Here are the simple steps that you should take to clean your playsets.
- Remove any plastic or metal accessories
- Remove dirt in the playset
- Wash the playset with soap and water
- Rinse out the soap
- Let the playset dry
- Apply a fresh coat of sealant.
Cleaning your children’s garden playset can give it a fresh look and get rid of grime accumulation over time. Outdoor playsets face the weather elements all year round, and it is easy for dirt or leaves to accumulate in them.
It is imperative to clean garden playsets often as your children spend a significant amount of time on them.
Exposing kids to mold and mildew can lead to health complications, which can be costly to treat. It is easy to clean garden playsets with tools that you already have in your home. It can take 1-2 hours to do a thorough cleaning of plastic playsets.
Wooden playsets may take longer to clean if they have plastic and metal accessories.
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What Do You Need To Clean?
Preparing for the cleaning endeavor in advance will reduce the overall time you need for the cleaning process. It would be best if you had vinegar to remove grime and mildew that may have accumulated on a playset.
You can use lemon juice if you have it at hand for some extra strength if your playset has a lot of grime.
You can use a rug to clean a small playset, but a pressure washer will make things go faster if you have a large playset. Make sure you wear safety goggles to prevent backsplash water from getting into your eyes.
Carry at least two buckets to hold the water while you spray your playset with a pressure washer. Also, bring your hose pipe closer to the playset to have easy access to water whenever you need top-ups.
Set aside one afternoon or 2-3 hours for the cleaning session to ensure that you reach every nook and cranny.
You will also need a stiff broom to remove dirt and dust before pouring any water on it. Consider buying a sealant to apply on the plastic playsets after cleaning them to give a final polish.
How to Clean Garden Playsets
There are a few steps to cleaning garden playsets and leaving them looking shiny and spotless. The biggest problem for cleaning plastic playground equipment is removing grime and mildew from the surface.
The cleaning mixture below will ensure that you get the entire gunk out without scrub playground equipment.
Step 1: Remove Any Accessories or Toys
Remove any accessories like pillows, dolls, and other toys that your children may have left in the playset. Please keep them in a storage container or somewhere where your children can access them later for redecorations.
You can also remove any delicate pieces of the playset that may be damaged when hit by pressurized water.
Step 2: Sweep Playground Equipment
Over the seasons, a playset can accumulate dirt, leaves, sticks, small branches, and other gunk that may be blown in by the wind. It would help if you used a stiff broom to sweep all dirt before cleaning garden playsets.
Have a waste collection area so that you do not leave the waste around the playground.
Step 3: Wash the Playset
Mix one part of water with one part of white vinegar in a bucket and use it as a cleaning solution for the playset. You can add a dash of lemon juice to remove any odors and brighten the playground equipment’s colors.
You may need 1-2 buckets of the cleaning solution, depending on your garden children’s playsets’ size. Use low or medium pressure on the pressure water to avoid damaging parts of your children’s playing equipment.
Connect the pressure washer to the cleaning solution and start spraying the top of the playset, working to the bottom. Ensure that you spray any rooms that may be part of the playset.
Don’t skip the monkey bars and slide even if they look clean. Leave the solution on for a couple of minutes to do its magic and loosen any gunk.
You can rub one of the areas with dirt to see whether it is loose. If you can remove the dirt effortlessly, it is time to rinse the solution with a lot of water.
Step 4: Rinse the Cleaning Solution
It would be best if you rinsed the cleaning solution with a lot of water to ensure that you get all of it out. Swing the head of the pressure washer from side to side to remove the dirt when rinsing the playset.
You can linger over areas with stubborn gunk for a while until you get it all out. Dirt will be coming off the playground equipment with ease when you are using a pressure washer. You will also be able to reach areas when your hand cannot fit.
Step 5: Apply a Sealant
You can remove any stagnant water in the playset and let it dry naturally. It will take a short period for the playground equipment to dry since it is already outside. Apply a sealant to preserve the integrity of the equipment and give it a glossy finish.
Plastic playground equipment can get damaged by the sun, and applying a sealant protects the equipment. Use a spray sealant that is suitable for plastic to expedite the process. Allow the first coat to dry before you apply the second coat.
Step 6: Reinstall Parts
Once your playset is dry, you can reinstall any parts you removed to prevent them from getting damaged. Also, tell your kids to bring back their toys and their personal touches back to the outdoor playset.
You can rest easy knowing that your children will be spending time on clean playground equipment.
What Other Cleaning Solutions Can You Use?
You can mix dish soap with water to create a cleaning solution that will remove grime from playground equipment. Alternatively, you can use commercial cleaning solutions combined in water to clean garden playsets with a lot of accumulated grime.
Do not use commercial-grade detergents if you tend your kid’s playset often. You can use lemon juice mixed with water to soften the dirt before you wash the dirt away.
How Often Should You Clean Garden Playsets?
Most parents wonder how often to wash playground equipment to avoid the accumulation of dirt. You can wash playground equipment every 2-3 months if you can find the time.
Cleaning a playset every three months is manageable, and you don’t have to worry about your kids using dirty equipment. Please don’t use harsh cleaning materials on plastic because it will damage and reduce your playground equipment’s lifespan.
Can You Do It Alone?
It is okay to wash an outdoor garden playset by yourself, especially when using a pressure washer. Parents can help kids when they choose to use a cleaning solution and rugs to clean an outdoor playset.
You can turn it into family time and make beautiful memories with your little ones as you do the cleaning. You will also be using the task to channel the excess energy that toddlers may have and keep them engaged for a few hours.
Conclusion
Children need a clean environment to play, and cleaning outdoor playsets ensures that your kids do not spend a lot of time around mildew. You don’t need to buy superior cleaning solutions to remove the gunk that may have accumulated on your little one’s playset.
White vinegar or lemon juice can help you soften the dirt for easy removal. Both white vinegar and lemon juice are readily available at the local grocery store.
You will need a lot of water to wash and rinse the playset until it is free of dirt. Use a pressure washer if possible to wash all the hard-to-reach places with ease.
Overall, it only takes a few hours to clean an outdoor playset and apply a sealing solution to protect the playset’s surface from harsh weather conditions.
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