Things are starting to look brighter in our fight against COVID-19. Vaccines are being distributed rapidly, and here in the US, we recently reached a major milestone of 200 million doses administered. But for parents, child care workers, teachers, and policymakers, there is one group that’s still at risk: children.
Right now, there is no vaccine approved for use in children under 16. Research shows that transmission isn’t as high among children. But COVID-19 remains a threat, and cases are rising. In the first week of April 73,000 kids were diagnosed with COVID-19.
We’ve been on the frontlines helping businesses protect their workers and customers with proper cleaning practices to fight the transmission of COVID-19. Now we want to share a few cleaning practices that will help protect your children.
- Keep sanitizing. While high vaccination rates among adults will help protect kids, we still have to be vigilant, which means continuing to clean and sanitize properly. Kids are even more vulnerable to surface transmission because they are still learning proper hygiene habits. Young children often touch their faces, put toys in their mouths, and easily spread bodily fluids as they play. Parents and child care operators should prioritize regular cleaning of high touchpoints.
- Wash toys frequently. It’s easy to forget how dirty toys can be in the home. Ask any child care operator who regularly cleans them. They can tell you that they are full of bacteria. Washing your child’s toys in a solution of hot water and vinegar is a great way to clean them.
- Clean play surfaces often. If you have a home jungle gym or play structure, make sure to regularly wash it down, especially after having little ones over to play. These structures are often overlooked for cleaning and can be a great place for germs and bacteria to build up. If you own a childcare business with large play structures, let us help. The MicroShield 360 program is very helpful for play structures. Using electrostatic technology, we can spray the play structure with the solution. It forms an antimicrobial coating that helps prevent bacteria growth between cleanings, and it’s safe for kids! The results last for one year, too.
As parents, we know that you want the best for your kids, and protecting them from COVID-19 is a struggle. Until there are vaccines approved for kids, we have to make sure that we do our best to stay vigilant and help prevent the fspread. Keeping children’s toys and play areas clean is an important part of keeping kids safe. Let us help.
