A trip to the playground is an exciting event for kids, and parents and caregivers love seeing their children put away electronics and enjoy fun, active play. But what if all that excitement is met with a grimy playset? At least for parents, they’ll quickly wonder whether a trip to the playground was really a good idea after all.
While a little dirt on an outdoor playground is perfectly normal, playground users should never be able to describe your playground as “dirty.” Fortunately, there are steps you can take to keep your playground as clean as possible. In addition to making the playground more appealing visually, proper cleaning and disinfecting can also help you prevent the spread of germs, making the playground a safe place for families. Before cleaning any equipment, refer to the manufacturer’s recommendations to use the appropriate cleaning products.
Cleanliness has always been a worthy goal for public spaces. When it comes to playground equipment, many little hands can touch these surfaces throughout each day, and each touch can leave behind microbes. Of course, all that wear can also result in visible dirt and smudges. In the past, some maintenance and cleaning plans were mostly focused on removing visible grime to keep equipment sparkling. That normal routine cleaning is a positive step toward an attractive and hygienic playground, but it isn’t quite enough.
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, more attention has shifted to those invisible marks users leave behind in public spaces. As children grab onto monkey bars, slides and swings, they can transfer germs from their hands. They can also leave germs behind from the bottoms of shoes or can send germs airborne from coughs or sneezes that land on surfaces.
Some germs can live on surfaces for a significant amount of time. For example, the influenza virus can live up to two full days on surfaces. While germs are nothing new, the global pandemic has heightened awareness over the presence of pathogens and the harm they can cause. SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is highly transmissible, and studies indicate the virus can live on nonporous surfaces, such as plastic, for as long as three days in most cases in indoor conditions. Outside, that timespan is likely shorter.
Despite the upsides of outdoor play, playground equipment can still facilitate the spread of germs without proper cleaning. Today more than ever, we know just how important regularly cleaning and disinfecting playground equipment is to ensure the playground is a safe, hygienic place for all users. Even as COVID-19 becomes less of a concern for communities, viruses and bacteria can pose a threat to our health, making removing these germs an important part of playground safety.
When cleaning your playground, make sure you remember these important tips to keep yourself and your equipment safe:
The baseline for cleaning outdoor playground equipment is to remove dirt and grime. Playground equipment can get dirty quickly when well-loved by a community. Muddy or dusty shoes and sticky hands can leave surfaces grubby and in need of a good clean. Playground owners should have a maintenance schedule in place to ensure playgrounds are cleaned regularly so they maintain their luster.
To remove dirt and grime, all you need is soap, or detergent, and water. Some manufacturers do not recommend pressure washing playground equipment as the high pressure of the water could damage the equipment’s surface. If your manufacturer approves power washing for your equipment, opt for a lower pressure setting. Otherwise, use low-pressure water — an ordinary garden hose works just fine — along with soap to clean equipment.
Follow this basic procedure to clean your equipment:
Ordinary soap and water can go a long way toward removing viruses from surfaces. Soap works its magic at the molecular level, destroying the virus by prying apart its lipid membrane. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), regular cleaning is essential for high-touch surfaces like playground equipment, and in many cases, this can be enough to keep the playground safe.
While using soap and water is a good method for cleaning, you can kill even more germs by also disinfecting playground surfaces. The CDC recommends disinfecting in addition to cleaning for high-traffic public spaces. If your playground is a popular spot for kids and families, you should plan on disinfecting playground equipment periodically. Note that you should always clean to remove dirt and grime first before disinfecting.
Consider disinfecting surfaces that are touched the most frequently, like handrails, swing set chains and riding equipment handles. Note that disinfecting porous surfaces, like wood, is not recommended. There are a few different methods you can use for disinfecting commercial playground equipment with nonporous surfaces, like metal and plastic play structures:
Cleaning and disinfecting are both important means of keeping your playground hygienic. You may also hear about sanitizing playground equipment or see products that are labeled as sanitizers rather than disinfectants. According to the EPA, the distinction is that sanitizing products use chemicals to kill bacteria but do not kill viruses. Disinfectants can kill both bacteria and viruses, so you want to disinfect when possible rather than just sanitize.
Mildew and other types of mold can grow on outdoor surfaces, including playsets. If you spot patches of mold on a playset — something you’re more likely to see if the playset has been out of use and hasn’t been cleaned for a long time — take steps to remove it right away. You should start with soap and water, which can remove the visible mold.
After this initial cleaning step, you should try to kill any remaining mold on the surface, even if it looks like the mold is all gone. There are a few options you can use for this step, but be sure not to combine them and only use one method at a time:
If you’re having a recurring problem with mold showing up in certain areas on the playground, you may want to cut back trees or rearrange equipment so the affected area starts getting more sunlight. Exposure to sunlight can help surfaces dry off more quickly after getting rained on so they don’t remain damp, inviting mold to grow. Plus, the sunlight itself can help kill mold.
Cleaning can be an essential task for keeping the playground in tip-top condition. There are some steps playground managers and users can take to help keep the playground cleaner and more hygienic in between cleanings, as well:
Following a checklist is a great step for keeping outdoor playgrounds clean, but there are other steps you should include in your maintenance plan in addition to cleaning. Be sure to give your playground the attention it deserves. If you want to learn how to keep outdoor playgrounds clean, then try following these 5 steps:
The CDC recommends cleaning high-touch surfaces made of plastic or metal, such as grab bars, play structures, and railings, regularly. However, the frequency with which you clean an outdoor playground depends on the method of cleaning and how often people use the playground. A good general rule of thumb is to base the cleaning timeline on how often you conduct routine inspections, which, on average, is about every three months.
Cleaning is a great time to carry out a routine inspection of your equipment. Look closely at the equipment to identify any potential hazards. Those concerns could be a loose bolt, a sharp edge, a rusty spot, a cracked or broken plastic piece or any other defect. You should also inspect the surrounding area, including the ground, for any trash or hazards like broken glass. If you see anything unsafe that shouldn’t be on the playground, remove it immediately.
It’s wise to keep careful records of these inspections. For one, you can keep track of when the playground has been inspected and whether there have been any recurring issues that may need a better solution. These records can also demonstrate your commitment to safety if you were to ever face litigation for an injury sustained on the playground
If you identify any issues during an inspection, it’s crucial to address those issues right away. In some cases, you may be able to fix the problem on the spot with minimal tools. This measure would include tightening loose bolts, for example. In other cases, you may need to have a maintenance professional take a look and determine whether a part can be fixed or whether you’re better off replacing the equipment. Especially if you’ve repaired equipment repeatedly before, it may be time to purchase new equipment.
When you replace playground components, be sure to choose quality options that are made to last. Higher-quality playground equipment can be more durable, meaning it should sustain more use without showing signs of aging or deterioration.
Like many other public spaces, playgrounds are susceptible to litter. Who wants their kids to play on a dirty playground covered in trash? One of the best ways to prevent this is to make sure there are plenty of trash receptacles available for convenient use.
At Playworld, we believe in safe, clean fun. Keeping your playground clean shows you take pride in this facility, and it can encourage users to do their part to keep it clean, as well. In addition to routine cleaning and disinfecting, an important step you can take is starting with quality playground equipment with a layer of antimicrobial protection.
PlayArmor was introduced in 2020 to help address concerns over pathogens on the playground and make the playground as germ-free as possible. This antimicrobial coating was the first ever designed exclusively for commercial playground equipment and site furnishings. PlayArmor’s efficacy is based in well-established science. It can kill pathogens mechanically rather than chemically. In other words, PlayArmor ruptures pathogens’ cell walls to kill them rather than poisoning the cells. This method can prevent the possibility of pathogens mutating to resist poisoning methods.
PlayArmor is just one of the ways Playworld demonstrates its commitment to safe and inclusive play. To learn more about outfitting your playground with Playworld equipment, request a quote today.