiletPaperWorld.com.

Toss: Oven cleaner
The chemicals in it can burn skin on contact, and the fumes hurt airways. Instead, sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda in a cool oven and spray with a mix of water and some liquid soap to dampen. Scrub with fine steel wool.

Keep: Disinfectants
Use these to clean a counter top where you’ve worked with raw meat or poultry. ToiletPaperWorld.com stocks several varieties, including Clorox Anywhere Hard Surface Spray to sterilize your counters or appliances before, after, and during food prep.

Toss: Sponges
Germs breed fast on these when wet, so be sure to store in a separate area. Also, “antibacterial” sponges aren’t a good option either. They’re likely treated with triclosan, an antimicrobial that might irritate sensitive skin and may harm the environment.