Tell Andrex® how you remind your DCs and the rest of the family about the importance of keeping clean - £250 spa voucher and a month's supply of Andrex® toilet tissue to be won! NOW CLOSED

[MichelleMumsnet]

Following the thread earlier this month about the honest things your DC say whilst learning to keep clean, the team at Andrex® would now love to share their “Andrex® Clean Routine” with you and find out how you encourage cleanliness with your family.

Andrex® say, “One in 5 of us doesn’t know, or isn’t sure of how best to keep their bottom clean, which is why we’ve developed the Clean Routine.”

Andrex® want to know what you think – how do you encourage your family, from toddler to partner to keep their intimate areas clean? Have you got any other tips that you have shared with your family that work well?

Add your comment to this thread and you’ll be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £250 Spa voucher and a months supply of Andrex®. Please note comments may be used by MN and Andrex® on social media, on the Andrex® pages on MN or possibly elsewhere: anon of course – but please only add your comment if you’re happy for it to be used like this!

Thanks and good luck,


MNHQ

[Pinter]

Wipe with a new piece of toilet paper til there's nothing left. Then use a moist wipe & a final piece of toilet paper.

Always wash hands using soap & dry with a clean towel. I also prefer to use a nail brush & followed up by hand cream. This is probably too much for the toddler & DP

[Pinter]

And hand washing after putting the bins out

[MerryMarigold]

Oh I forgot, Andrex's worst nightmare. A CLEANIE. (Only myself and ds2 seem to do these, maybe it's genetic!).

[unquietmind]

We are a big family and can't afford the top brands so we but cheaper stuff but can't do much better. If I leave wet wipes out my teens block the toilet with them and I don't know what's happened with them lately but they've all regressed and stopped flushing! If Andrex could help I would be most grateful!!! Regular showers, clean underwear, no synthetics to stop sweaty bums, front to back, wash hands. . . Remind daily!

[StampyIsMyBoyfriend]

I remind him of the germs that will end up in his tummy if he doesn't wash his hands.

[Hopezibah]

I always encourage them to ask for help if they need it. I would rather they weren't embarassed about asking for help so I can check rather than not be clean or let their bottoms get sore from not wiping properly.

[stephgr]

my children are really good after lots of gentle coaxing about wiping. My youngest wasn't great with hand-washing but since I started buying handwash in garish colours he's been really keen!

[mckenzie]

We have hand made posters on the walls in the family bathroom and on the bathroom door reminding the DCs to wipe, flush and wash.
We also use really soft toilet paper and the moist wipes and have them in all toilets so nobody can get caught short.

[sc00ter]

When my kids were smaller we bought those Kandoo wipes which were good and with that character on the front of the box my kids loved that. So I would then only have to say Kandoo and they would shout we can.

We also had a chart on the bathroom wall that we would attach stickers to when they remembered to wipe and flush the loo without being asked.
Also a sticker for washing there hands afterwards.

The only trouble was when we went out - say for example shopping in the supermarket and use the toilets - and you know you have seen it yourselves someone comes in uses the loo and DOES NOT WASH THEIR HANDS. well my daughter would say "Err that lady hasn't washed her hands.

OK not good to see in a supermarket loo, or any where for that matter - but you still want to die....

[RichTeaAreCrap]

Andrex moist wipes were fantastic when we started off with the toilet training.

They then got the hang of the rules - front to back, wipe until clean, when they are clean get another sheet of paper and check again. I find decent toilet paper a must have because there is nothing worse than trying to encourage them to do it but having flimsy toilet paper that falls apart despite their efforts. Then wash their hands before they touch anything at all. Every morning and evening they have to wash their bum, either in the bath or in the shower. Even if they were just having a wash down at the sink (occasional at weekends before bed) they knew that bum was one of the areas that MUST be washed.

[JimBobplusasprog]

I'm in the minority not understanding how suddenly adults need to be "taught" a correct hygeine routine. Bollocks. Andrex is having a marketing jaunt trying to persuade us that we've all got it wrong and have somehow been dirty all our lives but their moist wipes will solve all our embarrassing poo problems.

In reality we don't need moist wipes, they block the sewers and should be binned rather than flushed (eww). None of my friends and acquaintances have suffered lack-of-moist-wipes related health issues and nor do they smell bad.

Can't people see this is a fairly transparent ad campaign to make us use more loo roll and adopt moist wipes?

As for my own family, I don't think I have asked any of them since school age whether their bum is clean or not, particularly my husband as it's patronising and unnecessary.

[NicNak71]

My 2 year old is like an Andrex puppy, Getting her to not use the entire roll and stuff it all down the toilet is my problem. She loves wiping as it's a great excuse to play with the toilet roll.

They both are getting the hang of front to back wiping and I have discovered that the novelty value of pump hand soap means that they always want to wash their hands.

I also give them some hand gel to rub on and again they seem to enjoy the novelty factor of doing this.

I carry hand gel when we go out and a couple of paper towels as my eldest has a profound fear of electric hand driers and she would refuse to wash her hands if they are the only means of drying.

[Kelloges0811]

I am on top of this at home with my 3 (son) and 6 (daughter) year olds. Using seperate piece of toilet roll for different private parts, dabbing the front and wiping the back and using an andrex wet wipe when needed too. Advising not to touch private parts without the tissue and ensuring paper is clean before they lift themselves of the toilet. They both know to flush the toilet with the lid down (not to spread germs) and to wash hands straight away using liquid soap, rinsing properly and drying properly too. My daughter goes to the bathroom on her own and I follow my son up the stairs and stand outside the bathroom (he tells me too but wants me up the stairs with him) he tells me what he is doing (everything and what he is doing to clean himself) i check he is ok and help him with the tap as we have had a few full on tap moments ;o). at nursery school the children go alone and i worry they do not ensure he is clean but i try to tell myself he does it correctly at home so no reason why he doesn't know what to do at nursery.

[milliemoon]

I just prompt my child. I'm sure that soon this will become as important as teeth cleaning for example.

[custardcream1000]

We have just tried to encourage our children to independently wipe, flush and wash their hands since they have been small. When my oldest son was younger I would always supervise him cleaning his bum and hands and he would get a sticker for trying.

I have also taught my 6 year old to always do two extra wipes once he thinks he has finished wiping to make sure he's not missed anything. He then washes his hands using a crocodile story to ensure his hands are cleaned properly.

[Lindy2]

We talk about Sicky germs and how to keep clean. When potty training we do practice wiping games.

[RhinosAreFatUnicorns]

I always make sure DD wipes and washes her hands. A downstairs loo is a blessing for keeping an eye on her. She knows to shout if she's done a poo. So we (and our neighbours) often hear "mummy, me done a big poo and it's smelly)

[Fizzyplonk]

To ensure hands are washed properly I tell DS

The soap helps pull the germs off his hands
He then needs to rinse his hands well to wash them off, otherwise he just has soapy germs on his hands.

Otherwise our main thing is making sure he uses enough paper per wipe 1/4 sheet not enough even for a small bum!
Maybe alternating coloured sheets would help with this!

[ssmile]

Trying to teach my DD to fold the paper not scrunch it up so she can wipe properly, but how do I stop her "sliding" off the toilet seat and covering her bum with wee! We use moist toilet paper for no2s and wash with soap but youngest DD is terrified of the very noisy high intensity hand dryers in public loos so try's to avoid washing her hands so she doesn't have to use the dryers. We do sprinkling rain hands instead after washing which makes it fun for her (she only 2.5yrs) in public loos.

[Keepcalmanddrinkwine]

I lead by example. By modelling good hygiene I'm hoping the children will follow suit.

I have also explained why it's important to keep clean (all areas) to stop the spread of germs, bugs and worms. We are very fortunate to be a family with few tummy bugs over the years and I do think good personal hygiene has helped.

[Carriecakes80]

My littlest is fastidiously clean, unlike her siblings lol, and when it comes to botty wiping, she has it nailed! Just use an entire roll of toilet paper, and flush flush flush until you have to swim out of the bathroom!
Thankfully she is now out of this habit! lol but there was a time when DD believed that tissue paper wasn't soft enough, and decided to use daddies dressing gown.......he wasn't impressed lol.
Now she wipes twice, and if in doubt, wipes again, & washing her handies afterwards she still uses enough soap to foam up the sink, but hey, as long as she's clean! ;-)

[Boobyandthebeads67]

No tricks here. Just gentle reminders to wipe from front to back & then to wash their hands after flushing the toilet.

[splendidpup]

Just keep wiping till that paper comes away clean!

[MichelleMumsnet]

Thanks to everyone who posted. Congrats to MerryMarigold who has won the prize draw! We'll be in touch shortly.