Articles on Kids | Topics: kids, kid
by Beckie Morin
Is it possible to maintain a germ-free environment continually? The answer to that question is of course not. How do parents create a germ-free environment when it comes to their children playing? When children play with toys they tend to touch, sneeze, cough, and touch again it may appear like a losing battle but there are ways to manage the environment that children play in. Look around your home, how are the children playing with the toys? Do some go in the mouth, some indoors, some outdoors? There are stuffed animals, blocks, cars many different surfaces to try to keep germ-free. While you are considering this, you do not want to use cleaners that are toxic to the children.
If you have infants and/or toddlers it would be safe to assume everything will eventually go into the child's mouth. This is very normal for they are exploring their environment and the way they learn is through touching and tasting. It is very easy for the children to pass their germs on one to another especially if they are playing together. One picks up a toy the other wants it and takes it – then it goes in the mouth. This also occurs with bottles and pacifiers. One way to help cleanse the toys from germs is to have a medium sized container that you can fill with warm sudsy water and simply drop the toy or item in here to let it soak. This will save you several trips back and forth to the sink to wash the item. The dishwasher is a great source to clean the toys thoroughly. Please read the labels first to make certain they are dishwasher safe.
The washing machine is a great place to clean stuffed animals. Do not wash those stuffed animals that contain batteries or electrical wires. A weekly washing is sufficient unless the toys are soiled in between washing times at they happen to be the one "favorite" toy that the child simply cannot live without! A great time to wash these items is during the child's nap time you can even – gently – take the special animal from the child during this time, wash and dry and have it back in there arms in no time.
You may have a special chest for "dress up" clothes as the children play in their make believe costumes. Spray the clothes with a disinfectant once weekly as well as laundered when necessary unless of course, there has been an accident of some type and the clothing is soiled. Special nap items such as, sleeping bags, bean bags, child-size chairs and couches should all be maintained daily with a disinfectant and if punctured or torn should either be mended and if that is not possible disposed of.
Toys that have a smooth surface or a washable fabric are the best for children to play with. This type of surface allows for easy clean-up and disinfecting of soiled items. Toys with small openings or curves and grooves can be a germ-magnet. Check these toys frequently throughout the day and clean as required.
| Bit of History |
Mighty few young black women are doin’ domestic work. And I’m glad. That’s why I want my kids to go to school. This one lady told me, “All you people are gettin’ like that.” I said, “I’m glad.” There’s no more gettin’ on their knees.
| —Maggie Holmes, African American domestic worker. As quoted in Working, book 3, by Studs Terkel (1973) |
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If you have toys in your home that do not allow for cleaning and disinfecting it would be wise to consider disposing of them for safety reasons. Items such as; books, DVD movies and their case, puzzles, headphones, and computer key boards can all be a challenge to clean but impractical to through out. Dusting cloths and disinfectant wipes can work well for the surface of these items. If they are soiled or damaged beyond reason, throwing it out should be a consideration.
You can clean outdoor toys by hosing them down and spraying them with disinfectant. It is also important to check outdoors daily to see if any of the indoor toys made their way to the sunshine outside. A daily collection of the toys that found their way outside is a good idea so that cleaning and disinfecting along with the rest of the toys of the day.
At the end of your day after the kids have gone to bed and all the toys picked up a final consideration is the floors the children play on. Daily vacuuming, sweeping, and mopping are very important to the overall germ-free environment you are working so hard to maintain.
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Please note: All personal opinions expressed in the "Best Cleaning Solutions for Kids Toys" article belong to the contributing author and are not necessarily shared by FamilyBabyKids.com. |
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