Keep your family virus-free with these tips

Here are five great tips to help keep you and your kids virus-free:

1. Sanitize toothbrushes. Help prevent colds during the cold-and-flu season by putting all the toothbrushes in the dishwasher every few days. Buy new toothbrushes after an illness. Use disposable cups in the bathroom.

2. Stay Clean. Wash hands frequently, for 20 seconds each time. Children should sing "Happy Birthday" twice in 20 seconds.

3. Wash bedding. When your child is healthy again, wash his or her bedding with hot water.

READ MORE: More tips to beat illnesses this season

4. Humidify. If you don't own a steamer or humidifier, boil water on the stovetop with the lid off or use an electric coffee maker. Just be sure that the hot water is safely away from children.

5. Keep cool. Put a feverish child in a lukewarm tub and let him or her blow bubbles. When the child gets bored, feed him or her a Popsicle right in the tub. There's no mess, and the fever comes down.