There’s been a lot of debate about whether in-person schools or classes will open up again in the fall, with evidence indicating that it’s safe to do so, especially since most teachers have now been vaccinated. Now that schools may be opening up again, it’s time to employ better cleaning practices, especially if your kids are athletes and they’re planning on returning to their sports when the school year starts. Here are some foolproof cleaning practices to keep your family safe and healthy.
Invest in clean but effective products
If you have been using run-of-the-mill cleaning products from the supermarket, consider switching to clean ones approved by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The organization’s Safer Choice campaign was launched to spread awareness about how certain chemicals can harm humans and the environment. They sent out a list of “cleaner” products that don’t contain ingredients that might be harmful to the health of the Earth and of people. The majority of U.S. Americans may already be vaccinated. However, deep cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting will still be part and parcel of our regular life as long as this virus is not eliminated.
Here are some tips for ensuring that your home is always free from disease-causing germs:
- Do some deep cleaning and sanitizing every time your kids come home from school. Teach them the practice of washing their hands thoroughly or using hand sanitizers when they don’t have access to a sink. Teach them to leave their stuff like sports equipment and shoes in the mudroom or welcome area as soon as they get home.
- Spray some cleaning products on high-touch surfaces like doorknobs, levers, handles, countertops, and others. Leave it on for as long as the product requires, then wipe it down with a clean cloth in one direction.
Invest in odor-eliminating machines
When your kids are athletes, you know just how prone your home is to unpleasant odors. Consider investing in a home ozone generator machine to eliminate various smells like tobacco smoke, moisture, pets, cooking, and body odors. While opening windows might be a good way to get rid of these smells, what we often overlook is that these unpleasant smells can cling to our homes’ walls, cabinets, ceilings, crevices, and other hard-to-reach areas. Smells can also adhere to furniture, carpets, drapes, kids’ clothing, closets, bathrooms, kitchens, and most other surfaces in our home.
This machine will be helpful to you in more ways than one, especially if there are smokers in your home or if you love cooking meals with strong scents.
Make sure they have their own equipment
Even experts recommend that athletes use their own equipment, and they highly discourage sharing among teammates. If you and your kids foresee them participating in their sport for the long term, consider investing in the equipment they can use for years to come. Stay in touch with their coaches so that you’re always up-to-date on the health and safety measures the athletic department is taking to keep the athletes safe from all types of illnesses.
Wash their workout clothes and uniforms the right way
If you also live an active lifestyle, you know that workout clothes can get really smelly pretty quickly, especially if you use them constantly. The same applies to your kids, especially if they only have a few workout clothes in rotation. Activewear, in particular, is notorious for being a challenge to clean thoroughly. Here are some tips for cleaning their practice clothes and uniforms properly:
- Invest in the right detergent. There are plenty of products in the market that was designed specifically for activewear.
- Measure the amount of detergent according to the guidelines stated on the label. Adding extra might lead to a buildup of grime that can trap oils, sweat, and skin cells more easily—the exact opposite of what you want.
- Skip the dryer. Just dry the clothes through a clothesline in your yard, or use some sweater racks.
- If the clothes still end up being smelly, soak them in one cup of white vinegar. Leave it on for 30 minutes before placing them in the washing machine.
- As for smelly sneakers, sprinkle some baking soda inside the shoes before cleaning them in the washing machine.
Being more elaborate in our cleaning might be additional work, but it’s a small price to pay for having athletic children passionate about what they do. Keep your home clean and your kids healthy when their school opens up again this fall.
