Back-to-school time isn't just about buying supplies and adjusting to earlier bedtime routines. If you are like me, you're also thinking more about cold and flu season. It seems unavoidable once your child goes to school that one child's sneezes and sniffles will eventually make the rounds to everyone in the classroom, but you can take simple - and green - steps to keeping colds at bay.

I've been reminding my son about the importance of washing his hands. It's the easiest way to stay healthy. Be vigilant about washing hands after you come home from an outing and before meals or snack time. This means parents too! Just plain soap is an effective way to get rid of germs. Antibacterial soap isn't necessary to do the job. In fact, there's evidence that triclosan, an ingredient in anti-bacterial soap, is actually harmful to the environment.

Take extra care cleaning germ zones in your home, like the kitchen and bathrooms. You can make your task Earth-friendly by using green cleaning methods. Common household products like vinegar and baking soda let you clean and disinfect every corner of your house without using chemicals. I'm also a big fan of castile soap, an all-purpose vegetable based cleaner.

Please share your green cleaning tips in the comments.