Toddlers put everything in their mouth and crawl all over the floor. Safe product choices on our floors and surfaces are for the health of our family and pets. That’s why we look for products without pthalates, formaldehyde, triclosan, dyes, chlorine, ammonia, and other harmful ingredients.
Cleaning Toys 🧸
Kids toys travel far from hand to mouth to floor to table and back again. Here’s a simple guide to cleaning toys even when you don’t have the time to clean.
The living stage:
Have a bin of toys you want to clean set aside out of child’s reach. Put toys in the bin that you want to clean when you can the find time.
The cleaning stage:
Put dishwasher-safe toys through the dishwasher. Put laundry-safe toys through the laundry. Wash other toys in a sink or bucket of warm water with dish soap, then follow up with a good rinse to get rid of the soapy residue.
Disinfecting after cleaning:
After rinsing soap residue off, disinfectant with hydrogen peroxide (3% solution). Let sit to air dry. Note that the disinfecting stage is done last – after the removal of dirt and soap residue.
Toddlers on Floors
If you have a toddler or a pet, deep cleaning floors only once a month is highly unrealistic. Monthly is highly unrealistic for most households. So you may be surprised that once a month is what manufacturers are recommending for some floors 😲. Vacuuming weekly is recommended for all floors and most people will not argue with this, except their budget that may take issue with the frequency.
Our clients determine if they want their wood floors mopped, how often, and what method they prefer – no mopping, dust-mopping, or full mopping. Everyone has an opinion on what they like and want. Let the office know what the floor instructions are for different areas. Opinions you may want to note are the conditions tied to floor warranties that you determine to be relevant.
Most warranties are void by life as we know it as they do not cover standard wear and tear that comes from walking on your floors 👣, having pets 😾, or children🤱. Some floor warranties only allow you to mop once a month; don’t allow water; don’t allow any mopping; and/or require a specific product be used. You must also trim your pets nails frequently, not wear high heels, place mats and carpets in high traffic areas, move your mats and carpets frequently to avoid uneven ultraviolet exposure, maintain humidity between 35-55%, vacuum between cracks whenever there is a temperature change 😱, refinish floors every 3-5 years, and many more conditions that cannot be realistically met in life. To be fair, floor companies aren’t in the business of replacing floors for free, and the life of floors are affected by all the conditions of the warranty.
To clean wood or laminate floors with NO WATER , a Bona Kemi Hardwood Spray Or Bona Kemi Stone Tile & Laminate Spray can be dust-mopped on the floor. I cannot tell you that this does a deep clean. Spray and dust-mopping will pick up some of the residue that remains after vacuuming and add a great glossy look. But if you mop after dust-mopping with a spray, you will pull up more dirt. It’s an unavoidable fact. On the plus side for your toddler, dirt does play a role in building our immune system. The specific product that wood floor manufacturers require and call a deep clean, are the ones they sell. These products are wonderful for what they are – they just aren’t a full mop and definitely not a deep clean by our standards
. Use them when you don’t want to wet your wood – all the time, for select areas, or select occasions.
If you want a full mop monthly or more frequently, dedicated cleaners for floors like Attitude Floor Cleaner for wood & tile are formulated with health conscious ingredients. That makes them good for toddlers, pets, and loved ones who trample daily on the dreams of archival quality wood floors.
Obligatory Cautions
Do not mix different products together even if they are environmental. Mixing different products can lead to harmful and lethal results.
Always read the label for directions, safety information, allergy warnings, and ingredients.