Thanks to Walmart for partnering with The Plus Life to share this helpful info with you today.
If your family is anything like mine, Fall and Winter is a never-ending rollercoaster of one illness after another. My oldest daughter started preschool last year and I’m pretty sure our little family encountered every germ in existence within those first few months.
Let’s just say I’ve had a LOT of practice in perfecting our “sick day essentials” kit so that we’re prepared for anything that comes our way. At the first hint of a sniffle, I know exactly where to go and what to do to help.
Today, I’m sharing the 20 items we keep on hand or buy immediately when one of us isn’t feeling well during cold and flu season.
I am a lifelong Walmart customer and for the past four years now have relied on a weekly grocery pickup to help my family stay stocked up on, well, everything. From groceries, to gifts, to all our health and wellness supplies, I LOVE that Walmart is a one stop shop that allows us to conveniently and affordably stock up on everything we need.
Even as a frequent Walmart customer, I didn’t realize until recently how many health services they offer, like wellness checks, pharmacy, and even vision care. You can learn about all the super convenient Walmart Pharmacy offerings here.
20 Sick Day Essentials For Cold & Flu Season
Twenty items may sound like a lot of things to purchase for a sick day. The goal of this post is to provide you with a comprehensive list of the things to have on hand. Many of these things you’ll already have and some may not apply to your situation! Feel free to make this work for your specific needs and customize your “kit” to meet your family’s needs.
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A heating pad is an absolute must have when you’re not feeling your best. Whether it’s a cold, the flu, or even an injury, you’ll want to have this on hand. I even like to use mine when I’m feeling well. Especially on a chilly night when I’m cuddled up reading a book.
Warm drinks are always extra nice when you’re feeling unwell. Having an insulated mug on hand will allow you to sip your drink slowly and enjoy it warm for hours.
Speaking of warm drinks, having great tea on hand (decaf!) is perfect for soothing your throat or just comforting you when you need it. Throat Coat tea is delicious and is so nice when you’re not well.
- Hydration
Hydration is always important but especially when you’re sick. We love keeping Gatorade and Liquid IV on hand.
I already spoke about hydration with things like Gatorade and Liquid IV, but plain old water is also important. We like having HUGE water bottles on hand that allow us to sip all day without requiring multiple refills. Our kids love these smaller 16 ounce bottles.
Tissues are an obvious need when you’re sick but not all tissues are created equally! We LOVE these tissues with lotion to avoid having a dry/chapped nose to worry about when you’re sick.
- Chicken Noodle Soup
As a kid I was convinced that chicken noodle soup was a requirement any time I was sick. For me, it HAD to be Campbell’s chicken noodle on sick days. Even now that I’m a mom myself, I still crave Campbell’s when I’m under the weather. Rao’s is another delicious and comforting option. And, of course, if you’re up to it, you can buy all the ingredients at Walmart to make your favorite homemade soup as well!
The first thing I do when I notice one of my children getting sick is bring out the humidifier. There are a lot of great options at Walmart, including both cool mist and warm mist styles. Some even work with essential oils or other add-ins for extra benefits.
A warm bath is always a go-to as well, but if you’re like me and don’t have a bath tub in your bathroom, shower steamers are the perfect way to mimic that relaxing environment and they also release vapors infused with essential oils and their beloved menthol scent.
The goal is to feel as comfortable and cozy as you can possibly feel, so a great pair of fuzzy socks will keep your feet warm and set the tone for your relaxation.
Similarly, a great blanket is always important and in my house we’re always fighting over the comfiest throw blankets when we’re all snuggling on the couch. I’ve bought duplicates of our favorite because we all deserve to snuggle up as we recover. This blanket reminds me of others that cost quadruple the price! Such a great find.
Saline spray is something our doctor recommended to us when our oldest daughter was younger and sick for the first time. I was shocked and amazed by how quickly it helped our daughter’s stuffy nose. At a super young age there aren’t often a lot of over the counter medicines babies can use but saline spray is a great way to help provide some relief from congestion. Be sure to get a bottle for each family member and avoid sharing those germs!
Stuffy noses, runny noses, coughs, and sore throats are our most common ailments so having age appropriate medicines on hand that help with those symptoms is key. Walmart carries many of the most popular brands and also has their store brand offerings to choose from.
I grew up with parents who were major fans of Vicks products. Any time I was sick Vicks VapoRub was guaranteed to be in their arsenal. When I called my dad recently to let him know my own daughters were sick again, the FIRST thing he asked was if I had gotten Vicks yet. Of course, I had! We use this Children’s VapoCream from the brand.
Tylenol is such a versatile medication that helps with so many of the issues most families face. We keep adult, kid, and baby versions on hand at all times.
We definitely shouldn’t wait until we’re already sick for multivitamins, but being sick is always a great reminder to restart your regiment if you’ve stopped. Everyone in our house LOVES a gummy vitamin, so they’re always in our cabinet.
Among other things, elderberries are known for their immune system benefits. We always try to add elderberry products to our routine during cold and flu season. My kids think the flavor is delicious, and I love that it’s giving them a wellness boost. We’ve used these gummies by Spring Valley and this syrup from Zarbees.
Kids and all their germs are the primary reason we deal with sickness in our house, so making sure we keep clean hands and don’t spread our germs even more is important. Hand washing is always ideal, but having hand sanitizer readily available is helpful too.
We also love Dove antibacterial soap when we’re washing our hands more frequently than usual because it eliminates up to 99% of bacteria and it protects your hands from dryness.
- Disinfectant Cleaning Products
Disinfecting your home is important before, during and especially after being sick. My go-to disinfecting products are: Tide Antibacterial Fabric Spray for fabric that can’t be machine washed like couches and carpet, Lysol Disinfectant Wipes for hard surfaces, and Lysol Laundry Sanitizer for anything machine washable like bedding.
- Entertainment
Especially with small kids, it can be HARD to be stuck at home for days at a time. We definitely resort to a bit more screen time than usual during times of illness but having fun activities on hand helps to pass the time.
We love board games, puzzles, magnetic tiles or blocks, and arts and crafts. Of course, any children in the house will love this but don’t forget to grab a watercolor set or adult coloring book for yourself too!
It can feel overwhelming when your family or you get sick and you’re not prepared. During your next Walmart shopping trip, pick up any sick day essentials you’re missing to make sure you’re prepared for whatever comes your way. Already unwell? Consider a no-contact Walmart pickup or have your order delivered straight to your house!
For convenience, I’ve created a sick day essentials checklist for you. Bookmark this blog post, save it to Pinterest, or print this list and tape it to the inside of your medicine cabinet so you can reference it at any time!
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