Kids’ School Stuff You’re Not Cleaning
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Earbuds
Why it's gross: Earbuds travel with us everywhere so they definitely come into contact with germs, bacteria, sweat, dust, and even ear wax. Even worse, I've caught my kids sharing theirs with each other, and with their friends.
How to clean earbuds: Cleaning earbuds can be somewhat of an involved process, but well worth it considering all the germs they come in contact with (which you then put in close contact with your ears). All you need is a toothbrush, a soft cloth, warn water, and a few drops of dish soap. From there, read about the whole process on ClearEar.
Photo: Getty/JGI/Jamie Grill
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Backpacks
Why it's gross: Backpacks are used for everything from carrying lunch and art projects to old dirty clothes and more. We have found diapers, food crumbs, and dirty socks in my son's backpack over the past few years of preschool. While you can certainly buy a new one every year, you don't have to.How to clean a backpack: Start by emptying it out completely. Read the label for washing recommendations. If the bag only needs a small amount of help, spot treat the bag with soapy water. If it's quite dirty and is fabric, you can soak it in soapy water or run it through the washing machine on the delicate cycle, but be sure to put it in a laundry bag or pillow case so the straps don't get tangled. Then, air dry it. For a more detailed rundown on backpack cleaning, visit One Good Thing by Jillee.
Photo: Getty/JGI/Jamie Grill
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Lunch boxes
Why it's gross: Food residue. Need I say more? I rinse out my boys' lunch boxes every few days, but rarely give them a good, deep cleaning. Over time the crumbs and food residue can build up and you may just end up with a lot of gross bacteria in the lunch box.
How to clean a lunch box: Like backpacks, some insulated lunch boxes can be put through the washing machine on a gentle cycle. Others should be spot treated. Using warm soapy water, wash out the inside of the lunch container. Spot clean the exterior. If it’s a hard, non-porous lunchbox, easily disinfect it by wiping it with Clorox Disinfecting Wipes. Let dry, and enjoy your fresh clean lunch box. I plan to repeat this process every week or two going forward. For more lunch box cleaning tips, visit How To Clean Stuff.
Photo: Getty/Michael Powell/Photolibrary
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Ice packs
Why it's gross: All of the food that spills out throughout the year lands in the lunch box and on the ice packs. While freezing might kill some of the germs, the food remains.
How to clean ice packs: This one is easy. Simply wash your ice packs in warm to hot soapy water in the sink. Let dry and then refreeze. Easy!
Photo: Amazon/Fit&Fresh
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Sports equipment
Why it's gross: Sports equipment is filled with sweat and bad smells that build up over time. Sometimes moist sports equipment can even get moldy when it's left in a bag without ample circulation for drying. Yuck!
How to clean sports equipment: While I can't cover every single thing, I can generalize it for you. I played hockey and my equipment smelled horrible most of each season. For most sports equipment, it's a good idea to air it out after every use. Kids can take responsibility for this. Every few weeks, set it out in the sun on a deck or patio and let it dry out completely. And most sports equipment, including hockey equipment, can be put in the washing machine and air-dried. If you do this regularly, you'll avoid many of the scents that come with the territory of being a sports mom. For details on how to wash out hockey equipment and tips for other sports equipment, visit Happy Hooligan.
Photo: Getty/Hero Images
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School supplies
Why it's gross: Notebooks, folders, pencils, pencil boxes, and scissors are things my children touch daily. Germs are all over these items from my own kids and from others.
How to clean school supplies: Cleaning school supplies is simple. Just wipe them down with a damp towel or a Clorox Disinfecting wipe each time the items come home.
Photo: Getty/Marc Romanelli/Blend Images
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Mudroom door handles
Why it's gross: While not technically something my kids take to school, our mudroom is where we start and end each day. Everything lands here. Sand, dirt, sports equipment, water bottles, dirty clothes, shoes, and our backpacks. This is our most used space each day.
How to clean mudroom door handles: I like to wash our door handles with hot soapy water and finish them off with Clorox Disinfecting Wipes every few weeks. When we are sick, I do it daily, or more. This gives me peace of mind when we're trying to avoid a household epidemic. For more on cleaning light switches and door handles, visit Clorox.
Photo: Getty/Maskot
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Umbrellas
Why it's gross: While we don't use them often, anything that comes in contact with little hands is a recipe for illness in my book. We recently realized we hadn't so much as wiped off our umbrellas in years.
How to clean umbrellas: All that matters with umbrellas are the handles. Scrubbing handles with hot soapy water will do the trick. To avoid mold or mildew, make sure that they have ample time to air-dry after they've gotten wet.
Photo: Getty/Kinzie Riehm/Image Source
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Shoes
Why it's gross: Shoes are full of germs, chemicals, and so many more unmentionables. We take our shoes off at the door, but they still go in and out of our car and mudroom regularly and are filled with things we don't want near our bodies.
How to clean shoes: While I do throw our kids' shoes in the washing machine from time to time, I try to limit how often I do it to maintain the shoe's quality. I have found that disinfecting the bottoms of the shoes regularly and keeping the insides clean by having our kids always wear socks gives me peace of mind. I simply wash the bottom of shoes with a wet soapy washcloth. Using Clorox Regular Bleach or Clorox Disinfecting Wipes on the bottoms gives us added protection from germs. Doing this every few weeks and cleaning our mudroom floor regularly feels like a good way to protect the rest of our home.
Photo: Getty/Caiaimage/Paul Bradbury
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iPads and other technology
Why it's gross: Little sticky hands touch electronics for months on end without a proper cleaning means whatever germs your kids have left there a month ago are still haunting them to this day.
How to clean iPads and other technology: Our boys are too young for much screen time, but as kids get older, they use iPads, laptops and other technology more and more for school and for fun. Sometimes these things go without a good cleaning for long periods of times. Some technology items just need a good dusting with a microfiber cloth, while others have harder stickier things to get to. Use a slightly damp microfiber cloth (be sure it's just barely damp) and wipe down those hard-to-clean spots. It may take a bit of gentle elbow grease, but most things will come off. For more ideas on how to clean your kids' tech, visit imore.com.
Photo: Getty/Hero Images
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Hats
Why it's gross: Winter hats, fall beanies and baseball caps all go weeks to months without a good cleaning. Like anything else, the sweat, stains, and bacteria build up over time.
How to clean hats: Many hats, especially simple cotton beanies, can be washed in the washing machine and air dried. Baseball caps are a bit more complicated. To be safe, hand washing baseball caps in the sink with a gentle detergent is a good option. Reshape them with your hands, and let baseball caps air dry for best results. For more ideas on hand washing baseball caps, visit Sport Smart.
Photo: Getty/Kouichi Tsunoda/EyeEm
