Everyday household health: the practical things that prevent problems, and a clear line about where a website stops.
The household basics that genuinely prevent illness
- Handwashing, properly, with soap and for long enough. Still the most effective single
measure there is.
- Food temperatures. Fridge at or below 5C, leftovers cooled and refrigerated within two
hours, reheated until piping hot throughout, and only once.
- Separate boards and knives for raw meat, or wash thoroughly between.
- Ventilation, which matters for airborne illness and for
damp and mould, and is the same action for both.
- A working smoke alarm and a carbon monoxide alarm. Test them. CO is odourless and the
symptoms look like flu, which is why it is so dangerous.
A sensible medicine cupboard
Painkillers you can take, antihistamine, rehydration salts, plasters and a proper dressing, a thermometer, antiseptic, and magnesium sulphate paste for splinters. Check dates once a year. Keep it locked or high if there are children.
Call 999 for
Chest pain, difficulty breathing, signs of stroke (face drooping, arm weakness, speech difficulty), heavy bleeding that will not stop, a seizure in someone who does not have epilepsy, a rash that does not fade under a glass, or anyone who cannot be roused.
Call 111 for
Anything you are unsure about that is not the above. That is exactly what it is for, and it is available at all hours.