Having a clean playspace is always important and necessary. It improves the experience of users and promotes hygiene and health. With COVID-19 on everyone’s mind, addressing the cleaning of playgrounds and recreation areas has taken on a new importance. When looking for information on cleaning community spaces, especially for COVID-19, The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) website is the best location to go to for current information and best practices. The CDC publishes Environmental Cleaning and Disinfection Recommendations that provide guidelines on cleaning surfaces and following their recommendations for cleaning and disinfecting all playground surfaces will yield the best results.
As far as Burke equipment goes, we have tested several different types of cleaners and disinfectants on the various playground surfaces, such as PVC, powder coated steel and aluminum, plastic, rope and rubber. After testing, we don’t anticipate any issues with cleaners causing harm to Burke playground equipment and your warranty will remain in effect for its duration. Remember to only follow the CDC’s guidelines for cleaning surfaces. Below are the guidelines – happy cleaning!
To begin, all surfaces should be cleaned using a detergent or soap and water prior to disinfection.
For disinfection, the CDC states that diluted household bleach solutions (see proper dilution rates below), alcohol solutions with at least 70% alcohol, and most common EPA-registered household disinfectants should be effective. They also state that unexpired household bleach will be effective against coronaviruses, when properly diluted. After cleaning and disinfecting, make sure to rinse the surfaces and allow them to completely dry before allowing them to be used.
Summary of proper steps to take with surfaces on Burke play equipment:
- Clean
- Disinfect
- Rinse and Dry
A few things to be mindful of when cleaning and disinfecting:
- Wear personal protective equipment.
- Check to ensure the bleach and disinfectant products are not past their expiration dates.
- Never mix household bleach with ammonia or any other cleanser. This is extremely dangerous and produces toxic vapors.
- Follow proper dilution for bleach solution:
- 5 tablespoons (1/3rd cup) bleach per gallon of water or
- 4 teaspoons bleach per quart of water