How to clean and sanitize a kid’s bedroom or playroom and make sure it’s safe and healthy for your children to sleep and play in.
Have you been rocking and rolling through this 8 Day Spring Cleaning Series? Or are you new here and jumping into the fun in the middle? Either way, you’re about to get hit smack in the face with my most-asked-about topic of all. Today’s all about tackling Spring Cleaning tasks in your kids’ rooms, and more specifically, how to keep their rooms healthy and germ-free[ish].
Spring Cleaning Binge Series: Day 6- Kid Spaces
How To Clean And Sanitize Kids’ Rooms
I’m about to be very blunt with you, because we’re friends and I try to keep it real. Ready? Kids are gross. There, I said it. And before you go gasping and raising eyebrows, you better check yourself because you know it’s true. They don’t think twice about smearing their macaroni and cheese hands on your upholstered dining chairs. And you always know where they are because of the cracker crumb trail like they’re in some kind of modern day Hansel and Gretel storybook.
So when it comes to their bedrooms and playrooms, I bet they’re dirtier than all of your bathrooms combined. From germs they picked up from yesterday’s playdate at the park to the shirt sleeves they used instead of a tissue, their rooms are pretty icky. Grab your cleaning gloves and let’s do some major sanitation work!
10 Tips For A Germ-Free Kid’s Room
1. Wash The Stuffed Animals and Dolls
Have you ever washed your kids’ stuffed animals before? No? Oh girl, you gotta get on that right now. Those little guys are what YOUR little guy cuddles with when he’s sick, and drags around everywhere he goes. All the germs your bathroom showers and washing machines remove from your kid are still hanging out on that favorite teddy bear. Are you cringing? No worries, here’s exactly how to wash them safely.
2. Use Your Dishwasher
Legos, action figures, and small plastic toys can all be sanitized in the dishwasher. Just use your gentle cycle and make sure you contain them in a mesh bag like this one or a dishwasher-safe plastic basket like this. Those containers will keep any tiny pieces from getting into the bottom of your appliance or damaging any of the parts.
3. Focus On The Bed Area
This is where a lot of your deep-cleaning should happen. Put some extra extra extra work into cleaning the bedding, headboard, nightstand, and mattress cover (you should definitely be using a mattress cover, by the way). I guarantee you that your kid would admit to sticking boogers on all the stuff. #reallifemomproblems
4. Steam The Carpets
Did you know that just 10 square feet of carpet can have up to 35 ounces of dirt inside, even after you’ve already vacuumed it? Umm, ew, right? If you’ve got younger kids, they’re likely playing on that carpet every single day, and they’re probably rubbing their faces on it somehow. Now’s the perfect time to rent a steamer from your grocery store or buy an affordable one like this Bissel and get those carpets sanitized correctly.
5. Wash Their Trash Cans
Let me start by saying that every kid’s bedroom and playroom needs a trash can, preferably with a lid. And each trash can needs a bag inside, not just bare-bones for germs to cling onto. So if you’ve already got a can in there, give it a good wash in your shower. If you don’t have one yet, head to Target and grab one, then put your plastic Target shopping bag inside as a liner. Problem solved. Just don’t forget to wash it every few months.
6. Refresh Paint
If the paint in your kiddo’s room is looking outdated or all scuffed up, now is the best time to give it a fresh coat. You’re already clearing out the room to clean the floors, so you might as well slap a new coat of paint up, too. Opt for an eco-friendly paint that has very low fumes and is washable. That way the crayon Picasso in your four-year-old’s room can be wiped away with a Magic Eraser and all will be clean again.
Also, make sure you use a medium to high sheen on your paint finish. Flat and eggshell are no-nos in Little’s rooms. Unless you like repainting once a year…and I’m guessing you hate painting…
7. Do A Safety Check
This may sound silly, but it’s time to clear your Mom Brain and think like a child for a moment. Get down on your hands and knees, crawl around the room (with the door closed and locked, you do NOT want to be the next viral video), and look through a child’s eyes. Are the outlets covered? Do the window locks work? Are there any hazards you may not have noticed? Being at their eye level will open up a whole new world that you usually miss. If you want to up the safety factor, these Starter kits cover everything from cabinets and drawers, to closet knobs to electrical outlets, and they’re super affordable.
8. Go Crazy With The Clorox Wipes
Those tubs of germ-killing wipes are your superhero when you’re cleaning a kid’s room. School-age kiddos are around so many other children during the day and can pick up a virus in a snap. Think past the typical light switches and door knobs, and use the wipes on remote controls, fan pulls, large toys, cube storage shelving, step-stools, and anything else that has a hard surface.
9. Opt For Washable Alternatives
Instead of fabric bins for cube shelving, grab a sturdy plastic bin instead that can be wiped clean easily. And if you’re shopping for accent furniture like desks, tables, chairs, and cabinets, opt for melamine instead of particleboard with a laminate coating. It’s a more durable material and doesn’t bubble up if something gets spilled on it. For rugs, make sure it’s a washable material that upholds it’s texture, even with a lot of foot traffic.
Related Post: Choosing The Right Rug For Your Kid’s Room
10. Incorporate ‘Play’ Into The Cleaning
Those toy cars your son plays with every day are probably pretty gross, especially if he takes them outside. Let him bring the cars into the bathtub for a fun play session that will also clean the cars. My son loved this bathtub car wash toy when he was little, and I never had to worry about germy toy cars. #momhack
Need A Full Step By Step Spring Cleaning Planner?
Grab my 20+ page Spring Cleaning Planner inside the Organized-ish Binder Kit Collection for room-by-room checklists of anything and everything you could possibly clean in your house. These checklists will keep you on track and help you breeze through your cleaning sessions without forgetting a thing. I even created a cleaning supply shopping list and timeline for you to follow so you don’t have to do any planning at all.
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