These are challenging times—unprecedented for early childhood educators. As always, Community Playthings is committed to supporting you.

Many have asked us about cleaning and disinfecting their Community Playthings furniture. We've put together these guidelines to help you out. 

Cleaning and Disinfection of Community Playthings Products

Our products are made primarily of solid wood with a cleanable finish. The CDC’s current guidance on cleaning in childcare centers is suitable for Community Playthings products, however, to ensure the products’ longevity, here are some additional recommendations:

Cleaning: Clean all surfaces with soap and water as recommended. Do not use excessive water, and dry surfaces immediately. Leaving water or cleaning agent on the surface may damage the finish. Follow manufacturer’s instructions for dilution, application, and contact times for all detergents and disinfectants.

Disinfecting: We recommend hydrogen peroxide disinfectant sprays or wipes (example Oxivir®, Envirox 118). A 10% bleach solution may also be used. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
DO NOT USE abrasive cleaners, alcohol, aromatic spirits, pine oil, or iodine-based products as these may damage plastic and fabric, or stain the wood finish.

Specific product cleaning instructions

Here are some things you may not know about the clean-ability of our products:

Unit Blocks

Unit blocks are a fantastic resource but are not coated with a finish, so here are some important tips for cleaning:

• Don’t immerse blocks in water
• Wipe blocks with soapy water, then spray or wipe down with a disinfectant
• Ensure blocks are completely dry before stacking away

Note: Hollow blocks are coated with a cleanable finish and can be treated like all our other wooden furniture.
 

Outlast Equipment for Outdoor Play

Of course if space and circumstance allow, there is no better place than the outdoors for play and learning. All our Outdoor products are made from Accoya, a waterproof and rot-resistant wood. Any amount of cleaning with soap, water, and disinfectant will not adversely affect the integrity of the wood.

You may notice that Outlast products weather to a natural gray; however this does not affect their ability to last outdoors for decades.
If going outdoors is not an option, consider using our Outlast furniture temporarily indoors. Check out the Outlast Toddler collection. As stated, all Outlast products are fully waterproof and cleanable. 
 

Display board divider panels and shelf backing

Many of our storage shelves and divider panels have a fuzzy surface enabling them to double as storage/dividers and display boards.

This fuzzy material may present some challenges for cleaning. Nearly all our shelves and panels have the option to add clear plastic covers which will make cleaning easier and protect the fuzzy surface from water or cleaning agents.

Contact your account manager to find the right covers for your shelves and panels.