Keeping little ones hands clean?

[JessZacc]

Wondering what I can use to keep my 9/mo olds hands clean at Disney? I can't put the antibacterial on his hands because it says not to use on children under 6. I usually just wipe his hands with wipes if he touches shopping carts etc. but with there being so many ppl and germs going around is there anything that you reccomend?

 

[blessedby3]

I have been using hand sanitizer on my dd since she was about that age. Never knew you werent supposed to, but we have had no problems. She is 2 now. I only use it when I cant actually wash them at a sink. Dont know what your other options would be besides the wiping them off with baby wipes or washing them in the sink when you can.

 

[JessZacc]

Maybe I could just use a little bit on his hands if need be? I didn't know if they made like antibacterial wipes for babies or something? But I haven't heard of them..

 

[tinkerfan1]

We brought anti-bacterial Wet Ones with us. You can buy individual little packets but that is more expensive than what we did. We just bought the canisters and put a whole bunch in baggies every day. I just looked at the canister and it says, "children under 2 consult a doctor" so you could ask a doctor if they were ok. I never realized there was an age limit, either. My kids are older. Of course, you could always use the same theory with just wet or soapy paper towels in a baggy, too, if the wet ones can't be used.

 

[dsneybride]

I also am afraid of hand sanitizers with my 3yr old since she sucks her thumb. I found a foam sanitizer at Target that was alcohol free. It definitly put me at ease.

 

[Tiger926]

Our kids have been washing their hands since approx. that age - once you start them on this practice, they will carry it on.

You could use a non-alcohol sanitizer like Soapopular, Wet Ones or One Step.

Good luck with your babe, Tiger

 

[Mandychelle79]

We just use wet wipes when hands are grimey/sticky. I dont use antibacterial things with my kids at all. I dont wipe down the stroller, i dont wipe down the cart. Kids need to be exposed to germs, it's how the immune system learns to function.

 

[Millermom0606]

We just use wet wipes when hands are grimey/sticky. I dont use antibacterial things with my kids at all. I dont wipe down the stroller, i dont wipe down the cart. Kids need to be exposed to germs, it's how the immune system learns to function.

^^^this^^^

AND

I didn't really find that our little ones got all that grimey except when they were eating, and then I either took them to the bathroom or used a baby wipe

 

[JessZacc]

thanks everyoene for your ideas that helps!!

 

[puffkin]

We just use wet wipes when hands are grimey/sticky. I dont use antibacterial things with my kids at all. I dont wipe down the stroller, i dont wipe down the cart. Kids need to be exposed to germs, it's how the immune system learns to function.

Agreed. DS is never sick either...I usually just used the regular baby wipes to clean him up since I already had them with me and they were nice and gentle. Now that he is older I just carry a little packet of the wet ones for when he gets messy and we aren't close to a sink. We don't use a lot of anti bacterial products and my family is never sick compared to all our friends/coworkers/daycare kids.

 

[kbheap]

I use the sanitizer on my kids hands. DD (4) does it herself. DS(1), I put it on my hands and rub it into his hands when only a small amt is left on my hands.

 

[dsneybride]

Agreed. DS is never sick either...I usually just used the regular baby wipes to clean him up since I already had them with me and they were nice and gentle. Now that he is older I just carry a little packet of the wet ones for when he gets messy and we aren't close to a sink. We don't use a lot of anti bacterial products and my family is never sick compared to all our friends/coworkers/daycare kids.

Until she was about 5, everytime we went to Disney my dd would come home sick!

 

[syudelson]

I think the reason some sanitizers have an age restriction is that they're worried about kids eating it -- but check with your doctor if you're worried. Assuming there's no sink, I usually just use baby wipes to wash my kids hands unless I think they need a little extra germ fighting (petting zoo, trading toys with a child with an oozing nose, etc.) then I will use sanitizer to kill the germs and then wipe it of with a baby wipe. The residue that sanitizers leave on your hands does not taste good -- learned that the hard way using it before eating once.

 

[micheleq]

There's a brand of kids anti-bacterial wipes called Sani-Hands, comes in large containers as well as individually packaged wipes. Those are great to have on hand.

I think the main issue with the hand santitizing gel is that it is dangerous if kids digest it (you put in on their hands and the hand goes right in the mouth). If you're in a pinch and need to use it, I wouldn't worry

 

[Lstar311]

Johnson and Johnson makes washclothes with soap on them, its really for giving a baby a bath but I bet if you cut them in half or quarters and brought along a bottle of water to wet them with you'd be good. I use hand sanitizer on my 2 year old but I didn't use them when he was younger.

 

[Jaylin]

We just use wet wipes when hands are grimey/sticky. I dont use antibacterial things with my kids at all. I dont wipe down the stroller, i dont wipe down the cart. Kids need to be exposed to germs, it's how the immune system learns to function.

Glad we're not the only ones!!!! This is us too! We don't use antibacterial anything. No wiping thing downs.....at 9mo is the baby really going to be touching anything other than your stroller? I would be wiping them with wipes after the eat and their hands are dirty.

And I agree, kids need to be exposed to germs. My SIL is a freak about germs and uses anti bacterial everything, constantly.....it's a running joke in our family that she has the sickest kids....they get everything that comes down the line. My 4 are healthy 99% of the time (knock on wood!)

 

[pixarmom]

We have just washed hands before eating, and made a point of finding a bathroom to use soap and water. But if something else comes up, and we don't have a bathroom nearby, I carry wipes and a travel sized bottle of J&J baby soap. We just put a bit of soap on the wipes, and then clean off with a second wipe.