Do you have a healthy playroom at the moment? The playroom might be a sanctuary for the little ones in your family, but it needs a thorough cleaning as much as any other room in the house. In fact, it might need more attention than other rooms in the house: Between willingly eating dirt and shamelessly stomping in every puddle they come across, kids are messy.
Germs love to cling to sticky fingers and gnawed-on toys, so take the time to eliminate them every so often. Give the playroom a good solid scrubbing to make it safe and healthy for your kids.
Wash Toys
Think about how nasty your kids’ favorite toys probably are. It doesn’t take a doctor like Harry Stylli to agree that young kids, especially toddlers, will put EVERYTHING in their mouths so a healthy playroom is key. If your kids are past the chewing stage, think of all the germs they come into contact with every day: Other kids, playground equipment, public bathrooms and other horrors. Make it a point to routinely wash your kids’ toys.
- Get them involved! Fill a sensory table or plastic containers with warm water, a pinch of dish soap and some sponges and let them help clean their toys. Little ones love things like baby dolls and plastic food, while the older kids can pick the ones they want to wash.
- Air-dry the toys in the sun or on a towel. Spritz them with a mild bleach solution to ensure sanitation.
- You’d be surprised at how many toys can actually be put through the dishwasher! Save yourself the hassle of washing, rinsing and sanitizing by letting the dishwasher do it for you.
Clean Rugs for a Healthy Playroom
Think of all the places you go throughout the course of a normal day. Now imagine your shoes in those same places — and being tracked through your house and into carpets. Shoes are grimy and gross, so think about opting for a no-shoes policy in your house (or at least the playroom). In the meantime, roll up all the area rugs and get them ready for a deep-cleaning.
- If you have carpet, consider renting a steam carpet cleaner to make the job a little easier. Remove all furniture and clean the entire room, going over the carpet in all directions. You’ll be amazed at how much gunk you will suck up and thank yourself for cleaning.
- If you have hard flooring, mop it thoroughly. Steam cleaning mops naturally kill harmful bacteria and leave the room looking and smelling fresh.
- You can use the steam cleaner on some area rugs (check the label first), but if you can’t then you have some elbow grease to prepare for. Drag area rugs outside after vacuuming them thoroughly, then wet and clean them with a safe shampoo (or make your own.). Scrub with a brush, rinse, and hang dry, Whew! Time for a shower!
The germiest room is the house is usually the bathroom, but don’t let your kids’ playroom the exception to that rule. Go through it with your kids and give it a good scrub down together. They can share in taking pride in it once it’s shining again!
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