When Choosing Summer Camps, Keep it Clean

When choosing your child’s summer camp, the fun might be the first thing that grabs their attention, but the cleanliness of the facility should grab yours.

Summer camps can be breeding grounds for germs, and though it is impossible to make a camp germ-free, parents should be concerned with the overall cleaning and sanitizing practices at their child's summer camp, Gator Cleaning Solutions CEO and President Marcus and Erin Meyer said in a press release. 

Here are their thoughts on what you should look out for:  

When you look around your child's camp facility do you see hand sanitizing stations, clean floors and walls, and nonporous materials on surfaces and camp materials and supplies? Be sure to discuss your concerns with the camp director. It should be perfectly acceptable for you to question what they require of their counselors and staff, and what their cleaning routines are. Because children attend either a summer camp for the better portion of each day or travel to a sleepaway camp, knowing what a particular camp's standards of care are is a good idea for any parent.

Other things to consider:

• Child areas and food areas should be cleaned frequently and sanitized daily. Food preparation areas or countertops (especially when dealing with raw foods) should be sanitized before and after each use.

• Sheets, shared clothing (painting smocks, etc.), towels and other cloths should be washed weekly. Clothing that is pulled over the head should be laundered more frequently.

• Restroom and bathing areas should be cleaned multiple times throughout the day, and should be sanitized every day. This includes toilets, door knobs, sinks, plumbing fixtures and toilet stall handles. While sanitizing high touch zones like desks, doorknobs, faucet handles, countertops and toys are crucial in keeping diseases at bay, managing to properly disinfect while not exposing to harmful chemicals is a delicate balance. Greencleaning provides an amicable resolution to this challenge by using healthier, more eco-friendly components in all cleaning supplies. Poor air quality within schools can cause asthma, and certain types of cancer and other diseases. Green cleaning products can improve poor air quality and many schools have started to make the switch.

For more information and other tips from the Land O' Lakes business, visit the Gator Cleaning Solutions website or visit the company's Facebook page.