Winter is upon us. Listen carefully! I hear the annual march of the winter sickbugs.

If you are cleaning up after a sick child, a good nontoxic way to clean and deodorize affected furniture, floor or carpet is first to clean the area, then sponge on a solution of three parts white vinegar mixed with one part warm water. The vinegar solution works well for cleaning and deodorizing after pet accidents, too.

Usually stomach bugs come and go quickly. Scratchy throats, sore ears, stuffy noses and chest congestion linger on and on and on. All parents have awakened to the sound a child’s dry, hacking, nighttime cough.

Most pediatric cold preparations are no longer available. How are we to treat the dry hack, tickle-in-the-throat cough?

Homemade remedies such as lemon juice and honey will bring temporary relief. Another option is sliced sweet onions simmered in brown sugar and strained for the rich, cough-easing syrup. Always, ALWAYS check with your child’s doctor before using any type of home remedy cough syrup. Honey is not recommended for babies under 1 year.

Don’t you wonder why the family catches so many sick bugs during winter? In cold weather, families spend more time inside, so there is more close physical contact. There is a cougher in your aerobics class. Kids sneeze and cough in the classroom and on the school buses. A cashier coughs in her hand before giving your change. It’s cold so we are reluctant to open the windows and air out our houses. Another factor may be that we don’t include as many fresh fruits and veggies in our diets in winter.

Scrub-a-dub
All agree that good hygiene is the bottom line. If the kids will just wash their hands and keep their hands off their faces, they are one step ahead in the germ race. We remind them to wash; they tune us out.

So, shift the emphasis. Tell them the story of soap. Maybe the desire to wash hands will be a byproduct!

According to archeological finds in Babylon, cylinders dated around 800 B.C. contained a soaplke substance made from fats boiled with ashes.

Through the centuries many cultures made soap-like products derived from animal fats and ashes. Middle Eastern soaps contained vegetable fats and herbs.

During wartime, some traditional soap-making products were not available so other ingredients such as petroleum products were substituted; soaps thus became detergents.

Phosphates and other chemicals from detergents were pollutants, however, and eventually, detergents were reformulated to become more earth-friendly.

To nurture the little hand-washing seed, why not have family soap making party? All you need is a couple of bars of clear glycerin soap; essential oil such as cinnamon, citrus or lavender; soap molds, and a microwave-safe measuring cup. Your kids can grease the molds with vegetable oil while you cut the glycerin into chunks and zap in the microwave to melt it.
When the glycerin is in liquid form, add the scent, then pour carefully into the molds. Items might be added after the glycerin is poured, such as small trinkets, glitter or even money. Cool for 1 hour. If the soap does not pop out of the molds, stick in the freezer for 10 minutes.

Kid-safe cleaning
When we clean, we don’t always include the kids. And for good reason: Read the cleaning product labels. Most say keep out of the reach of children, may irritate eyes and toxic if swallowed. But if you make non-toxic cleaning products, your kids can help clean. You probably have everything on hand: lemon juice, baking soda and white vinegar. For a mini-volcanic drain-cleaning experience, the kids can measure and pour 1/2 cup baking soda into the drain. Next they measure and pour 1 cup of white vinegar into the drain. When the fizzing bubbling action stops, you pour 1 quart of boiling water into the drain.

Housebound kids need to work off energy. They can polish furniture. In a blender, combine 4 tablespoons lemon juice with 4 tablespoons of olive oil. Blend until it is mixed well, then pour in a jar with a top. Shake if the polish begins to separate. To polish furniture, moisten a soft cloth in the polish and wipe the surface. Wait for about five minutes, then vigorously rub the surface with a clean, soft cloth.

Time to dust? Combine 1 teaspoon olive oil with 4 tablespoons of white vinegar. Dampen the kids’ dust cloths with the solution and send them around the house on the great dust bunny challenge.

‹ Heidi Maness Hartwiger, a Wheeling native, is a writer, teacher and storyteller. She is the author of two books, “All Join Hands: The Forgotten Art of Playing With Children” and “A Gift of Herbs.” She is a mother of four and a grandmother of five.