Oh, children. It seems every time you turn around they’ve made a new mess. This time we aren’t talking about the yogurt-splattered-all-over-her-and-the-kitchen type messes. Rather, we’re talking the he’s-screaming-in-his-crib-with-poop-smeared-on-him-the-crib-the-floor-and-the-wall type mess. Yeah, that’s just nasty; especially at 2 AM. Creating a cleaning game plan can help keep panic or despair at bay during those 2 AM emergencies.
Body fluids
Since I opened that can of worms, let’s talk about cleaning up body fluids. Home cleaning is always an adventure. Urine, poo-poo, vomit, blood, tinkle, pee-pee, it never stops. Besides hiring a home cleaning service (this is where I plug my Company!), Kitsap Cleaners is the best professional home cleaning service by the way, (plug now done) here are some tips for cleaning up those messes!
URINE
Frequent bed-wetting can be an exhausting problem. Invest in 2 or 3 waterproof pads (roughly the size of the child), so you will have a clean one available to change the bed quickly in the middle of the night. If bed-wetting is a nightly routine, put the pad on top of the bottom sheet so that you won’t have as much laundry. If the mattress does get wet, sprinkle the spot with salt and let that dry. Then vacuum the salt, but make sure it’s 100% dry. Salt also works on other absorbent surfaces.
POOP
Diarrhea at 3 AM can seem like something from a horror movie; I have nightmares about diaper blowouts. First clean and calm the child – the little one is always the top priority! As far as clean up goes – you’re going to want a cleaning product that balances germ-busting and gentle cleaning. At Kitsap Cleaners, we use Better Life Nursery Cleaner because it’s non-toxic and eco-friendly but still cleans and deodorizes. I’m sure you have a good cleaner you swear by, but if you’re concerned that you child has something more than a tummy ache, use some well-diluted bleach on the hard surfaces.
VOMIT
Everyone recognizes the cringe-worthy sound of puking. It’s the sound that makes you rush the child to the bathroom as fast as you can, praying you don’t toss your cookies too. If you don’t make it all the way, the clean-up is not pleasant. Once again, find a cleaner with a balance of gentle and powerful absorbents. For carpet stains, you may want to use a pet stain deodorizer or salt the still-wet spot. It’s also a good idea to shampoo the carpet soon (doesn’t have to be immediately) because the stomach acid can cause even more staining. For hard surfaces don’t be afraid to bust out the bleach.
BLOOD
The most difficult to clean without staining is blood. Someone loses a tooth, picks a scab, or falls. Now you have a red stain on your white carpet and new clothes. For hard surfaces or white fabric, you can clean up with bleach (diluted. Yeah, it’s almost repetitive now). For non-white surfaces use hydrogen peroxide and wash like usual.
Sanitizing Toys
Ok Mom, put down the Lysol. It’s not cleaning as much as you think it is, and it leaves a toxic residue. Alcohol also won’t cut the mustard. What you need is three spray bottles – soapy water, rinse water, and bleach water. Spray the toys with the soapy water, rinse, then spray with well-diluted bleach water. Make sure the toys are completely dry before allowing children to play with them again. Taking time to do this regularly may help prevent the need for the clean-up tips above.
Bottom line – germ-busting is important to keep your kids healthy and therefore happy. When in doubt, wash it, and use bleach. Hiring a professional cleaning service may be a good idea after everyone including the dog has been, well, sick as a dog. They can deep clean the house while you rest because when everyone’s sick, you’re not sleeping at 2 AM.
GET UPDATES
No charge. Unsubscribe anytime.
GET UPDATES
No charge. Unsubscribe anytime.