Mommy September 29, 2020

Kids’ Private Playgrounds Should Be Mosquito Free

Some rightly say that mosquitoes are very dangerous as they spread diseases like dengue, malaria and chikungunya. Though most of us try to keep our surroundings as safe as possible for our children, a simple mosquito bite can lead to a host of diseases like dengue, malaria and chikungunya. Most mosquito-borne diseases can be easily prevented with the application of a personal mosquito repellent. It’s important that we provide our children with safe and effective protection from all mosquitoes, which are very harmful pests.

When monsoons arrive right after summer, mosquitoes start crowding the parks, the streets and even your home! With the current situation, most of us remain homebound as much as possible. Children are playing indoors instead of heading out to play in the parks. Hence it is important we provide our children safe and effective protection from all mosquitoes as homes turn into kids’ indoor playground. A personal mosquito repellent is a solution that can be used indoors and outdoors and if it’s a natural mosquito protection, then even better. A personal repellent can be applied on the skin or clothes and are available in different forms such as Fabric Roll-On, patches, gel-based skin application. We recommend using a paediatrician certified, personal mosquito repellent for children like Goodknight Fabric Roll-On. It will give them some freedom to play and mothers can be stress-free as this personal mosquito repellent gives up to 8-hour protection from mosquitoes.

How to protect kids from mosquito-borne diseases?
In the monsoons, try as much as possible to reduce exposure to mosquitoes that can cause mosquito-borne diseases. With kids playing indoors for a longer duration of time, make sure there is no standing water in your environment and surroundings. Air coolers not in use hold stagnant water, balconies collect rainwater and must be cleaned regularly. To make the area less hospitable to insects, clean up any dead leaves or overgrown plants and trim long grasses in lawns.

For outdoor mosquito control, tell your child to avoid areas that attract flying insects, such as garbage cans, stagnant pools of water, and flowerbeds in parks. Dress your child in long pants, a lightweight long-sleeved shirt, socks, and closed shoes when you can. Mosquito netting may be used over baby prams or strollers. Goodknight Fabric Roll-On is baby safe, even for babies less than 2 months old. For 0 to 2 month old babies, you can apply on prams, cots or strollers. For babies older than 2 months, apply 4 dots on clothes. Avoid dressing your child in clothing with bright colours or flowery prints because they seem to attract insects. Avoid using strong scented soaps, perfumes, or hair sprays on your child because they may attract insects.

Why do kids need a personal mosquito repellent?
You can’t always be swatting and waving mosquitoes away with your hands, so you start looking for other solutions to this problem. While effective outdoor mosquito control is the best way to address the problem, you need to take care of mosquitoes indoors to provide your family with safe and effective protection from all mosquitoes. Controlling mosquitoes indoors, especially when you have children and pets at home needs careful consideration. You don’t want to use harsh chemicals too much in an indoor environment. All the popular insect repellents in forms of sprays and mosquito lotion are not ideal when you are sitting down for a nice family meal or TV time. You instead need a herbal mosquito repellent or a roll on mosquito repellent that can be safely used indoors, especially around food.
Ways for natural mosquito protection

a) Patch those gaps: For natural mosquito protection for your children indoors, start with patching gaps in your window screens and doors. If you do not have mosquito screens on windows, it is recommended you get some. Remember, even the smallest tear in a screen is enough for insects to enter, so patch it up. Doors are the other place where mosquitoes and bugs can get inside. Seal entrances with a door strip. House mosquitoes get into structures and also use crawlspaces, basements and cellars as quiet spots to shelter themselves during the winter.

b) Air conditioning: Air conditioning used properly and constantly provides a sealed environment and insects are less likely to enter such rooms. These basic precautions are important to consider, to avoid mosquito-borne diseases like dengue, malaria and chikungunya.

c) Mosquito repellent plants: There are some plants that act as natural mosquito repellent and can also help make your house look livelier, and are natural air fresheners. Some mosquito-repelling plants are basil, lemongrass, peppermint, clove, marigolds and garlic. Venus flytrap is an insectivorous plant and effective but be sure you can manage it. Aside from insectivorous plants, you can’t just plant a bunch of herbs and call it a day. They don’t repel mosquitoes just by existing. You have to get them to release their oils. This is fairly simple: just rub a few leaves between your fingers until they start to break apart.

How to protect babies from mosquito-borne diseases?
Keeping babies safe is even more important as mosquito-borne diseases like dengue, malaria, chikungunya can impact them more severely. Since you can’t use lotions and sprays on infants, the best way to keep your baby safe is to use a paediatrician certified and baby safe repellent like Goodknight Fabric Roll-On. For babies less than 2 months old, you can use the roll-on on prams and cots. One of the most effective ways of protecting your baby is to minimise the area of exposed skin. Dress your baby in full-length garments and avoid shorts, skirts, dresses, capris, sleeveless tops and dresses. Choose cotton garments that allow the passage of air while covering the body. Clothes should also have a loose fit, as you may have realised that mosquitoes can bite through tight-fitting clothing. For effective outdoor mosquito control, younger babies can be dressed in onesies or bodysuits that cover as much of body as possible. If you’re dressing your baby in a two-piece set, ensure the tummy is covered with a light inner vest. Or, if possible, tuck the top in the bottoms.The colours you choose also play a part. Dark colours and floral prints tend to attract insects. It is best to dress your baby in light-coloured clothing. Light colours also keep your baby cool while you provide a safe and effective protection from all mosquitoes to your baby.Mosquito nets can be very effective and have no negative health effects. Just make sure to keep nets securely attached. Check to see that no mosquitoes are caught under the net.If your baby sleeps in a cot next to your bed, keep in mind that cot nets can become ineffective if you are taking your baby out of her bed to feed or change a nappy several times a night.

Choosing the right natural mosquito repellent
Mosquitoes and other flying insects are attracted to us by the carbon dioxide in our breath as well as by our body heat. Repellents act by confusing their senses so we effectively become invisible to them. To choose the right repellent, you need to consider:
• Whetheryou are looking for protection from just mosquitoes or any other insects.

• What is the desired protection time, some personal repellents like Goodknight Fabric Roll-On provide upto8 hour protection from mosquitoes.

• It is important to consider what the active ingredient is – a herbal mosquito repellent with 100% natural actives is recommended. Each bottle of Goodknight Fabric Roll-On consists of pure citronella and eucalyptus oils. Citronella oil is an essential oil extracted from citronella grass. This oil has been known to prevent mosquito bites extremely efficiently. So much so, that many people resort to using this extract as a herbal mosquito repellent instead of chemical agents. Eucalyptus oil on the other hand is extracted from the leaves of a full grown eucalyptus tree. There are different varieties of eucalyptus but most of them work very well in repelling mosquitoes. Both citronella oil and eucalyptus oil are strong mosquito repellents but they work best when they are mixed in a perfect proportion. These oils repel mosquitoes as the repelling properties of these plants ensure that the mosquitoes are irritated with the smell of the oil and do not come near us. So when these essential oils are applied on the skin or clothes by means of a personal repellent, we become unbearable to mosquitoes and they don’t bite us giving us natural mosquito protection.

• You should look for ease of application techniques especially for children. Goodknight Fabric Roll-On is easy to use – 4 dots only applied on clothes. For babies less than 2 months old, you can apply on prams and cots. It can also be applied on beds, curtains, table cloths, giving you safe and effective protection from all mosquitoes everywhere indoors.

• You should check for feasibility for your environment. In the rains you will need something effective. Goodknight Fabric Roll-On has been tested under different conditions and is effective even in the rain. So if your child is outdoors, playing in the rain, they will still be protected from mosquitoes. If you are going for an activity like a hike or a trek, Goodknight Fabric Roll-On can be used – 4 dots only applied on your clothes. You could also apply it on your tent or your camping bag to keep the mosquitoes away. It has been tested on almost all fabrics and will even work on silk, khadi, windcheaters, etc.

Give natural mosquito protection to kids-the right way
Once you’ve chosen the right repellent for your child, take steps to maximize effectiveness and safety too for use of mosquito repellent outdoor and indoor.

• Always have an adult apply repellents to kids. For mosquito lotion, adults should apply it to their own hands, then rub the repellent onto the child. For roll on mosquito repellent, apply as prescribed. Goodknight Fabric Roll-On is made using 100% actives and natural ingredients such as citronella and eucalyptus oils. If your child accidently licks the bottle or consumes the liquid, we recommend you make your child gargle and rinse their mouth with water thoroughly. If your child shows symptoms of discomfort, we advise you to consult your doctor. Store insect repellents safely out of the reach of children.

• Apply repellents only to exposed skin or on the outside of clothing. Mosquito lotion is applied on skin and roll on mosquito repellent can be used on skin and on clothes. Even a herbal mosquito repellent on the skin for children may cause them distress so using a repellent on their clothes or fabric is a good option. Goodknight Fabric Roll-On needs 4 dots only applied on clothes. This doesn’t bother the children at all. It is also Paediatrician certified and baby safe.

• Avoid putting repellent on children’s hands as they tend to touch their face a lot. Avoid applying around their mouths and take care of any cuts, wounds, or irritated skin. To not take any chances, choose a repellent that doesn’t need to be applied to skin at all. Goodknight Fabric Roll-On has been designed to work on fabric. You can also apply it around the bed, curtains and table cloth. It does not have any known adverse effects if applied on the skin. However, few people might be allergic to its contents. If you get any irritation, please wash affected area with soap and water. If problem continues, please consult a doctor.

• Read and follow the label directions to ensure proper use, be sure you understand how much to apply. Check the label to see if there are warnings about flammability. If so, do not use around open flames or lit cigarettes.

These are some tips and pointers to keep in mind to avoid mosquito borne diseases and create a safe and effective protection from all mosquitoes in your home environment. Children are more prone to diseases and we adults should ensure we are protecting them. With the availability of affordable and natural mosquito protection with Goodknight Fabric Roll-On, you can ensure your child is safe and itch-free. Just 4 dots only applied on clothes will ensure smiles and upto8 hour protection from mosquitoes.