Did you know that every year the company, GSK organises the GSK Challenge. What is it? Well its a scientific competition for students in order to broaden their scientific view of the world, and get them to realize the opportunities science can bring. This is particularly of interest to me, with a 12 year old who has a real passion for science and a dream of one day becoming a Doctor. I really think these kinds of programmes are brilliant to help and encourage children to love science, and realise the potential studying science can have on them. This GSK challenge is part of the more wider and a brilliant program I think, called ‘To Challenge. To Change’.
“We are committed to innovation, widening access to our products and combating health challenges, especially in Least Developed Countries. We want to change the healthcare landscape, by collaborating with people in a sustainable way. By harnessing our scientific expertise, global reach and partnerships we can develop and make medicines, vaccines and consumer healthcare products for people who need them most.”
CEO – GSK
To challenge To change is GSK’s way of challenging some of the world’s biggest healthcare issues and creating change to improve people’s lives. For more information please go HERE.
For 2015, the GSK challenge was about germ control. The students have been asked how they can help to stop the spread of germs. So for this giveaway, I thought I would tell you a couple of my ideas to stop germs spreading, and ask you for yours in the comments below.
- Always have a anti-bacterial handwash at every sink in your house.
- Teach children to wash their hands with warm, soapy water. That the backs and fronts of the hands need to cleaned, as well as in-between the fingers. Maybe even teach them to sing a short song as they do it, so they time themselves.
- Have antibacterial spray also in each of the bathrooms, so you can quickly clean at any point of the day.
- Use this spray to clean door handles, handrails and banisters especially when anyone is ill in the house, but remember to do it regularly too.
- Use tissue paper to clean, which you flush away, to avoid spreading of germs by reusing cloths.
In order to enter the competition please use the rafflecopter :
a Rafflecopter giveaway
*Please note, if you win, The prize will be sent within 28 days of receiving the winner’s address.
Competition Terms & Conditions
There is 1 prize of £100 John Lewis vouchers. The prize is non-transferable and no cash alternative is offered
Open to UK residents aged 18 and over, excluding employees and relatives of GSK
Closing date for entries is 6th July 2015
Entrants must log into rafflecopter and leave a comment
Optional entry methods are to follow on Twitter, Facebook and tweet on twitter
The winner will be chosen at random from all valid entries
The winner will be informed within 14 days of the closing date and will need to respond with a postal address within 28 days or a new winner will be chosen
The winner’s name will be available on request
The prize will be sent within 28 days of receiving the winner’s address
Entry to this confirms that participants have read, understood and agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions
Featured Post
My biggest challenge to stop germs spreading is when people sneeze they don’t wash there hands so this spreads germs. People should wash their hands after sneezing or blowing there nose
WHEN PEOPLE DONT WASH THERE HANDS WHEN THEY SHOULD
Put some Hand sanitizer in your bag.
well my biggest challenge is getting my two boys to wash there hands, but with my youngest being 23 months it really is a losing battle xx 🙂
Clean, clean, clean. I hate when people leave cups of tea in their rooms for so long they go mouldy ! Germ central
Stop spitting in the street
Always carry a hand sanitizer!
I think just making sure to clean up the kitchen very well, is the best thing to stop spreading germs. I think I remember reading the kitchen sink is actually dirtier than a bathroom!
when people cough or sneeze without putting their hand over their mouth! eew!
Use hand sanitizer and sneeze into a tissue and bin it x
Regularly cleaning door handles/light switches and remote controls, everything likely to be touched by a lot of people. And when you wash your hands, don’t forget to scrub under your nails especially before and after handling raw meats.
I know it sounds insane but I heard that nobody ever washes their hands for long enough for it to be properly effective and that you should sing the ‘happy birthday’ song twice in your head and that’s how long you should wash your hands for.
I replaced all of our bins with pedal ones to help reduce the risk of our hands picking up germs when touching the lid.
My kids come in from school with all sorts of bugs so I have always encouraged them to cover their mouths when coughing, to use a tissue when sneezing or blowing their nose (then bin it) and to wash their hands before meals. So one of my biggest challenges is to prevent bugs form spreading to home from school and then to other family members!
I am a bit of a cleanaholic too so I am always spraying and wiping my surfaces with antibacterial sprays and wipes.
A good tip: Encourage your children/family members to cough or sneeze into the crook of their elbow and not their hand — if they don’t have a tissue. That means fewer germs get on their hands, which means they’re less likely to spread their germs through touch!
The constant use of mobile phones is a nightmare, people take them into the loo and then they get covered in germs that spreads like crazy. Phones are banned form our bathroom!
I make sure it i keep washing my hands before I pick up my baby or do something for her. Kill any germs that may be on my hands. Also we have a tommee Tippee Sangenic Nappy Disposal bin that locks all germs and smells in so they don’t spread, then recycle them weekly with my local council.
my idea is to ban anti-bacterial spray ! i think it causes more problems than it solves!
people that dont wash their hands before handling food x
A nightmare with a cat and a dog in the household!
Always have hand sanitiser handy!
I’m trying to teach my 7 year old about germs and what they do in the hopes that he will keep the good habits of washing his hands and covering his mouth when he coughs or sneezes.
Hand gel ensures that the germs are regularly killed
I’ve taught my 4 and 5 year olds to sneeze in to their elbow. So many people sneeze in to their hands, and then continue touching stuff!
i work in a chemists so everyone i come in contact with has germs so i use a lot of hand sanitizer
I carry anti-bac gel in my handbag to use when I’m out shopping, I shudder to think how many germs there are on coins, not to mention cashiers hands.
Make sure kids wash their hands after playing with pets.
instil in kids from an early age the risk of not appreciating the importance of good hygiene
Wash your hands. Don’t touch escalator rails!
My biggest challenge stopping germs spreading, is making sure my kids wash their hands regularly.
Note to Esso, BP, Shell etc., stick a hand sanitizer next to your petrol pumps!
use hand sanitisers
my biggest challenge at the moment is trying to get my 3 year old to understand that he needs to put his hand over his mouth when he coughs or sneezes. when i tell him to put his hand over his mouth he just looks at his hand and then looks at me as if iv got 3 heads haha
I carry hand gel everywhere!
I find you can’t neglect..telephones, doorknobs, kitchen and bathroom handles and the computer..lots of germs..a bit of an old tip..now Dr’s suggest sneezing into the crook of your arm instead of hands…now to get everyone to do this is a challenge.
I always drum into my family to wash their hands especially when kids are at school as that is where they pick up all sorts
People who don’t wash their hands after using the bathroom – something which is scarily common!
teach your kids to wash hands properly – you have to start them when they are young. I know lots of guys don’t wash them after going to toilet.(Didn’t they learn it when toddlers?)
Things like handles, taps, remote controls, keyboards…ensuring that everything potentially touched by lots of people are regularly cleaned.
Carry hand gel in your handbag or pocket just incase you need it x
I use White Vinegar for cleaning, especially in the kitchen and bathroom, it is apparently the best thing to use for killing germs etc, I use it in a spray bottle diluted with water, saves alot on cleaning products, I also use it as an air freshener and to freshen curtains and rugs x
I work in a huge open plan building and germs spread far too easily, our cleaners aren’e the most in depth either so I constantly use sanitiser
lots of hanwashing and hand gel and cover your nose/mouth with a tissue when coughing and sneezing
people spitting violates me.. it is the most vile thing ever… People need to be hold how much that spreads germs
I’m a big fan of anti-bacterial hand gel and always carry some in my bag. Luckily my kids are happy to use it too, which I am sure must have some impact on the germs we must come in contact with on our travels.
Avoiding cross contamination when cooking
Coins & notes carry a lot of germs when you think of how many different people handle them, so maybe a germ free coin & note could be good.
I read a strange one recently that if you keep a cut onion in the open in the house it absorbs all the germs and keeps the family healthy – I want to try it but not sure about having the smell of onion all the time! I prefer essential oils, a spray with lemon and tea tree and eucalyptus – but the top tip of yours and everyone else’s of washing your hands is the best one!
I clean every day, no shoes in the house, no pets and everyone washes their hands regularly.
I wash my hands often, especially each time I return home from a shopping trip.
take a handbag size alcohol spray everywhere you go xx
I always keep alcohol hand gel in my handbag, encourage my children to wash their hands after toileting playing outside etc and to use tissues when you sneeze .
I would love to see hand sanitizer or washing facilities available in more places.
I am an Emergency Dept manager so it is handwashing all the way! we have hand washers everywhere, dispensers for hand gel and personal hand gel. We audit handwashing as well and I am always washing my hands at home too!
Wash their hands after being on the computer, especially if it is someone else’s computer. Keyboards are often filthy and previous users may have sneezed into the keyboard, yuksville gross!
much more hand washing needed especially before eating.
Hand washing, I always carry a hand sanitizer when out and about with the kids
I have a dog so my main worry about germs, is what he is bringing into the house on his paws.
My biggest challenge is having a small baby in a house with a cat & a grubby big brother!
This is a very real and current topic for us at the moment with our 3 year old being on chemo drug Methotrexate which leaves her with reduced immunity so we are very conscious of protecting her from germs at the moment.
The biggest issue we face, and I think can really be improved on, is educating people about the spread of germs. When kids go back to school / nursery the next day after being sick, that spreads germs – yet often people think it is ok as soon as the sickness stops. They should stay off school for 48 hours after vomitting / diarrhoea has ended.
We see many kids (and adults) leave public loos without washing their hands – So even the message about the importance of handwashing needs to be told to people.
We taught our children from a very young age to wash their hands and why it was crucial so now they are very good at doing it.
So I think my key idea would be to focus on education so people learn why / how to stop germs spreading.
I try to be as clean as possible, but there’s an amount of germs we need around us to build up our immune system so that when the really harmful germs arrive we are able to fight them off. I fight germs by cleaning around the house every week, but I make sure my keds have outside time and don’t get too comfy in front of the sofa too. Balance – that’s the key.
However, do not forget to wash hands after the loo, or changing cat litter, or bins… 🙂
poor washing facilities when out and about – feel like a supersantizer when we go out….:(
always wash hands before eating with hands, hands are the biggest spreader.
and after washing hands after going loo, try not to touch door handle – all the people who havent washed their hands have touched that handle!!!!
I like to use antibacterial spray on my worktops in my kitchen daily. My biggest challenge is getting my 10 year old to wash her hands!
Using antibacterial spray on the door handles!
I never use a tea towel. I try to let items dry naturally or use kitchen paper.
i always carry hand sanitiser and antibacterial wipes in my handbag helps stop me getting other peoples germs
When you are out and about always carry a hand sanitizer
Our handbags bottoms harbour lots of germs wipe them with antibac wipes and don’t plonk ur bag on the kitchen work tops it could have been on the floor of the bus or train or even the public loo 🙂
Hand sanitisers area good way to stop germs spreading.
Wet wipes are NOT a good idea – they spread germs.
My biggest challenge is keeping my floors germ free. I have three dogs, so when the kids decide to play on the floor, I need to be sure they are clean!
Washing and brushing teeth several times a day.
I have to take medication that destroys my immune system which obviously means that even minor infections by bacteria or viruses are potentially life-threatening. My biggest challenge is trying to explain to people that I don’t want to be invited to their house when they’ve got a stinking cold because I may not be able to fight it off in the normal way. I’m surprised how many people are happy to knowingly subject me to the risk, and even think that it’s funny !!! 😉 x
Washing of hands is an absolute must!
Taking anti bacterial wipes and gel in your handbag is great and so handy for the car or while out and about with your little ones.
Washing hands and using anti bac gel when out and about.
after shaking hands and kissing chick to chick wash face and hands
Always carry hand sanitizer with you and if you’re at the supermarket checkout and the person serving you either coughs or sneezes on their hands or even worse wipes their nose with their hands,ask them to wash their hands before they touch your shopping.I’ve done it a few times regardless of the queue behind me.I think it’s disgusting.
Toilet doors, you wash your hands then touch the handle of the toilet door!! so many germs… i hate it and always open the door with a spare piece of toilst paper.
Wash hands regularly and keep wet wipes in your pocket.
Good hand washing, and encouraging people to be realistic and not to come into work when they are ill. Its great when people are able to work from home and not share germs!
Teach your Children to wash their hands with warm, soapy water, and have a Anti-bacterial Handwash at every sink in the House. I have also Entered, Liked and Shared for this Fantastic Giveaway, Thanks a lot
My children have always been really good at washing their hands so it makes me really cross when I see people leave public toilets without washing their hands.I use my elbow or a tissue to open the door on the way out.
My wife constantly cleans up after herself and everyone, and has a firm “Don’t put it down, put it away” policy in our house!
Just keep things clean. It’s really that simple. No need to be excessive, but it does need to be done, regularly and thoroughly and with suitable products.
keep tilets and sinks clean and wash dishcloths after a single use
Getting my daughter to wash her hands is a struggle as she has ASD and is pre-verbal.
Always have hand sanitiser nearby
Having 2 dogs is a battle in this house…I make sure I take wipes and sanitiser to wipe my hands when I walk them and have to pick up their poop, and constantly remind my son to wash his hands after playing with them in the garden etc 🙂
Biggest challenge is at work, when serving customers who have just sneezed into their hands (or worse!) anti-bac gel is a consant in my pocket!
Biggest problem I have found with germs spreading is public transport. So many errant sneezes and coughs.
Always keep your hands clean
my biggest challenges is not by keeping my house clean , which I do, and insisting people wash hands etc, its seeing all the hygienic bad practises on pubic transport and supermarket toilets. etc. I think the oublic at large needs a coherent education programme to remind them how to keep clean.
I believe that if you are too careful and keep your house too clean, then immunity does not build up and your are more likely to catch illnesses. They always said “a little dirt does nobody any harm” and I think that there is some truth to this.
Keep food covered if it’s not in the fridge as flies spread germs. Make sure everyone in the family has a good hand washing routine and keep an eye on friends coming to play, most of them will have to be told to wash their hands.
As a mum of a young child with a cat and a dog, I find keeping gems at bay a constant battle. It seems like the second I wipe a surface the cat jumps up on it, my daughter spills something on it or the dog licks it.
Teach children to wash there hands frequently and properly & keep a hand sanitizer in your bag when you out.
Reminding children to use their hands when they cough and sneeze
Hand washing and I always use hand sanitiser when I’ve been shopping, Drs appointments etc
washing hands frequently and not kissing when someone has a viral infection
In all honesty I really don’t obsess about them..I do believe your body only builds up immunity when it has to deal with them.. I’ve never worried too much, have a large family and we are very rarely ill.
Put the toilet lid down before flushing! The flush action sprays bits of toilet water everywhere that are totally full of bacteria and germs. Its revolting considering most people have their toothbrushes or face towels nearby that will end up getting splattered!
I have Anti-bac handwash in my bathroom and downstairs toilet instead of a bar of mucky soap. x
i just try and clean surfaces and worktops as much as i can
When people sneeze and dont put there hand in front of the mouth/nose and then dont wash there hands.
Using antibacterial spray on the door handles and doors and stair banister
Getting my child to wash his hands consistently.
good hand washing is always good
I think avoiding cross contamination in the kitchen is a really important one…my parents had a boarding house when I was young and I no how dangerous it can be from working in their kitchen
My biggest challenge is getting Amy to remember to cover her mouth when coughing. She’s always bouncing an running around that she often forgets.
I have found a great hand sanitiser called Ecohydra – it’s a foam not a gel, and does not leave a sticky feeling like some can. My daughter does not get chance to wash her hands before she eats school lunch, so she has one in her lunch bag. I always have one in my handbag too. For combating germs at home, I use an antibacterial spray on work surfaces, door handles, etc. In the bathroom I scrub bleach around the loo each day and then use flushable loo wipes to clean the seat. I like it all to be clean!
I think the biggest challenge in stopping germs spreading is other people, you can teach your family what to do but all it needs is for them to touch something that someone who hasn’t washed their hands has touched. I think we need more education in genereal about the importance of personal hygeine
My biggest challenge is my girls passing germs between each other. If one of them gets a bug, the other undoubtedly does, despite my efforts!! They tell me that they “can’t help cuddling each other”
use dettol on all your dirty sufaces
Carrying a little bottle of hand sanitizer everywhere
Keep a bottle of sweet smelling hand gel in your handbag, car and at the office to help prevent the spread of germs
Try and educate people to cover their nose/mouth when sneezing and coughing – use a tissue and wash hands afterwards!!
Making sure that people abide by basic hygiene rules – blowing nose, washing hands, no spitting or sneezing on people.
I watched a video on YouTube with my kiddies about Germs in, its a cartoon and child friendly making it easy for them to understand, We call Germs the ‘Invisible Grotters’ and the kiddies really responded well, now they are brilliant at washing hands after going to the toilet, before meal times and when we get home. When we are out I Carry 2-3 bottle of hand sanitiser which is great for using on public toilets, door handles, hands. My kids also sneeze into their elbows. x
Using hand sanitiser as well as regular hand washing
A small bottle of hand sanitizer on a clip which I can clip to my handbag or pants so it’s easily accessible 🙂
Always wash your hands
Yuk, germs! I ask everyone to take their shoes off at the front door of my home; I always carry antiseptic gel in my handbag to use before I eat or drink when I’m out and, after making coffee, I use the last little bit of boiling water in the kettle to douse my chopping boards.
Trying to get my children to wash their hands regularly and do it properly! I keep sanitizer on me at all times now!
I AM ALWAYS WIPING DOWN THE DOOR HANDLES ANDD THINGS LIKE THAT, IT HELPS
When you are out and about make sure you have sanitizer with you and wipes ♥♥
I change towels daily and also I like to buy the cheapest toilet brushes that I can find rather than the expensive decorative sort as I think you should change these dirty things monthly. It would also be nice if the dog could learn to wipe its feet but never mind….
I wish people would just stay at home when they are ill, so they dont spread their germs to the workplace etc.
Cover your mouth when you sneeze, it is basic but I know many that don’t do that.
Anyway would absolutely love to win this fabulous prize draw xxx
Julieanne
I make sure my husband and children wash their hands as soon as they come into the house. This prevents the spread of bacteria and viruses they have picked up on buses, etc. – they can live for days on surfaces.
Use hand sanitiser
I don’t think it is that good for your health or the environment to be using too many anti bacterial products. With 2 boys though I do worry about the germs they spread – I think the best way to help with this is to teach them a good hand washing technique – I tell them to ‘clean your hands like a doctor’, and to keep their nails nice and short.
I don’t like using public toilets as so many people don’t wash their hands before they leave so I always have wipes with me.
Having a sanitizer in handbag 🙂
My biggest challenge is my daughter! She sucks her thumb so is always picking up bugs etc, I have to constantly check she has washed her hands
Such a lovely cause! When it comes to hygiene I am very strict and teach my kids to wash their hands properly. I believe that antibacterial products are sometimes not such a good idea because using them too often can cause the immune system to become weaker.