How to Clean a Play Kitchen
If you have a play kitchen in your house, then you know firsthand how great of a toy that can be.
A best play kitchen can teach your kids fine motor skills, teamwork, and can get them used to helping you out in the kitchen.
It can help develop brain and social skills all the while turning your little ones into little chefs!
It all sounds great, right?
Well, just like you clean a REAL kitchen, there’s also the need to clean your play kitchen.
That’s one habit that can be formed at a young age.
So, let’s get to it!
Before we get started, I want to share with you the one thing that I absolutely need when cleaning kids’ toys. That’s kid safe cleaner
Below is our favorite. Not only do we use this baby shampoo/body wash on our kids, but we also use it for all of the kids toys and play kitchens.
The Honest Company Shampoo + Body Wash, Lavender, 10 Fl. Oz
How to clean a plastic play kitchen
The top of the line play kitchens are made of plastic or wood. In this case, if your play kitchen is plastic, how are you supposed to clean it?
Well, if you’re looking at cleaning a plastic play kitchen, you’re in for a treat!
Plastic play kitchens are super easy to clean.
You can simply dip a cloth into a soapy water mix and then use that cloth to gently wipe over the play kitchen including any items or accessories that it comes with.
Make sure to fold the cloth or wrap it around your fingers in order to get into all of the creases of your play kitchen. This will remove any dirt or grime that has built up over time.
When you’re finished, rinse the cloth with clean water and then use that cloth to wipe off any soapy residue from your play kitchen.
Once you’re done with that step, you can wipe it all down with a dry paper towel or dry cloth.
That’ll make sure that you’re not leaving any wet spots anywhere.
If you want to make sure things are ultrasafe, use baby safe shampoo for your soapy water mixture. That’ll ensure that even if your child puts their mouth on the play kitchen, they’ll be fine.
This is a simple, straightforward process that you can teach your child to do. A 3 or 4-year-old should have no problem following this cleaning process provided that you guide them through it.
There are some people who recommend using vinegar to clean a plastic play kitchen.
Yes, vinegar is a great, natural cleaner. But I would avoid it primarily because of the smell.
How to clean a wooden play kitchen
A wooden play kitchen is great because it’s durable, tough, and can last you your kid’s entire childhood. However, it also brings its own challenges.
Wooden play kitchens can be kind of difficult to clean.
You see, wood is known to be resistant to bacteria and viruses. Wood can also be treated to be water-resistant or even water proof.
However, most wooden play kitchens aren’t made from solid wood. They’re made from wood composite or particleboard.
No worries, though! You can still clean a wooden play kitchen.
Soak a clean cloth, preferably a microfiber cloth, in a white vinegar and water mixture, and then wipe it down.
Wood doesn’t need a lot of cleaning. It would be a good idea to do this once a year or more often if your kids are playing on the kitchen playset using real food.
It’s not a good idea to use a moist cloth on wood unless it has some crumbs or food right on it.
If you’re really worried about a virus, bacteria, or germs on a wooden kids play kitchen, then make an alcohol-water mixture and sanitize it that way.
What should you do if you want a chemical-free, natural cleaner?
If you’re looking to only use cleaners that are chemical free, then you do have options.
First, you can use a clothes steam cleaner to clean your play kitchen. But you have to be very careful when doing this.
Remember, too much humidity can warp wood composite. So you have to make sure that you don’t overdo it.
As I said before, you can also use baby soap or baby shampoo if you’re worried about harsh chemicals.
If your child has allergies, then you might have to do a trial and error to make sure that you’re excluding any chemicals that are harming him or her.
Use these techniques to keep viruses at bay and your kids safe!
Know of any other ways to clean play kitchens? Let us know!