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Germs are a part of everyday life. Some of them are helpful, but others are harmful and cause disease. They can be found everywhere - in our air, soil, and water. They are on our skin and in our bodies. Germs are also on the surfaces and objects that we touch.

Sometimes those germs can spread to you and make you sick. For example, there could be germs on a tv remote. You could get infected with the germs if you touch the remote and then rub your eyes or nose or eat with your hands.

To avoid becoming infected by germs from surfaces and objects, it is important to wash your hands often. But you can't wash your hands every time you touch something. So it's also important to regularly clean and disinfect surfaces and objects.

Some people think that disinfecting is same thing as cleaning or sanitizing. But they are actually different:

• Cleaning removes dirt, dust, crumbs, and germs from surfaces or objects. When you clean, you will likely use soap (or detergent) and water to physically clean off the surfaces and objects. This may not necessarily kill the germs. But since you removed some of them, there are fewer germs that could spread infection to you.
• Disinfecting uses chemicals (disinfectants) to kill germs on surfaces and objects. Some common disinfectants are bleach and alcohol solutions. You usually need to leave the disinfectant on the surfaces and objects for a certain period of time to kill the germs. Disinfecting does not necessarily clean dirty surfaces or remove germs.
• Sanitizing could be done by either cleaning, disinfecting, or both. Sanitizing means that you are lowering the number of germs to a safe level. What is considered a safe level depends on public health standards or requirements at a workplace, school, etc. For example, there are sanitizing procedures for restaurants and other facilities that prepare food. What you do to sanitize will vary, depending on your needs. You might be mopping a floor using a mop, a chemical, and water. You might use a dishwasher to sanitize the dishes. Or you could be using an antibacterial wipe on a tv remote.

If you both clean and disinfect a surface or object, you can further lower the risk of spreading infection. There are products that clean and disinfect at the same time.

To prevent the spread of infection, you should regularly clean and disinfect surfaces and objects that are touched often. For example, in your house, this would include countertops, doorknobs, faucet and toilet handles, light switches, remotes, and toys.

It's important to be safe when using cleaning and disinfecting products:

• Store them in the containers they came in. Always follow the instructions and pay attention to the warnings on the label.
• Do not mix cleaners and disinfectants unless the labels say that it is safe to do so. Combining certain products (such as chlorine bleach and ammonia cleaners) can cause serious injury or even death.
• Check the label to see whether you need to use gloves to protect your hands and/or eye protection when using the products
• If you swallow, inhale, or get them on your skin, follow the directions on the label or get medical help
• Store them out of the reach of children

C. diff is a bacterium that can cause diarrhea and more serious intestinal conditions such as colitis. You may see it called other names, such as Clostridioides difficile (the new name), Clostridium difficile (an older name), and C. difficile. It causes close to half a million illnesses each year.

C. diff bacteria are commonly found in the environment, but people usually only get C. diff infections when they are taking antibiotics. That's because antibiotics not only wipe out bad germs, but they also kill the good germs that protect your body against infections. The effect of antibiotics can last as long as several months. If you come in contact with C. diff germs during this time, you can get sick. You are more likely to get a C. diff infection if you take antibiotics for more than a week.

C. diff spreads when people touch food, surfaces, or objects that are contaminated with feces (poop) from a person who has C. diff.

You are at more likely to get a C. diff infection if you:

• Are taking antibiotics
• Are 65 or older
• Recently stayed in a hospital or nursing home
• Have a weakened immune system
• Have had a previous infection with C. diff or were exposed to it

The symptoms of C. diff infections include:

• Diarrhea (loose, watery stools) or frequent bowel movements for several days
• Fever
• Stomach tenderness or pain
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea

Severe diarrhea causes you to lose a lot of fluids. This can put you at risk for dehydration.

If you have been taking antibiotics recently and have symptoms of a C. diff infection, you should see your health care provider. Your provider will ask about your symptoms and do a lab test of your stool. In some cases, you might also need an imaging test such as an x-ray or CT scan to check for complications.

Certain antibiotics can treat C. diff infections. If you were already taking a different antibiotic when you got C. diff, your provider may ask you to stop taking that one.

If you have a severe case, you may need to stay in the hospital. If you have very severe pain or serious complications, you may need surgery to remove the diseased part of your colon.

About 1 in 6 people who have had a C. diff infection will get it again within the following 2 to 8 weeks. This is called recurrent C. diff. It could be that your original infection came back or that you have a new infection. Contact your provider if your symptoms come back.

For people who keep getting C. diff infections, treatments such as fecal microbiota transplants (FMT) have shown promising results. FMT uses stool (or bacteria from stool) from a healthy donor to try to restore the balance of healthy bacteria in your intestines.

There are steps you can take to try to prevent getting or spreading C. diff:

• Wash your hands with soap and water after you use the bathroom and before you eat.
• If you have diarrhea, clean the bathroom that you used before anyone else uses it. Use bleach mixed with water or another disinfectant to clean the toilet seat, handle, and lid.

Health care providers can also help prevent C. diff infections by taking infection control precautions and improving how they prescribe antibiotics.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention