a green clean

Call it virgin hand sanitizer and you'd be right--it has no alcohol! CleanWell All Natural Hand Sanitizers ($2.99 to $3.50) are not only safe to use on your kids but come in convenient pocket sized sprays, wipes, desktop bottles and easy to use foams. Stash one in your handbag, one in your diaper bag, one in your desk drawer and on your foyer table for quick cleaning before entering your home. I love the spray version since you can cover a greater surface area--especially when your kids are busy playing with a toy and don't want to give you the time of day when you're trying to apply it. Plus, the new orange vanilla scent makes your hands smell clean and fresh. Available at Whole Foods Market, select Target stores, Babies R Us, Vitamin Shoppe, GNC, www.Amazon.com, and other retailers.

fight swine flu: wash your hands!

If you spend your days out and about, you know the value of having a travel size hand cleanser in your diaper bag. The playground, playgroups, classes and kid-friendly restaurants are all great places to find much unwanted germ-fests. And with the prospect of the swine flu looming, you have one more major reason to keep your bag well-stocked. There are a ton of hand sanitizers on the market, so you may think it's tough to find one that's right for your baby. Try the Instant Hand Cleanser ($6 for the small bottle; $16 for the large bottle) from the Thymes Sweetleaf Baby Collection. The product line features honey to moisturize, organic aloe barbadensis leaf extract to soothe and heal, organic chamomile extract to calm and organic lavender extract with anti-bacterial properties to help babies relax. The best part: Sweetleaf Hand Cleanser has a delicate, powdery rose and jasmine scent that smells as soft and sweet as your baby does. Pick one up at www.thymes.com or a specialty store near you.

fight swine flu: wash your hands!

It's a scary fact. Swine flu has hit the U.S. and could soon turn up in a town/city near you. How to keep your kids safe: The CDC advises keeping them home if they're sick, making sure they cover their noses and mouths if they cough or sneeze and last--but definitely not least--washing their hands often. We know, easier said than done, right? What kid wants to spend his/her time washing up when he/she could be doing just about anything else. Thankfully, there's a slew of soaps and hand sanitizers out there to get them interested in coming clean. One that may be considered more fun than a chore: Kids Only! Foaming Hand Soap from Jason Natural Products ($8.99). Not only is it free of parabens, sulfates, phthalates, glycol, wheat, gluten, mineral oil and petrolatum, it features natural fragrances that make them fun to use. We tried Berry Burst (it also comes in Tropical Twist). My 18-month old daughter loves the pump since she can squeeze some out herself; my about-to-turn-three-year-old son loves the foam which he says is like playing with shaving cream. They both love the fruity berry scent. Available in fine natural product stores and on www.jason-natural.com.