House: Five-second rule, right?

Germs, germs, germs. They're everywhere.

For now, we look the other way when Zooley (our 65-pound puppy) "samples" our kitchen towels or licks the fabric softener from our clothes. Odds are, though, we'll raise our germ sensors when Baby Q arrives. The Q section in Sunday's (2.11.07) Chicago Tribune points us to a web site that offers tips on keeping our house clean(-er).

When we visited the site, we found out it's the companion web site for the book What to Expect When You're Expecting.

And, yes, the book's on our nightstand. Order the book.

The Trib's Verna Noel Jones offers this summary:

"The guide was developed by the non-profit What to Expect Foundation in partnership with the Clorox Co. and offers practical advice on how to keep a clean and safe home without going overboard."

Also, a quick visit to Clorox's web site reveals a neat interactive page for "New Moms" that lets you see where germs live and how "you can create a healthier home for your baby."